JP3878881B2 - Asynchronous agent system, resource utilization method in the system, resource utilization program, and recording medium recording the program - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a plurality of service agents that execute an application program for providing a service requested by a user, and a plurality of resource management agents that provide the service agent with resources required for the service agent to execute the application program. Asynchronous agent system including
[0002]
[Prior art]
Software that autonomously executes an application program for providing a service requested by a user on behalf of a user on a large-scale network is called an agent. The agent is generated asynchronously according to each user's request, and the user may be used in a form of receiving a service of an application program executed by the agent. Hereinafter, an agent that is generated asynchronously according to a user's request and provides a service is called a service agent. A service agent requires resources such as a CPU and memory to execute an application program. In the following, resources are treated abstractly as countable. A resource for each service agent cannot be prepared in advance for a service agent generated asynchronously, and a resource for a service agent is prepared as a shared resource. After being generated, the service agent acquires the resource usage right and executes the application program. Here, one resource must be exclusively used by one service agent. If multiple service agents need resources at the same time, they must decide which service agent will use the resources. Thus, in general, determining which agent is given the resource use right in response to the resource use request of the agent is called resource allocation.
[0003]
As a conventional resource allocation technology, distributed processing methods that determine which agents can use resources by communicating with each other by competing agents that need the same resources (reference: G. Ricart and RK Agrawala, An Optimal Algorithm for Mutual Exclusion in Computer Networks, Comm. ACM, Vol. 24, No. 24, No. 1, pp. 9-17, 1981) and circulate between agents competing for control signals called tokens. Talking method that grants resource usage rights to agents with tokens (Reference: G. Le Lann, Distributed systems-towards a formal approach, Information Processing '77, pp. 155-160, 1977.). In these methods, in order to communicate between competing agents, it is necessary to know the competitor in advance.
[0004]
There is also a resource management agent that manages resource usage rights in the system. The service agent issues a request for resource use by issuing a request message to the resource management agent, and the resource management agent sends a response message to the request message. A method of granting the right to use resources by sending to is also conceivable. A resource allocation method in which a resource management agent determines a service agent to which a resource usage right is given is called a resource transaction. Resource transactions can be easily realized by a method in which one resource management agent centrally manages resources and each service agent acquires a resource usage right through communication with the only resource management agent. However, this method is not an excellent method from the viewpoint of fault tolerance. That is, if a single resource management agent fails and does not operate at all, no service agent can acquire a resource usage right. Therefore, there can be considered a method in which a plurality of resource management agents are present in the system, and each service agent acquires a resource usage right by communicating with the plurality of resource management agents. With this method, if there is a resource management agent that continues to operate normally even if several resource management agents fail, there is a method in which the service agent acquires the resource usage right by communicating with the normal resource management agent. Conceivable.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention targets the problem of resource transactions in which a service agent acquires the right to use a shared resource through communication between a plurality of service agents and a plurality of resource management agents.
[0006]
In the conventional method, only the minimum necessary number of shared resources may be prepared, which may be less than the number that the service agent may request at the same time. Also, if there are requests from many service agents at the same time and one resource competes, only the service agent is given the right to use, and the other service agents are assigned the resource that has been given the right to use first. Wait until you release. However, since a service agent cannot execute an application program unless resources can be used, in a conventional method, a user of a certain service agent cannot use the service until another service agent releases the resource. In such a method, the service agent at the normal speed may not be able to provide the service due to the operation of the service agent at the other speed, and the good service provision of the normal service agent is hindered.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to determine in advance when a service agent acquires a resource usage right from a resource management agent, even if there is an agent having a slow operation speed or a malfunction in other service agents. To provide an asynchronous agent system and a resource usage method that can use resources so that a normal service agent is not prevented from acquiring a resource usage right even when a certain number of resource management agents stop or fail. It is in. Here, the stop failure of an agent is a failure that prevents the agent from operating at all, and the agent that has stopped and stopped cannot transmit or receive messages at all.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the asynchronous agent system of the present invention, the maximum number of service agents simultaneously appearing in the system is nS, the total number of resources required by the service agent is rS, Decide in advance, Stop failure May do Resource management agent Number limit Where fM is the total number of resource management agents is fM + 1, and the lower limit of the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents that do not stop and fail is rS + fM × (nS−1).
