Abstract:
A system and method is disclosed for network resource management. The method discloses: receiving a request to execute a task; calculating a virtual set of resources required to execute the task; reserving a set of network services for each virtual resource; and executing the task on the reserved services 
     The system discloses means of implementing the method.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for network resource management, and more particularly to systems and methods for demand oriented network resource management. 
     2. Discussion of Background Art 
     Traditional network computer models process tasks either on individual client computers or on network servers. Tasks, regardless of whether they are computationally simple or complex, may from time to time overwhelm client and/or server resources. For instance, computationally complex tasks may not be executable on a single client computer in a timely manner, and such tasks may not even be executable by reasonably powerful central network servers which are over-scheduled with tasks submitted by many different client computers. 
     One way to handle such complex computations is by upgrading either the client or server computers. Such an option, while often the only choice, is very expensive and typically involves a substantial latency period as all of the required hardware and software are ordered, configured and implemented. 
     New server purchases are also burdened by increased costs from adding dedicated administrators, greater maintenance, and the highly complex and costly operating systems required to implement such increasingly powerful servers. New client computer purchases, similarly result in higher incremental costs, from purchasing such new client computers, and tend to waste processing power, since powerful clients mostly sit idle, except for the occasional times when their substantial processing power would be required. 
     In response to the concerns discussed above, what is needed is a system and method for network resource management that overcomes the problems of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a system and method for network resource management. The method of the present invention includes: receiving a request to execute a task; calculating a virtual set of resources required to execute the task; reserving a set of network services for each virtual resource; and executing the task on the reserved services. Alternate embodiments of the method may also include one or more of the following elements: calculating a virtual program, processor, memory, and I/O resources required to execute the task; reserving a set of program, processor, memory, and I/O services for effecting the virtual program resource; creating a resource liaison for effecting a virtual resource; using the liaison to reserve a set of services provided by devices connected to a network in order to support the virtual resource; receiving a set of network service responses indicating whether a network service is available to support execution of the task; reserving a network service if the network service&#39;s response indicates that the network service is available; receiving a network service response indicating that a network service is no longer available to support execution of the task; and halting execution of the task in response to the network service&#39;s unavailability. 
     The system of the present invention includes all means of implementing the method. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will be recognized by those skilled in the art upon review of the detailed description, drawings, and claims set forth below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a dataflow diagram of one embodiment of a system for demand oriented network resource management; 
         FIG. 2  is a dataflow diagram of one embodiment of how services are allocated to tasks; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for demand oriented network resource management. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention configures and manages a set of networked computers based on a computational demand oriented model. In such a model, the networked computers pool their resources, effectively operating as one super-server. By pooling network resources, the system and method of the present invention are a less expensive alternative to adding new client or server hardware. Such network level resource collaboration and distributed task processing, also permits systems administrators to forgo dedicated servers, while still providing adequate processing and other resources on demand. 
       FIG. 1  is a dataflow diagram of one embodiment of a system  100  for demand oriented network resource management. The system  100  includes a set of network resources  102 . These resources  102  include a requesting computer  104  and a resource liaison manager  106 , as well as other resources. These other resources may include program resources  108 , processor resources  110 , memory resources  112 , and I/O resources  114 . One or more of these resources may be effected by any number of hardware devices, such as personal computers, servers, databases, printers, etc. Those skilled in the art recognize that the resource categories describe above can be organized, grouped and/or labeled in many different ways which have no impact on how the present invention operates. The network resources  102  are interconnected using a network interface (shown by the solid lines connecting the various network resources). The network interface preferably operates according to standard network protocols. 
     The requesting computer  104  requests services from the set of network resources  102 , and the network resources  102  are configured by the present invention to provide those requested services. The requesting computer  104  is also one of the network resources  102 , but is shown separately for the sake of clarity in the present invention&#39;s discussion. 
     The requesting computer  104  includes a set of tasks  116  and a tasking module  118 . The tasks  116  are contemplated to include any function, process, application, etc. to be effected by the requesting computer  104 , including data processing, data transfer, utility, and similar tasks. The tasking module  118 , as will be discussed further below, includes a compiler which analyzes each task and in turn generates a set of application program, processor, memory, I/O, and perhaps many other service requests for effecting said task. 
     The resource liaison manager  106  receives the resource requests from the tasking module  118  over the network interface and in turn generates one or more liaison modules, each responsible for a predetermined portion of the task&#39;s execution. For example, if the tasking module  118  had sent a set of application program, processor, memory, and I/O resource requests to the liaison manager  106 , the liaison manager  106  would then in turn generate, a program liaison module  120 , a processor liaison module  122 , a memory liaison module  124 , and an I/O liaison module  126 . These liaison modules would then identify which of the other resources within the set of network resources  102  can provide one or more services for effecting said tasking module&#39;s  118  resource requests. 
     Since the liaison manager  106  can preferably receive and process multiple resource requests from many other requesting computers connected to the network, the liaison manager  106  is preferably located on a server which is always available on the network to all possible requesting computers. In alternate embodiments however, the liaison manager  106  can be located on several different computers or within each requesting computer  104  itself. 
     Note that the terms “services” and “tasks,” while basically synonyms, are used within the present discussion to enable a clearer distinction to be made between “resource requests” from the requesting computer  104  and “resources provided” by the set of network resources  102 . Thus, for the purposes of this discussion, the requesting computer  104  has a “task” to be completed, and the network resources  102  provide “services” in order to fulfill that task. Note one or more of the network resources may themselves request network resources in order to provide said services. In such a case the network resource itself becomes a requesting computer and thus may also benefit from the teaching of the present invention. Any set of services and liaisons can reside in any of the network resources  102 . 
