Tandem Computers Incorporated

Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Andreas E Hotea

Mark Phillips

John S De Roo

David G Velasco

Robert W Redd

Geoffrey A McDonald

A customer information control system (CICS) application programming interface (API), with transient data queue functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment. In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is directed to a method, system and computer readable medium including program instructions (hereafter collectively referred to as the &ldquo;invention&rdquo;). In particular, the invention includes implementing a loosely coupled CICS region in a data processing environment, the loosely coupled CICS region including at least two of a plurality of address spaces each of which being associated with a machine. The invention further includes providing at least one CICS-API operating system server (COSS) within the loosely coupled CICS region, each COSS operating in one of the at least two address spaces within the loosely coupled CICS region. The invention additionally includes providing an information resource within the loosely coupled CICS region, the information resource including a file for holding a transient data queue. Furthermore, the invention includes providing a suite of functions including the transient data queue functions in each COSS. Each COSS is capable of coordinated interaction with any other COSS within the loosely coupled CICS region. Notably, each COSS is also capable to directly access the transient data queue from anywhere in the loosely coupled CICS region irrespective of which address space the COSS is operating in. In one aspect of the invention, this COSS capability is achieved by way of implementing a caching scheme and a transient data process which is invoked by the respective COSS. Consequently, there is no affinity between the address space in which each COSS is operating and the address space being occupied by the transient data queue. Moreover, the information resource is shared by each COSS.

Customer information control system application programming interface with transient data functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment

The invention a customer information control system (CICS) application programming interface (API), with global and local system and file control functions, in a loosely coupled data processing system environment. In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is directed to a method, system and computer readable medium for the local system and files control (hereafter collectively referred to as the &ldquo;invention&rdquo;). In particular, the invention includes implementing a loosely coupled CICS region in a data processing environment, the loosely coupled CICS region includes at least two of a plurality of machines and their respective address spaces. The invention further includes allocating a flat segment in the address space of the at least two machines. The invention additionally includes providing a keeper in the address space of each of the at least two machines, one of the keepers being designated as a master keeper. Furthermore, the invention includes providing more than one CICS-API operating system server (COSS) within the loosely coupled CICS region, each COSS residing in one of the at least two address spaces within the loosely coupled CICS region. The invention also includes providing in each COSS a suite of functions including the global and local system and file control functions so that each COSS is capable of registering as a flat segment user and interfacing with a keeper and a master keeper, and so that each COSS being further capable of interfacing via the keeper with the master keeper in another of the at least two machines. Each COSS is also capable of coordinated interaction with any other COSS within the loosely coupled CICS region. The suite of functions offer direct access to system and data resources from anywhere within the loosely coupled CICS region. Consequently, there is no system or data resource affinity between the address space in which each COSS is operating and the address space being occupied by the system and data resources.

Customer information control system application programming interface, with global and local system and file control functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment

A distributed computer system having a plurality of end user terminals and a plurality of loosely coupled server computers that share no resources with each other. A multiplicity of user application processes are distributed over the server computers. An Enq table is stored on a first one of the server computers. The Enq table includes Enq records, each representing a locked resource. When any user application process executes an Enq instruction naming a specific resource, if the Enq table does not already contain an Enq record for the specific resource an Enq record is generated and stored in the Enq table representing the specific resource as locked. The Enq record is stored in the same Enq table on the first server computer regardless of which server computer executes the Enq instruction. If the Enq table does already contain an Enq record for the specific resource, execution of the user application process that executed the Enq instruction is suspended. When any user application process executes a Deq instruction naming a specific resource, the corresponding Enq record, if any, is deleted. In addition, execution is resumed for any user application process that was suspended when it attempted to execute an Enq instruction on the same specific resource.

Customer information control system and method with transaction

In summary, the present invention is a distributed computer system having a plurality of end user terminals and a plurality of loosely coupled server computers that share no resources with each other. A multiplicity of user application processes are distributed over the server computers. A communication interface or router transmits data between the end user terminals and a transaction router process, which executes on one of the server computers. The transaction router process initiates execution of transactions by ones of the user application processes based on data received from the end user terminals. A link manager process selects application processes to execute the applications based on computational load distribution criteria, so as to distribute computational load as evenly as possible over the server computers, thereby maximizing the throughput and responsiveness of the system. A file system, located on at least one of said server computers, provides access to stored files and database tables to all of the user application processes without regard to which server computer each such user application processes is executed on. The transaction router process includes a data structure for indicating transactions waiting to start and for initiating execution of ones of the waiting transactions by ones of the user application processes when associated start criteria are satisfied and user transaction processes are available.

Customer information control system and method in a loosely coupled

The present invention is a distributed computer system having a plurality of end user terminals and a plurality of loosely coupled server computers that share no resources with each other. A multiplicity of user application processes are distributed over the server computers. A temporary storage file is stored on a first one of the server computers, for temporarily storing queues of data records. Each user application process responds to execution of a WriteQ TS instruction specifying data to be stored in a specified temporary storage queue by generating and storing at least one TS data record in the temporary storage file representing the specified data. Each TS data record has a primary key indicating the record's position in the specified temporary storage queue. Each TS data record is stored in the same temporary storage file on the first server computer regardless of which server computer executes the WriteQ TS instruction. Each user application process also responds to execution of a ReadQ TS instruction specifying a temporary storage queue from which data is to be retrieved, by reading at least one TS data record from the temporary storage file.

Plurality of servers having identical customer information control

The present invention is a distributed computer system having a plurality of end user terminals and a plurality of loosely coupled server computers that share no resources with each other. A multiplicity of user application processes are distributed over the server computers. A transaction start table, stored on a first one of the server computers, stores transaction start data representing transactions whose execution has been requested by other transactions being executed by the user application processes. The transaction start data indicates a start condition for each transaction whose execution has been requested. For most requested transactions the start condition is a time value indicating an earliest time at which the requested transaction's execution should be started. When any of the user application processes executes a Start transaction function, a transaction start record is generated and stored in the transaction start table. The transaction start record is stored in the same transaction start table on the first server computer regardless of which server computer executes the Start transaction function. A transaction start process evaluates the start condition for each transaction whose execution has been requested. When the start condition for a requested transaction is satisfied, the transaction start process initiates execution of that requested transaction.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Andreas E Hotea