[0009]
rS is the number required as a resource provided to a certain service agent as a resource actually used by the service agent. Further, since each service agent makes a resource request to fM + 1 resource management agents at the same time, a total of fM resources that are not actually used may be provided to each service agent in some cases. Finally, since it is only necessary to provide the service agent that requests the resource with the number of resources that the service agent actually needs, fM × (nS−1) is not actually used for the total number nS of service agents. It becomes the necessary number as a resource.
[0010]
When each service agent acquires a resource usage right from a resource management agent, it sends one request message per resource to all resource management agents in sequence and receives an unavailable message from a resource management agent. When a request message is transmitted to a resource management agent that has not yet transmitted a request message and a use permission message is received from a certain resource management agent, the right to use the resource is acquired from the resource management agent, and the service agent needs If the resource usage right for all the number of resources to be acquired can be acquired, the application program is executed, and if there are resources for which the usage right has not yet been acquired, a request message is transmitted until all the resource usage rights can be acquired.
[0011]
When a request message is transmitted from a certain service agent, each resource management agent receives the request message if it has not stopped and failed at that time, and other services are still included in the resources managed by the resource management agent. If there is a resource for which no usage right has been set for the agent, a usage permission message is sent to the service agent, and the usage right has already been set for another service agent for all resources managed by the agent. An unusable message is transmitted to the service agent.
[0012]
Because each service agent and resource management agent program has no place to wait for receiving a message from another service agent, and because the resource management agent that does not stop and stop a sufficient number of resources manages other service agents The right to use resources can be acquired without being affected by the operating speed. In addition, since the number of resources that are not actually used by service agents other than the service agent that finally requests the resources is fM × (nS−1) at most, rS + fM × (nS−1) ) Is the optimal minimum of the total number of resources that the resource management agent must prepare.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an asynchronous agent system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015]
This asynchronous agent system includes a plurality of service agents 3 and a plurality of resource management agents 4 operating on a communication network including a plurality of hosts 1 and a communication line 2 for communicating between them, and the service agent 3 includes It consists of resources 5 (CPU, memory, etc.) to be used. Agents 3 and 4 operate asynchronously, and each agent 3 and 4 cannot directly see what other agents 3 and 4 are in.
[0016]
The service agent 3 is software that is generated asynchronously in response to a user's request (information retrieval, business transaction, etc.) and executes an application program for providing a service to the user. The resource management agent 4 is software that manages the resources 5 necessary for the service agent 3 to execute the application program and gives the right to use the resources 5 according to the request of the service agent 3. The resource management agent 4 continues to operate permanently from the time of system startup. On the other hand, the service agent 3 is newly generated halfway after the system is started. The service agent 3 to be generated can be generated by an agent that is already active inside, or can be generated by a computer or agent outside the system by an instruction. In this system, communication is performed by transmitting and receiving messages between any two agents in the system. However, in the present invention, in order to use resources so as not to be affected by the operation speed of other service agents 3, for resource transactions between service agents 3 and between resource management agents 4 as shown in FIG. There is no direct communication. When communication is performed between one service agent 3 and one resource management agent 4, there is a delay from one sending a message to the other receiving a message. This delay is not constant and varies depending on system conditions. Communication can be performed between agents on the same host 1 or between agents on different hosts 1. In many cases, the delay between agents in different hosts 1 is longer than the communication between agents in the same host 1, but the present invention can be applied to any delay from transmission to reception. Therefore, the following is not distinguished. When created, the service agent 3 knows the names of all resource management agents 4 in the system. The resource management agent 4 does not know the information of any service agent 3 when the system is started, but stores the information of the service agent 3 in the knowledge by receiving a message from the service agent 3.
[0017]
Note that one resource management agent 4 is not necessarily required to exist on one host 1, even if one host 1 has a plurality of resource management agents or a host 1 having no resource management agent. Good. However, the service agent 3 in the different host 1 can also communicate with the resource management agent 4. In addition, there is one resource management agent 4 as an owner for every resource in the network.