       FIG. 2  is a dataflow diagram  200  of one embodiment of how services with one or more network resources  102  are allocated to tasks within the system  100 .  FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method  300  for demand oriented network resource management.  FIGS. 2 and 3  are now discussed together. 
     The method  300  begins in step  302 , where a systems administrator configures the set of network resources  102  for uniform service capabilities. Configuring these resources for uniform service capabilities is herein defined as configuring a predetermined number of network resources so that other network resources can selectively access and benefit from each other&#39;s application programs, processing power, memory resources, I/O resources, and the like. 
     Next in step  304 , the tasking module  18  receives a request to execute a program task  202  from the set of tasks  116 . In step  306 , the tasking module  118  generates a set of virtual resource requests by calculating a total set of virtual program resources, virtual processing resources, virtual memory resources, and virtual I/O resources which would be required to effect the task (e.g. this much processor word-size and speed, this much memory size, storage and I/O requirements, etc.). Methods for performing this calculation are well known in the art, such as those implemented within a compiler when generating execution code. 
     In step  308 , the tasking module  118  sends the virtual resource requests to the liaison manager  106 . In step  310 , the liaison manager  106  creates a resource liaison module corresponding to each of the tasking module&#39;s  118  virtual resource requests. In the embodiment shown, the liaison manager  106  creates the program liaison module  120  for hosting the virtual program resource request, the processor liaison module  122  for hosting the virtual processor resource request, the memory liaison module  124  for hosting the virtual memory resource request, and the I/O liaison module  126  for hosting the virtual I/O resource request. Those skilled in the art will recognize that additional liaison modules can be created, depending upon the task to be executed. 
     Next in step  312 , each resource liaison module  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  created in response to the virtual resource requests, transmits a set of liaison specific service requests over the network. In step  314 , each resource liaison  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  receives a set of available service responses over the network. The available service responses are generated by one or more of the network resources  102 , and indicate how many of the requested service each network resource can provide. In some instances, one powerful network resource offers to provide all of the requested services. While in another instance, several network resources may be required to effect only one of the service requests. 
     In step  316 , the resource liaisons send a service reservation request to one or more of the network resources  102 , which can either singly or together, provide those services necessary to effect that resource liaison&#39;s hosted virtual resource request required by the tasking module  118 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the following reservations have occurred: Program liaison module  120  has reserved program service  204 , from the network resources  102 , in order to effect the tasking module&#39;s  118  virtual program resource request. Processor liaison module  122  has reserved processor services A  206 , B  208 , and C  210  on three different network resources, A, B, and C, in order to effect the tasking module&#39;s  118  virtual processor resource request. Memory liaison module  124  has reserved memory services A  212 , B  214 , C  216 , and D  218  on four different from network resources, A, B, C, and D, in order to effect the tasking module&#39;s  118  virtual memory resource request. And finally I/O liaison module  126  has reserved storage service  220 , printer service  222 , monitor service  224 , and I/O stream service  226  from the network resources  102 , in order to effect the tasking module&#39;s  118  virtual I/O resource request. 
     Once the necessary network resources have been reserved, the liaison manager  106 , in step  318 , links the reserved services to their corresponding virtual resource requests, using either pointers or handles, specifying the necessary paths. In step  320 , the liaison manger  106  sends a message to the tasking module  118  indicating that task execution may begin. Then in step  322  the tasking module  118  executes the task  202  until completion. 
     Note, each of the liaison&#39;s  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  appears to the tasking module  118  to be only a single virtual resource, even though the liaison&#39;s have often times aggregated several real resource services in order to effect each virtual resource. For example, if the task  202  requires 4 GB of virtual memory, but each individual memory service can only provide 1 GB of memory, the memory liaison module  124  reserves the 4 GB of memory using four different memory services; however, from the task&#39;s  202  reference point, the memory liaison module  126  has provided the entire 4 GB of memory. 
     In step  324 , each of the reserved network services, from time to time, send a status message to the liaison manager  106 . The status message indicates whether that particular network service is still available or not. In step  326 , if the liaison manager  106  receives a status message from one of the network services indicating that that service is no longer available, the liaison manager  106  instructs the tasking module  118  to halt execution of the task  202 . 
     Then, in step  328 , the particular resource liaison module  120 ,  122 ,  124  or  126  affected by the network service unavailability, repeats steps  312  through  318  in order to secure another network service which can provide a replacement service, after which steps  320  through  320  are repeated. 
     In step  330 , after completion of the task  202 , the resource liaisons modules  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  send messages releasing the reserved network services, after which the method  300  ends. 
     The capacity of the network resources  102  to provide services to requesting computers can easily be increased by adding additional network resources, providing additional service capability, to the set of network resources  102 . Thus by adding more resources, such as personal computers or servers, to the network, more CPU power, memory capacity and the like, become available, instantly benefiting all of the network&#39;s users. In fact, using the present invention, tasks can be executed which would have required more services than any one server computer could have individually provided. In this way the present invention functions as a sort of “super-server.” 
     Also, while any single hardware device, such as a server or a personal computer, is limited by its design, the present invention&#39;s distributed approach benefits from a relatively unlimited number of network resources which can be brought to bear to effect a task. This flexibility is a substantial advantage over fixed hardware oriented systems. 
     While one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications may be made. Variations upon and modifications to these embodiments are provided by the present invention, which is limited only by the following claims.