Reservation-Based Queue Management for Test Bench Agent Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional queueing systems in test bench environments do not guarantee service of all enqueued items when multiple consumer processes are dequeuing from the same queue, leading to inefficiencies and potential starvation of processes due to varying execution orders by the simulation kernel.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a reservation-based system where consumer agents are allocated 'ripe' or 'unripe' reservations, with 'ripe' reservations having priority and 'unripe' reservations being ordered based on seniority or age, ensuring fair and progressive servicing of dequeue requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional queueing systems are used with multiple consumer processes, then the system allows queue growth and enqueue operations, but service of all enqueued items is not guaranteed and process starvation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a reservation system where consumer processes are pre-assigned reservations (ripe or unripe) before actual dequeue operations. This preliminary allocation ensures that when multiple consumers compete for queue items, each process has a guaranteed opportunity to dequeue, preventing starvation while maintaining efficient processing. The reservation system is established in advance through allocation logic that tracks which processes have reserved rights to dequeue operations.
2Productivity
If multiple consumer processes dequeue from the same queue, then resource utilization increases, but fairness and service of all items cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dequeue rights into distinct reservation types (ripe reservations and unripe reservations) that are separately tracked and managed. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between processes that have immediate dequeue rights and those that must wait, enabling fair allocation across multiple consumers while maintaining high resource utilization. The segmentation creates a structured hierarchy that ensures all processes eventually receive service.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state parameter of reservations from unripe to ripe based on queue conditions and process seniority. This parameter transformation allows dynamic adjustment of dequeue priorities while ensuring fairness. When the queue accumulates sufficient items or when seniority thresholds are met, unripe reservations can become ripe, allowing previously starved processes to access the queue. This parameter change mechanism maintains both fairness and productivity.
3Reliability
If queue size grows to handle all enqueued items, then complete service is possible, but system complexity and sensitivity to inefficiencies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reservation system as an intermediary layer between the queue and consumer processes. This intermediary manages dequeue rights without requiring the queue itself to track complex state information about each consumer. The reservation system acts as a mediator that simplifies the interaction model, ensuring complete service through structured allocation while reducing overall system complexity by separating concerns between queue management and consumer access control.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and mechanisms for performing dequeue operations for agents of a test bench environment. In an embodiment, a first group of agents are each allocated a respective ripe reservation and a second set of agents are each allocated a respective unripe reservation. Over time, queue management logic allocates respective reservations to agents and variously changes one or more such reservations from unripe to ripe. In another embodiment, an order of servicing agents allocated unripe reservations is based on relative priorities of the unripe reservations with respect to one another. An order of servicing agents allocated ripe reservations is on a first come, first served basis.