[0018]
In the present embodiment, an upper limit is set in advance for the number of resource management agents 4 that may stop and fail. In the following, decide in advance , Stop breakdown Money Let the upper limit of the number of source management agents 4 be fM. In addition, the number of resources managed by the resource management agent 4 that does not stop and fail in the system must be greater than a specific number. In the following, it is assumed that the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents 4 that do not stop and fail must be at least rM. Furthermore, it is necessary to set the upper limit of the number of service agents 3 appearing in the system and the number of resources required by those service agents 3. In the following, the number of service agents 3 simultaneously appearing in the system is at most nS, and the sum of the number of resources required by these service agents 3 is represented by rS.
[0019]
Each agent 3, 4 is composed of an identifier and a program. The identifiers of the agents 3 and 4 are different from any agent in the system. Hereinafter, the agent having the identifier i is referred to as an agent 3i or 4i.
[0020]
The program of the resource management agent 4 has only a resource use program for managing resources. Now, the number of resources managed by the resource management agent 4 is assumed to be 4.r. In the resource use program of the resource management agent 4, in response to a request from the service agent 3, the service agent 3 is set so that a plurality of service agents 3 do not use 4.r resources simultaneously. Grant resource usage rights.
[0021]
The program of the service agent 3 is composed of a resource use program and an application program. The service agent 3 is generated asynchronously, but when generated, the resource utilization program is executed. After completing the resource use program, the program shifts to the application program and starts providing the service to the user. The service agent 3 knows the number of resources necessary to execute the application program. Now, the number of resources that the service agent 3 needs for the application program is described as 3.r. The resource use program of the service agent 3 executes a procedure for communicating with the resource management agent 4 in order to acquire 3. r resources. The application program is a program for responding to user requests. In the present embodiment, the system operates under any application program as long as the number of resources necessary for executing the application program is known in advance.
[0022]
Agents 3 and 4 can communicate with any agent 3 or 4 in the system by sending and receiving messages. However, in order to use resources that are not affected by the operating speed of other service agents 3, no direct communication is performed between the service agents 3 that are executing the resource use program and between the resource management agents 4. When an agent sends a message, the destination is specified by an identifier regardless of which host the destination is. In the present invention, it is not distinguished whether communication is performed between agents on the same host or between agents on different hosts. Do not consider. There is a non-constant delay between the time the agent sends the message and the destination agent receives it, but the destination agent never receives the sent message forever. When agent j receives a message from agent i, agent j can understand that the message has been sent from the agent with identifier i.
[0023]
The resource use program prevents the normal service agent 3 from being obstructed from acquiring the resource use right even when the predetermined number of resource management agents 4 or less fM are stopped and failed. However, for that purpose, the system must be configured so that rM ≧ rS + fM × (nS−1).
[0024]
In the resource use program, the service agent 3 sends a message requesting the resource use right to the resource management agent 4 for each resource, and the service agent 3 simultaneously (fM + 1) resource management agents in parallel. 4. Deal with resource usage rights. If only fM resource management agents 4 are traded at the same time, the progress of the program of the service agent 3 is stopped when all of the trading destinations are out of order. Further, if the resource usage rights are exchanged with (fM + 1) resource management agents 4 in parallel, even after the service agent 3 determines the acquisition of the necessary number of resource usage rights, the resource management agent 4 is still The resource use right is continuously given to the service agent 3. That is, the number of resources provided to the service agent 3 is larger than the number of resources actually required. Therefore, in order to bring the resources given to the service agent 3 close to the number of resources that the service agent 3 actually needs, the service agent 3 requests resources one by one.
[0025]
The service agent 3 and the resource management agent 4 use the following message in the resource use program.
[0026]
Request message: A message for the service agent 3 to request one resource from the resource management agent 4.
[0027]
Usage permission message: A message for the resource management agent 4 to inform the service agent 3 that one resource can be used in response to a request from the service agent 3.
[0028]
Unusable message: A message for the resource management agent 4 to inform the service agent 3 that no resource is available in response to a request from the service agent 3.
