[Patents] EPO patent on visualising make processes

[PILCH Hartmut phm@a2e.de]

number: EP 0859324
date: 1998-08-19
proprietor: Sun Microsystems
phm's remark:  
Sun has basically patented the problem of making the make
process easier to monitor.  The specification does not disclose how to do
it, but no matter in what way you do it, you will probably be infringing
on this patent.  This is of course still one of the more intelligent EPO
patents, but it is typical in the way that it claims a whole problem
range rather than a ways of solving problems.  Also, the description does
not disclose any particular solution, it contains no program code.


   Claims
   
   1. A method of processing make jobs to a plurality of data processing
   nodes, including:
   running a monitor process on a selected data processing node;
   establishing at least one job execution process on corresponding
   separate data processing nodes for processing make jobs;
   sending selected make jobs to the monitor process for distribution on
   said at least a single job execution process;
   communicating between said monitor process and said at least a single
   job execution process; and
   processing said selected make jobs.
   2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least a
   single job execution process is a server process resident on a host
   remote from the data processing node running said monitor process.
   3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a single job
   execution process is established on said corresponding data processing
   nodes.
   4. The method according to claim 1, further including determining make
   jobs for communication to said monitor process.
   5. The method according to claim 4, including communicating a group of
   make jobs which can be processed in parallel, to said monitor process.
   6. The method according to claim 5, including distributing make jobs
   in said group among said at least a single job execution processes.
   7. The method according to claim 1, including reading a dmake
   configuration file to determine data processing nodes for job
   distribution.
   8. The method according to claim 7, including determining a list of
   remote hosts for job distribution from said dmake configuration file.
   9. The method according to claim 2, including receiving the results of
   processing selected make jobs.
   10. The method according to claim 1, including establishing
   communication pipes between said monitor and job execution processes.
   11. A computer program product, comprising:
   a computer storage medium and a computer code mechanism embedded in
   the computer storage medium for distributed processing of make jobs on
   distributed data processing nodes, the computer program code mechanism
   comprising:
   a first computer code device configured to establish a job monitor
   process on a first data processing node;
   a second computer code device configured to establish a job execution
   process on at least a second data processing node;
   a third computer code device configured to cause selected jobs to be
   sent to said job monitor process for distribution at said at least a
   second data processing node; and
   a fourth computer code device configured to enable communications
   between a monitor process and said at least a second data processing
   node.
   12. An apparatus for distributed processing of make jobs in a network
   of data processing nodes, including:
   a first software module for distributing make jobs; and
   it least a single software module for receiving selected make jobs.
   13. A computer apparatus for initiating the processing of make jobs,
   comprising:
   a first data processing system connectable to other data processing
   systems, said first data processing system being configured to
   identify make jobs and to organize the execution of particular make
   jobs in at least a single other data processing system.
   14. The computer apparatus of claim 13 wherein said first data
   processing system is further configured to perform particular make
   jobs locally.
   15. The computer apparatus of claim 13 wherein all said make jobs are
   distributed to another data processing system.
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   Data supplied from the esp@cenet database - l2