Flexible interprocess communication via redirection

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said machine to perform method steps for performing interprocess communication (IPC) redirection in a system having stored redirection data for specifying a redirection destination for each of a plurality of source and destination pairs, comprising the steps of:

• receiving an IPC request from an IPC process, the IPC request including a source identifier and a destination identifier;
• retrieving redirection data stored for said source identifier and destination identifier pair, said redirection data comprising a mapping of the interprocess communication path for said source and destination pair to an entry specifying an actual destination for the IPC process to use for the pair;
• redirecting said IPC when said redirection data indicates an actual redirection destination by modifying a redirection entry specifying an actual destination for the IPC associated with the source identifier and the destination identifier;
• and
• retrieving a redirection controller assigned to said IPC process to redirect said IPC when said redirection data does not indicate an actual destination;
• wherein the IPC process can restrict a set of redirection entries that can be modified.

A system for performing interprocess communication (IPC), the system comprising:

• a. an IPC path comprising one source identifier representing one or more senders of a communication and one destination identifier that represents one or more receivers of the communication;
• b. IPC process means for transferring a communication from a source identifier to a destination identifier,
• c. redirection data means stored by the IPC process that specifies the actual destination for IPCs between each pair of source and destination identifiers;
• d. one or more redirection controllers assigned to one or more particular IPC paths for specifying the redirection data, the redirection controller may specify redirection entries for this and other IPC paths, if permitted;
• and
• e. the IPC process means including means for finding an entry in its redirection data for the combination of source and destination to determine whether to redirect the communication and where to redirect the communication;
• and if there is no redirection entry for a particular combination of source and destination, the IPC process means includes means for taking a redirection fault and determining the redirection controller assigned to that IPC path.