[0029]
Service agent 3 _i Suppose that requires ri resources. Service agent 3 _i First, appropriate (fM + 1) resource management agents 4 are selected from the list of resource management agents 4. 4 of those resource management agents 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , ..., 4 _{fM + 1} And Service agent 3 _i Are each resource management agent 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , ..., 4 _{fM + 1} Send a request message to Service agent 3 _i Resource management agent 4 that has received the request message from _j If there is a resource that can be provided at that time among the resources managed by the user, a use permission message is transmitted to the service agent 3 to reduce the number of resources that can be provided by one. If the right to use all resources is provided to an existing service agent 3, that is, manage 4 _j If the service agent 3 is provided with the right to use .r resources, the resource management agent 4 _j Is Agent 3 _i Send unavailable message to. Resource management agent 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , ..., 4 _{fM + 1} At least one of the resource management agents 4 does not have a stop failure and transmits a use permission message or a use disapproval message to the service agent 3. That is, service agent 3 _i A usage permission message or an unusable message is received from the resource management agent 4 soon. Service agent 3 _i Is resource management agent 4 _j If there is a resource management agent 4 that has not yet transmitted the request message when the unavailable message is received from, the request message is transmitted to one of such resource management agents 4. Service agent 3 _i Is resource management agent 4 _j If ri resource usage rights are acquired when the usage permission message is received from, the resource usage program is completed and the application program is entered. Resource management agent 4 _j If ri resources have not yet been acquired when the usage permission message is received from the resource management agent 4 again _j Send a request message to Service agent 3 _i Repeats sending the request message and receiving the use permission / unusable message until the right to use ri resources is acquired.
[0030]
FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the processing procedure of the resource use program of the service agent 3. Note that Pop appearing in the flowchart represents an operation of extracting one element from the set and outputting it. However, when the set is an empty set, Pop outputs φ. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the processing procedure of the resource use program of the resource management agent 4. Explains the messages and variables used in this program.
[0031]
·message
-Request message: Marked as Request.
[0032]
―Usage permission message: Response (1).
[0033]
-Unusable message: Write Response (0).
[0034]
-Variables used by service agent 3
-3.S: A set of identifiers of the resource management agent 4. This represents a partner to which the service agent 3 has not yet sent a Request. The initial value is all resource management agents 4 in the system.
[0035]
― 3.k: A positive integer. The number that the service agent 3 must acquire the resource usage right. The initial value is r3.
[0036]
-Variables used by resource management agent 4
―4.k: Positive integer. Of the resources managed by the resource management agent 4, this represents the number of resources for which no service agent 3 is given a resource usage right. The initial value is r4.
[0037]
Hereinafter, an outline of processing of the resource use program of the service agent 3 will be described. The number t of resource management agents 4 is initialized (step 11). First, the service agent 3 extracts one element from the set 4.S of resource management agents 4 and repeats the operation of sending a request message Request to the resource management agent 4 (fM + 1) times (steps 12 and 13). When the unavailable message Request (0) is received from the resource management agent 4, elements are extracted from the set 4.S of the resource management agent 4 and a request message Request is transmitted to the resource management agent 4 (steps 15 to 17). When the permission message Response (1) is received from the resource management agent 4 (step 18), 3.k is decreased by 1 (step 19). It is determined whether the number 3.k of resource usage rights that the service agent 3 must acquire is 0 (step 20). If it is not 0, the request message Request is transmitted again to the service agent 3 (step 21). When 3.k becomes 0 in step 20, the service agent 3 ends the resource use program and shifts to the application program (step 22). If a message for a resource use program is received after the application program has been migrated, it is ignored.
[0038]
“Reception” in steps 14 and 18 means that the service agent 3 processes the delivered message. The messages Response (0) and Response (1) may be delivered after the request message Request is transmitted to a certain resource management agent 4 until the request message Request is transmitted to the next resource management agent 4. Suspends processing until it finishes sending the request message Request.
[0039]
Next, an outline of processing of the resource use program of the resource management agent 4 will be described. The resource management agent 4 repeats the following operation permanently from the start of system operation. When the request message Request is received from the service agent 3 (step 13), it is determined whether 4.k representing the number of resources that have not been given resource usage rights to any service agent 3 has become 0 (step 32). If 4.k is positive, the permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the service agent 3 to decrement 4.k by 1 (step 33). 4. When the request message Request is received from the service agent 3 after k becomes 0, an unusable message Response (0) is transmitted to the service agent 3 (step 34).
[0040]
Next, an example of operation by this program in this system will be shown.
