Methods, systems and computer program products for coordination of operations for interrelated tasks

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which coordinate operations for a plurality of interrelated tasks executing on a computer using actual state objects and desired state objects. For each event including coordination between two of the plurality of interrelated tasks, a first (or initiator) task initiates operations by a second (or executor) task to carry out a desired sequence of operations. The initiator task sets a desired state object to the desired state and submits a request to the executor task. The executor task, in turn, operates on the request in order to update an actual state object to the desired state stored in the desired state object by the initiator task. Write control over the desired state object is therefore granted to the initiator task while write control over the actual state object is granted to the executor task. A transitional state may be provided for the actual state object during the time period while the executor task is carrying out the operations necessary to change from the actual state to the desired state. Different restrictions on operations related to the associated object may be provided while the actual state object is in the transitional state. Also provided are systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring a task executing on a computer which utilizes a work in process queue and a work pending queue and restarting the task if it is not executing properly.