System and method for processing information via networked computers including request handlers, process handlers, and task handlers

摘要

Systems and methods for processing information via networked computers leverage request handlers, process handlers, and task handlers to provide efficient distributed processing of processing jobs. A request handler can receive service requests for processing jobs, process handlers can identify tasks to be performed in connection with the processing jobs, and task handlers can perform the identified tasks, where the request handler, the process handlers, and the task handlers can be distributed across a plurality of networked computers.

主权项

1. A system for processing information, the system comprising:
a plurality of networked computers for processing a plurality of processing jobs in a distributed manner, the plurality of networked computers comprising a request handler, a plurality of process handlers, and a plurality of task handlers, the process handlers being resident on a plurality of different networked computers, the task handlers being resident on a plurality of different networked computers; wherein the request handler is configured to (1) receive a service request for a processing job, the processing job having an associated process flow, the process flow including (i) a plurality of tasks and (ii) logic configured to define a relationship between the tasks, and (2) store state information for the processing job; wherein at least one process handler among the plurality of process handlers is configured to volunteer for servicing the processing job based on its availability for servicing the processing job, the at least one process handler thus being a volunteer process handler; wherein the volunteer process handler is configured to (1) analyze the state information for the processing job to determine whether any tasks in the process flow remain to be performed based on the logic for the process flow, (2) in response to the state information analysis indicating that a task remains for the process flow, identify a task from the process flow to be performed, and (3) in response to the state information analysis indicating that no tasks remain for the process flow, determine that the processing job has been completed; wherein, for each of a plurality of the identified tasks, at least one task handler among the plurality of task handlers is configured to volunteer for performing that identified task based on it being able to perform that identified task, the at least one task handler thus being a volunteer task handler; wherein each volunteer task handler is configured to perform an identified task to generate a task result; wherein the request handler is further configured to store updated state information for the processing job, the updated stored state information being based on the task results; and wherein the request handler, the process handlers, and the task handlers are configured to repeat their operations with respect to a plurality of service requests for a plurality of processing jobs to provide distributed processing of the processing jobs such that a plurality of the process handlers serve as volunteer process handlers for the processing jobs and a plurality of the task handlers serve as volunteer task handlers for the processing jobs.