[0041]
Assuming that at most one resource management agent 4 stops and fails, the system includes four resource management agents 4 as shown in FIG. ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 _Three , 4 _Four , And the number of resources 5 managed by each is 3, 3, 2, 2 and at most three service agents 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 _Three Are generated in order, and at most two of them request two resources, and the number of resources requested by the remaining service agents is one. In this system, in any combination of three or more resource management agents 4, the total number rM of the provided resources is rS + fM × (nS−1) = 7 or more, and the resources provided by the resource management agent 4 that does not stop and fail. The total number of is sufficiently large. Note that solid arrows in FIGS. 6 to 24 indicate the transmission of the use permission message.
[0042]
Operation example 1
Example in which all resources managed by the resource management agent 4 that does not stop and fail are eventually occupied by a certain service agent 3:
1. Resource management agent 4 ₁ Stops and fails at all (FIG. 6).
[0043]
2. Service Agent 3 that requires two resources ₁ Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Three The request message Request is transmitted to (Fig. 7).
[0044]
3. Service Agent 3 that requires two resources ₂ Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four The request message Request is transmitted to (Fig. 7).
[0045]
4. Resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Three Are service agents 3 respectively ₁ Request message Request is received from each service agent 3 ₁ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 8). Where 4 ₂ .k = 2, 4 _Three .k = 1.
[0046]
5. Resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four Are service agents 3 respectively ₂ Request message Request is received from each service agent 3 ₂ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 8). Where 4 ₂ .k = 1, 4 _Four .k = 1.
[0047]
6. Service Agent 3 ₁ Is resource management agent 4 ₂ When the usage permission message Response (1) is received from the resource management agent 4, since it is still 3.k = 1 ₂ A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 9).
[0048]
7. Resource management agent 4 ₂ Is service agent 3 ₁ Request message Request is received from service agent 3 ₁ A usage permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 9). Where 4 ₂ .k = 0.
[0049]
8. Service Agent 3 ₁ Is resource management agent 4 _Three The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 9). 3 ₁ .k = 0, so service agent 3 ₁ Moves to the application program.
[0050]
9. Service Agent 3 ₂ Is resource management agent 4 _Four Receives a usage permission message Response (1) from, but still 3 ₂ .k = 1, so resource management agent 4 _Four A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 10).
[0051]
10. Resource management agent 4 _Four Is service agent 3 ₂ Request message Request is received from service agent 3 ₂ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 11). Where 4 _Four .k = 0.
[0052]
11. Service Agent 3 ₂ Is resource management agent 4 _Four The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 12). 3 ₂ .k = 0, so service agent 3 ₂ Moves to the application program.
[0053]
12. Service Agent 3 that needs one resource _Three Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 13).
[0054]
13. Resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four Is Service Agent 3 _Three Receive request message Request from each of 4 ₂ .k = 0, 4 _Four Service agent 3 because .k = 0 _Three An unusable message Response (0) is transmitted to (FIG. 13).
[0055]
14. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 ₂ Unavailable message Response (0) is received from Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Three A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 14).
[0056]
15. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Four Unavailable message Response (0) is received from Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 ₁ A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 14).
[0057]
16. Resource management agent 4 _Three Is Service Agent 3 _Three Request message Request is received from service agent 3 _Three A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 15).
[0058]
17. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Three The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 15). 3 _Three .k = 0, so service agent 3 _Three Moves to the application program.
[0059]
Operation example 2
Example in which the destination of the request message Request sent by the service agent 3 is out of order:
1. Resource management agent 4 ₂ Stops and does not operate at all (FIG. 16).
[0060]
2. Service Agent 3 that requires two resources ₁ Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Three A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 17).
[0061]
3. Service Agent 3 that requires two resources ₂ Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 17).
[0062]
4. Resource management agent 4 _Three Is Service Agent 3 ₁ Request message Request is received from service agent 3 ₁ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 18). Where 4 _Three .k = 1.
[0063]
5. Resource management agent 4 _Four Is Service Agent 3 ₂ Request message Request is received from service agent 3 ₂ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 18). Where 4 _Four .k = 1.
[0064]
6. Service Agent 3 ₁ Is resource management agent 4 _Three Receives a permission message Response (1) from, but still 4 ₁ .k = 1, so resource management agent 4 _Three A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 19).
