US 6,275,785 B1 · Hardware simulator for a transaction processing system

Abstract

A hardware simulator (46′,100) for a transaction processing system (20,40) is disclosed. The transaction processing system is responsive to transaction requests (12) from an application (10). The simulator comprises a set of virtual hardware modules (46′) for simulating execution of transaction requests and a simulator tool (100). Each virtual hardware module is responsive to transaction requests relayed from the transaction processing system and is adapted to write the requests to an associated area of shared memory (200). The simulator tool is adapted to graphically represent a set of hardware devices, for example, an ATM. Each hardware device graphical representation (FIG. 7) is associated with an area of shared memory (200). The tool is adapted to monitor these areas of shared memory and to update a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of shared memory associated with the graphical representation. The tool is further responsive to user interaction with one or more of said hardware device graphical representations to write the results of said the interaction to an area of shared memory associated with the or each graphical representation. One or more of the virtual hardware modules is adapted to monitor an associated area of shared memory, and to communicate with the application (10) in response to a user interaction result being written to the associated area of shared memory.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A hardware simulator for a transaction processing system, said transaction processing system being responsive to transaction requests from an application, said simulator comprising:

a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests, each virtual hardware module being responsive to transaction requests for one of a set of simulated hardware devices, relayed from said transaction processing system and writing said requests to an area of memory shared between said virtual hardware modules and a simulator tool;
said tool graphically representing said set of simulated hardware devices, each hardware device graphical representation being allocated an area of said memory shared between said tool and a virtual hardware module, said tool monitoring said areas of shared memory and updating a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of shared memory allocated to said graphical representation, said simulator tool is responsive to user interaction with one or more of said hardware device graphical representations, said tool writing the results of said user interaction to an area of shared memory allocated to at least one of said graphical representations, one or more of said virtual hardware modules monitors an allocated area of shared memory, and communicates with said application in response to a user interaction result being written to said monitored allocated area of shared memory;
said transaction processing system including:
a transaction manager running in the same process as the application;
a set of stub modules running in the same process as the application, each stub module relaying transaction request data passed from said transaction manager across a process boundary;
and
a server running in a second process, said server receiving requests from said set of stub modules across the process boundary and to queue said requests for execution;
and
said set of virtual hardware modules is responsive to transaction requests relayed from said server.

6 more elements

A hardware simulator for a transaction processing system, said transaction processing system being responsive to transaction requests from an application, said simulator comprising:

a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests, each virtual hardware module being responsive to transaction requests for one of a set of simulated hardware devices, relayed from said transaction processing system and writing said requests to an area of memory shared between said virtual hardware modules and a simulator tool;
said tool graphically representing said set of simulated hardware devices, each hardware device graphical representation being allocated an area of said memory shared between said tool and a virtual hardware module, said tool monitoring said areas of shared memory and updating a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of shared memory allocated to said graphical representation, said simulator tool is responsive to user interaction with one or more of said hardware device graphical representations, said tool writing the results of said user interaction to an area of shared memory allocated to at least one of said graphical representations, one or more of said virtual hardware modules monitors an allocated area of shared memory, and communicates with said application in response to a user interaction result being written to said monitored allocated area of shared memory;
said transaction processing system including:
a transaction manager running in the same process as the application;
and
a set of service provider modules running in the same process as the application, each service provider module relaying transaction request data passed from said transaction manager to a virtual hardware module.

3 more elements

A computer program product embodied in computer useable medium for simulating hardware of a transaction processing system, said transaction processing system being responsive to transaction requests from an application, said computer useable medium comprising:

computer useable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, each virtual hardware module being responsive to transaction requests for one of a set of simulated hardware devices relayed from said transaction processing system and writing said requests to an area of a memory shared between said virtual hardware modules and;
computer useable program code means embodying a simulator tool in said computer, said tool graphically representing said set of simulated hardware devices, each hardware device graphical representation allocated an area of said memory shared between said tool and a virtual hardware module, said tool monitoring said areas of shared memory and updating a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of said shared memory allocated to said graphical representation;
said computer useable program code means embodying a simulator tool, causes said computer to be responsive to user interaction with at least one of said hardware device graphical representation, said tool writing the results of said user interaction to an area of said shared memory allocated to said at least one of said hardware device graphical representation;
and
said computer useable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, at least one of said virtual hardware modules monitors said allocated area of shared memory, and communicates with said application in response to a user interaction result being written to said allocated area of shared memory, and;
wherein said transaction processing system includes:
a transaction manager running in a same process as said application;
a set of stub modules running in said same process as said application, each stub module relaying transaction request data passed from'said transaction manager across a process boundary;
and
a server running in a second process, said server receiving requests from said set of stub modules across said process boundary and to queue said requests for execution;
and
said computer useable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, causes said set of virtual hardware modules to be responsive to transaction requests relayed from said server.

9 more elements

computer useable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, each virtual hardware module being responsive to transaction requests for one of a set of simulated hardware devices relayed from said transaction processing system and writing said requests to an area of a memory shared between said virtual hardware modules and;
computer useable program code means embodying a simulator tool in said computer, said tool graphically representing said set of simulated hardware devices, each hardware device graphical representation allocated an area of said memory shared between said tool and a virtual hardware module, said tool monitoring said areas of shared memory and updating a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of said shared memory allocated to said graphical representation;
said computer useable program code means embodying a simulator tool, causes said computer to be responsive to user interaction with at least one of said hardware device graphical representation, said tool writing the results of said user interaction to an area of said shared memory allocated to said at least one of said hardware device graphical representation;
and
said computer useable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, at least one of said virtual hardware modules monitors said allocated area of shared memory, and communicates with said application in response to a user interaction result being written to said allocated area of shared memory, and;
wherein said transaction processing system includes:
a transaction manager running in the same process as the application;
and
a set of service provider modules running in the same process as the application, each service provider module relaying transaction request data passed from said transaction manager to a virtual hardware module.

6 more elements

An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for simulating hardware of a transaction processing system, said transaction processing system being responsive to transaction requests from an application, said article of manufacture comprising:
computer readable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules for simulating execution of transaction requests in a computer, each virtual hardware module being responsive to transaction requests for one of a set of simulated hardware devices relayed from said transaction processing system and writing said requests to a memory shared between said virtual hardware modules and;
computer readable program code means embodying a simulator tool in said computer, said tool graphically representing said set of hardware devices, each hardware device graphical representation being allocated an area of said memory shared between said tool and a virtual hardware module, said tool monitoring said areas of shared memory and updating a hardware device graphical representation in response to a transaction request being written to an area of said shared memory allocated to said graphical representation;
said computer readable program code means embodying a simulator tool causes said computer to be responsive to user interaction with at least one of said hardware device graphical representation, said tool writing the results of said user interaction to an area of said shared memory allocated to said at least one of said hardware device graphical representations;
and
said computer readable program code means embodying a set of virtual hardware modules in a computer for simulating execution of transaction requests, at least one of said virtual hardware modules monitoring said allocated area of shared memory, and communicates with said application in response to a user interaction result being written to said allocated area of shared memory, and wherein;
each said virtual hardware module comprises a service provider dynamic link library and a virtual hardware dynamic link library.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hardware simulator for a transaction processing system

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Hardware simulator for a transaction processing system

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Abstract

Claims21