Patent ID: 7924718

Claim:
A processing node configured to operate in a stream processing network, the processing node comprising: communication links configured to be coupled to the stream processing network and to communicate with other elements of the stream processing network; at least one memory configured to store at least one computer program, the computer program configured to perform distributed processing and communication resource allocation control as part of a primal dual controller implemented in the stream processing network, the at least one memory further configured to store workflow and workflow-related information; and at least one processing apparatus coupled to the communication links and the at least one memory, the processing apparatus configured to execute the at least one computer program and to perform processing operations on workflows received by the processing node, wherein when the at least one program is executed the processing node is configured to receive workflows presented for processing purposes; to maintain a queue for each workflow presented for processing purposes; to generate workflow-related information concerning the queue for each workflow; to transmit the workflow-related information to local elements of the stream processing network; to receive workflow-related information from the local elements of the stream processing network; and to allocate processing capacity of the processing node to at least one workflow in dependence on the workflow-related information generated by the processing node and received from local elements of the stream processing network.