[0065]
7. Resource management agent 4 _Three Is service agent 3 ₁ The request message Request is received from the service agent 4 ₁ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 19). Where 4 _Three .k = 0.
[0066]
8. Service Agent 3 ₁ Is resource management agent 4 _Three The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 19). 3 ₁ .k = 0, so service agent 3 ₁ Moves to the application program.
[0067]
9. Service Agent 3 ₂ Is resource management agent 4 _Four Receives a usage permission message Response (1) from, but still 3 ₂ .k = 1, so resource management agent 4 _Four A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 20).
[0068]
10. Resource management agent 4 _Four Is service agent 3 ₂ The request message Request is received from the service agent 3 ₂ A use permission message Response (1) is transmitted to the server (FIG. 20). 4 here _Four .k = 0.
[0069]
11. Service Agent 3 ₂ Is resource management agent 4 _Four The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 20). 3 ₂ .k = 0, so service agent 3 ₂ Moves to the application program.
[0070]
12. Service Agent 3 that needs one resource _Three Is generated, and the resource management agent 4 ₂ , 4 _Four A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 21).
[0071]
13. Resource management agent 4 _Four Is Service Agent 3 _Three Request message Request is received from 4 _Four Service agent 3 because .k = 0 _Three An unusable message Response (0) is transmitted to (FIG. 22).
[0072]
14. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Four Unavailable message Response (0) is received from Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Three A request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 22).
[0073]
15. Resource management agent 4 _Three Is Service Agent 3 _Three Request message Request is received from 4 _Three .k = 0, so service agent 3 _Three An unusable message Response (0) is transmitted to (FIG. 23).
[0074]
16. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 _Three Unavailable message Response (0) is received from Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 ₁ The request message Request is transmitted to (FIG. 23).
[0075]
17. Resource management agent 4 ₁ Is Service Agent 3 _Three Request message Request is received from service agent 3 _Three An unusable message Response (1) is transmitted to (FIG. 24).
[0076]
18. Service Agent 3 _Three Is resource management agent 4 ₁ The usage permission message Response (1) is received from (FIG. 24). 3 _Three .k = 0, so service agent 3 _Three Moves to the application program.
[0077]
Note that the resource is a hardware resource possessed by each computer such as a CPU and a memory as described above, and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose of the operating agent when implementing this method. It is not limited to CPU, memory, etc. at all.
[0078]
The resource utilization program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium to be executed by the computer system. The computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium such as a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk device built in the computer system. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium is a server that dynamically holds a program (transmission medium or transmission wave) for a short period of time, as in the case of transmitting a program via the Internet, and a server in that case. Some of them hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside computer systems.
[0079]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of service agents that execute an application program for providing a service requested by a user and resources necessary for the service agent to execute the application program are provided. In an agent system that includes multiple resource management agents, the optimal total number of resources that must be prepared by the resource management agent when it is assumed that a predetermined number of resource management agents or less will stop and fail With the minimum value, when a service agent acquires a resource usage right from a resource management agent, the resource usage right can be acquired without being affected by the operating speed of other service agents.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an asynchronous agent system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship of message transmission / reception in the asynchronous agent system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing of a resource use program of a service agent.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of a resource use program of a resource management agent.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a resource management agent and a service agent for explaining an operation example;
FIG. 6 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 7 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 8 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 9 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 10 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 11 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 12 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 13 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 14 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 15 is a status diagram of the first operation example.
FIG. 16 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 17 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 18 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 19 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 20 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 21 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 22 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 23 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
FIG. 24 is a status diagram of the second operation example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 host
2 communication line
3, 3 ₁ ~ 3 _Three Service agent
4, 4 ₁ ~ 4 _Four Resource management agent
5 resources

Claims (5)

A plurality of service agents for executing an application program for providing a service requested by a user, and a plurality of resource management agents for providing the service agent with resources necessary for the service agent to execute the application program; Including
Assuming that the maximum number of service agents appearing simultaneously in the system is nS, the total number of resources required by the service agents is rS, and the upper limit of the number of resource management agents that are determined in advance and may be stopped and failed is fM. The total number of management agents is fM + 1, and the lower limit of the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents that do not stop and fail is rS + fM × (nS−1).
