Composable Service Scheduling Metadata Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Real-time systems composed of independently developed services face challenges in scheduling conflicts due to hardcoded or manually configured scheduling characteristics, which can lead to suboptimal performance or violations of implicit assumptions.

Innovation Solution

The integration of scheduling metadata with composable services, allowing for static verification, automatic generation, and dynamic verification of scheduling configurations to ensure compliance with constraints such as thread priorities, CPU affinity, and cache partitioning, thereby enabling 'plug and play' composability and reducing reliance on human experts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If scheduling characteristics are hardcoded or manually configured, then system operation can be maintained, but scheduling conflicts occur and implicit assumptions may be violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operationVSAvoidscheduling configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The service packages itself with scheduling metadata describing its scheduling characteristics and constraints. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual configuration by human experts, as the service automatically provides the information needed for proper integration into the real-time system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Scheduling metadata is prepared and packaged together with the service in advance, before integration into the real-time system. This preliminary action includes documenting thread priorities, CPU affinities, cache partitioning requirements, and other scheduling constraints, enabling automated verification and configuration tools to prevent scheduling conflicts before they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If services are independently developed and freely composable, then system flexibility and adaptability improve, but scheduling conflicts increase due to hardcoded values

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice composabilityVSAvoidscheduling compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The scheduling metadata format and packaging mechanism serve multiple functions: they enable services to be independently developed with self-describing scheduling characteristics, allow automated tools to verify scheduling compliance, support dynamic configuration generation, and facilitate conflict detection. This universal approach works across different service types and composition scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The scheduling metadata provides feedback information about a service's scheduling requirements and constraints. Automated verification tools use this feedback to check for scheduling conflicts, and configuration tools use it to generate appropriate scheduling parameters. This feedback mechanism ensures that independently developed services can be composed without violating scheduling constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If manual configuration by human experts is used, then scheduling can be tuned, but cost increases and implicit assumptions may be violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling tuningVSAvoidintegration cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The service automatically provides its scheduling characteristics through packaged metadata, eliminating the need for human experts to manually tune and configure scheduling parameters. This self-service approach maintains precision by capturing exact service requirements while significantly reducing integration costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Scheduling metadata acts as an intermediary between the service and the integration process. Instead of requiring human experts to directly analyze and configure each service, the metadata serves as a machine-readable interface that automated verification and configuration tools can process, maintaining precision while reducing dependency on human expertise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If hardcoded scheduling values are used, then integration is simplified, but scheduling conflicts occur and system quality decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration simplicityVSAvoidscheduling correctness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The service self-describes its scheduling requirements through packaged metadata, maintaining integration simplicity by eliminating manual configuration while simultaneously improving scheduling correctness through automated verification and conflict detection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Scheduling metadata is prepared in advance with the service, enabling automated tools to verify scheduling correctness before integration. This preliminary action maintains ease of operation by providing ready-to-use scheduling information while ensuring reliability through pre-integration verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4383072A1Scheduling metadata for composable real-time systems
Publication Date: 2024.06.12 HITACHI ENERGY LTD
  • EP4383072A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4383072A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4383072A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for integration of at least one composable service into a system of composable services, the method comprising: packaging scheduling metadata with at least one composable service, wherein the scheduling metadata includes scheduling related constraints for each of the at least one composable service; and integrating the at least one composable service into a system of composable services based on the scheduling metadata. A computer readable medium comprising at least one composable service comprising packaged scheduling metadata; wherein the scheduling metadata includes scheduling related constraints for each of the at least one composable service. A system for at least one composable service, the system comprising: a processor that is configured to integrate at least one composable service received from a computer readable medium based on the scheduling metadata into the system for at least one composable service.