Patent ID: 7496677

Claim:
A method for transporting streaming data through multiple modules in a digital computer, comprising: defining a set of performance parameters for each of the modules; setting values for the parameters indicating weights of the parameters for respective ones of the modules; constructing a graph as a sequence of the modules for accepting and processing frames of streaming data to achieve desired output data, the constructed graph includes a plurality of pipes, where at least one of the plurality of pipes includes the sequence of modules; assigning at least one memory manager to at least one of the plurality of pipes, the memory manager allocates frames for the streaming data of its assigned pipe and sets a frame size range for its associated pipe, the frame size range is determined from the frame size range requirements of the modules in its associated pipe; selecting one or more performance goals for the graph as a whole; and associating resource of the computer to various ones of the modules so as to increase the performance goals of the overall graph in terms of the parameter values of the individual modules.