Hard real-time response
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPaul McKenney, Dipankar Sarma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A general purposed operating system is modified to support hard real-time processing of hard real-time tasks. At least one processing unit in the operating system is designated as a hard real-time processing unit to process hard real-time tasks, and at least one processing unit in the operating system is designated as a non-hard real-time processing unit to process non-hard real-time tasks and designated non-deterministic processing steps. Hard real-time tasks assigned to the non-hard real-time processing unit may be transferred to the hard real-time processing unit, and tasks assigned to the hard real-time processing unit that are about to execute a non-deterministic processing step may be transferred to the non-hard real-time processing unit.
Claims30
A method for providing hard real-time services comprising:
- categorizing at least two processing units in a system with a single general purpose shared-memory operating system;
- designating at least one processing unit within said operating system as a hard real-time processing unit;
- designating at least one processing unit within said operating system as a non-hard real-time processing unit;
- forwarding a task from said hard real-time processing unit to said non-hard real-time processing unit upon determining that it is about to commence a non-deterministic operation;
- and
- returning said task to said real-time processing unit upon completion of the non-deterministic operation.
A computer system comprising:
- at least two processing units in said system with a single general purpose shared-memory operating system;
- at least one of said processing units designated within said operating system as a hard real-time processing unit;
- at least one of said processing units designated within said operating system as a non-hard real-time processing unit;
- a manager adapted to forward a task from said hard real-time processing unit to said non-hard real-time processing unit in response to a determination that said task is about to commence a non-deterministic operation;
- and
- said manager adapted to return said task to said real-time processing unit upon completion of said non-deterministic operation.
An article comprising:
- a computer readable signal bearing medium;
- means in the medium for categorizing at least two processing units in a system with a single general purpose shared-memory operating system;
- means in the medium for designating at least one of said processing units within said operating system as a hard real-time processing unit;
- means in the medium for designating at least one of said processing units within said operating system as a non-hard real-time processing unit;
- means in the medium for forwarding a task from said hard real-time processing unit to said non-hard real-time processing unit in response to a determination that said task is about to commence a non-deterministic operation;
- and
- said task forwarding means adapted to return said task to said real-time processing unit upon completion of said non-deterministic operation.
A single general purpose shared-memory operation system comprising:
- at least two processing units functioning within said system;
- at least one of said processing units designated as a hard real-time processing unit;
- at least one of said processing units designated as a non-hard real-time processing unit;
- and
- a task adapted to be forward from said hard real-time processing unit to said non-hard real-time processing unit in response to a determination that said task is about to commence a non-deterministic operation, wherein said task is adapted to be return to said hard real-time processing unit upon completion of said non-deterministic operation.
A computer system comprising:
- at least two processing units in said system with a single general purpose shared-memory operating system;
- at least one of said processing units designated within said operating system as a hard real-time processing unit;
- at least one of said processing units designated within said operating system as a non-hard real-time processing unit;
- means for forwarding a task from said hard real-time processing unit to said non-hard real-time processing unit in response to a determination that said task is about to commence a non-deterministic operation;
- and
- means for returning said task to said real-time processing unit upon completion of said non-deterministic operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.