Method and apparatus for transferring file descriptors in a multiprocess, multithreaded client/server system
US6192389A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 20, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2209/5018
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a client/server system, a method and apparatus for a listening daemon to distribute work and client connectivity across multiple processes each supporting multiple threads. Upon receiving a request from a client, a listening daemonaccepts the conversation, thus creating a socket. The listening daemon then does a putwork( ) call which places a work request on a system managed work queue. The work request behaves in a manner very similar to spawn in that it provides for parameters to be passed as well as transfer of ownership of the socket. In the meantime, server processes that are created either manually or by the operating system create multiple threads, which invoke a getwork( ) service to retrieve work requests created by the listening daemon. The getwork( ) service transfers the socket to the calling process and notifies the thread which file descriptors it has inherited. The thread is then able to process the client request and respond directly to the client without requiring an intermediate process to provide the communication link. The present invention allows a server in a client/server system to spread the workload across multiple threads in multiple processes, avoiding…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.