Aggregate job performance in a multiprocessing system by incremental and on-demand task allocation among multiple concurrently operating threads

Abstract

In a multiprocessing system, multiple concurrently operating task execution units are operated to perform an aggregate task by using incremental and on-demand sub-task allocation. A command is received to perform a machine-executed task divisible into multiple sub-tasks, i.e., an “aggregate task”. A granularity is then established, for dividing the aggregate task into sub-tasks. Preferably, the granularity is not too large to permit potentially uneven sub-task allocation, and not too small to incur excessive overhead in allocating sub-tasks. Having established the granularity, multiple task execution units are independently operated on-demand to sequentially self-allocate and execute sub-tasks of the aggregate tasks. Each sub-task is sized according to the established granularity. Operating “on-demand”, each task execution unit sequentially allocates and executes one sub-task at a time, then proceeding to the next unexecuted sub-task. Thus, the multiprocessing system operates like multiple people drinking water from a common glass through individual straws—although each drinker works independently, all finish simultaneously, thus completing the aggregate task as expeditiously as possible.