Distributed Thread Library Bridging Grid Computing Paradigms
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Solution Overview
Problem
The slow adoption of grid computing by large enterprises is hindered by the lack of a standard interface for distributed resource management and the difficulty in transitioning from a thread-oriented to a job-oriented paradigm, requiring significant changes to applications and developer investment.
Innovation Solution
A 'distributed thread' library that acts as an API, allowing applications to be written in a thread-oriented manner while interacting with a resource management interface to manage jobs on a computing grid, bridging the thread-oriented and job-oriented paradigms and enabling grid computing without requiring applications to be rewritten.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If applications are rewritten to use job-oriented paradigm for grid computing, then grid computing capability is achieved, but development time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a threading abstraction layer as an intermediary between the application and the grid computing system. This layer translates thread-oriented programming constructs into job-oriented grid operations, allowing applications to maintain their existing threading model while accessing grid resources. The abstraction layer handles the complexity of grid integration internally, shielding developers from the need to rewrite applications in a job-oriented paradigm.
Solution Approach 2:
The threading abstraction layer serves multiple functions: it maintains compatibility with existing thread-oriented applications, provides grid computing capability, and manages the translation between threading and job-oriented paradigms. This multi-functional approach allows a single layer to address both the need for grid access and the desire to maintain existing application structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a standard interface for DRM is implemented, then compatibility across different DRM systems is improved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages existing threading interface standards (such as POSIX threads) as a template for the grid interface. By copying the familiar threading API structure and semantics, the system achieves standardization without requiring developers to learn new interfaces. The threading abstraction layer implements grid operations using this copied interface structure, providing compatibility while managing implementation complexity through reuse of established patterns.
3Power
If multi-processor computers are used to increase processing power, then computation capability is improved, but scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal scaling (adding more processors to a single system) to vertical scaling (distributing work across multiple independent systems in a grid). The threading abstraction layer enables this dimensional shift by mapping threads to jobs that can be executed on any grid resource, allowing the system to scale from single-machine multi-processing to multi-machine grid computing without fundamental architectural changes to the application.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism is provided for fostering the adoption of grid computing by bridging the thread-oriented paradigm (used in single and multi-processor computers) and the job-oriented paradigm (used in grid computing). This mechanism allows an application developer to write an application in the same manner as if he were writing a thread-oriented program (in terms of creating and joining threads). However, when the application is executed on a client computer and the mechanism is invoked, the mechanism interacts with a resource management interface to cause a distributed resource manager to create, distribute, and manage the execution of jobs on the resource computers of a grid. Thus, rather than actually spawning threads on the client computer, the mechanism causes jobs to be spawned and executed on the grid. By doing this, the mechanism allows the application to take advantage of grid computing without requiring the application to be grid-aware.