Each service agent obtains a resource usage right from the resource management agent, means for sequentially sending one request message per resource to all resource management agents, and from the resource management agent to the request message. When receiving the use permission message in response, including means for acquiring the right to use the resource from the resource management agent, and means for executing the application program when the right to use all the resources required by the self can be acquired,
Each resource management agent, when a request message is transmitted from a certain service agent, means for receiving the request message if it does not stop at that time, and manages when receiving the request message If there is a resource that does not yet have usage rights set for other service agents, a usage permission message is sent to the service agent that sent the request message, and it is already used by other service agents for all the resources managed by itself. An asynchronous agent system that includes means for sending an unavailable message to the service agent that sent the request message if rights are set. A plurality of service agents for executing an application program for providing a service requested by a user, and a plurality of resource management agents for providing the service agent with resources necessary for the service agent to execute the application program; wherein, when nS the maximum number of simultaneously appearing service agent system, the total number of resources that service agent needs rS, simultaneously, determined in advance, the upper limit of the number of or the resource management agent failed stopped and fM, The resource utilization method in an asynchronous agent system in which the total number of resource management agents is fM + 1 and the lower limit of the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents that do not stop and fail is rS + fM × (nS−1),
When the service agent acquires the right to use a resource from the resource management agent, the service agent sequentially transmits one request message per resource to all the resource management agents, and receives an unusable message from a certain resource management agent. When a request message is transmitted to a resource management agent that has not yet transmitted a request message and a use permission message is received from a certain resource management agent, a resource usage right is acquired from the resource management agent, and the service agent needs When the resource usage rights for all the number of resources can be acquired, the application program is executed, and if there are resources for which usage rights have not yet been acquired, a request message is sent until all resource usage rights are acquired. ,
When a request message is transmitted from a certain service agent, each resource management agent receives the request message if the service message is not stopped at that time, and other services are still included in the resources managed by the resource management agent. If there is a resource for which no usage right has been set for the agent, a usage permission message is sent to the service agent, and the usage right has already been set for another service agent for all resources managed by the agent. Sending an unavailable message to the service agent;
How to use resources in an asynchronous agent system. A plurality of service agents for executing an application program for providing a service requested by a user, and a plurality of resource management agents for providing the service agent with resources necessary for the service agent to execute the application program; wherein, when nS the maximum number of simultaneously appearing service agent system, the total number of resources that service agent needs rS, simultaneously, determined in advance, the upper limit of the number of or the resource management agent failed stopped and fM, In the asynchronous agent system in which the total number of resource management agents is fM + 1, and the lower limit of the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents that do not stop and stop is rS + fM × (nS−1), this is executed by each service agent Resource utilization process A gram,
When acquiring a resource usage right from a resource management agent, a request message is sent to all resource management agents in sequence, and a request is still received when an unavailable message is received from a resource management agent. When a request message is sent to a resource management agent that has not sent the message, and when a use permission message is received from a certain resource management agent, the right to use the resource is acquired from the resource management agent and the service agent needs If resource usage rights for all resources can be acquired, send a request message until all resource usage rights can be acquired if there is a procedure for executing application programs and resources that have not yet been acquired. Resources that cause a computer to execute Use program. A plurality of service agents for executing an application program for providing a service requested by a user, and a plurality of resource management agents for providing the service agent with resources necessary for the service agent to execute the application program; wherein, when nS the maximum number of simultaneously appearing service agent system, the total number of resources that service agent needs rS, simultaneously, determined in advance, the upper limit of the number of or the resource management agent failed stopped and fM, In the asynchronous agent system in which the total number of the resource management agents is fM + 1 and the lower limit of the total number of resources managed by the number of resource management agents that do not stop and fail is rS + fM × (nS−1), this is executed by each resource management agent. Resource utilization professional Gram,
When a request message is sent from a certain service agent, if the service is not stopped at that time, the procedure for receiving the request message and the usage rights for other service agents are still set in the resources managed by the service agent. If there is a resource that has not been used, a procedure for transmitting a use permission message to the service agent, and if the use right is already set in another service agent for all the resources managed by the service agent, A resource utilization program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for transmitting an unavailable message.   A recording medium on which the resource use program according to claim 3 is recorded.

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