Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A method for scheduling time initiated tasks from an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) of an SNA network in which a host processor has created a plurality of run ready virtual machines which are assigned under control of a Virtual Machine Pool Manager in response to an LU 6.2 Allocate verb from said IWS to establish an LU 6.2 conversation between distributed parts of a scheduling program, one part of which is resident at the IWS and the other part of which is resident at the host, said method comprising the following steps; A) storing at said host processor, scheduling information that identifies a first distributed application program and the scheduled time said application should be executed, B) issuing, with said host processor at said specified time, an ALLOCATE verb to the VMPM of said host processor specifying the said first distributed application program, and C) assigning an idle virtual machine from said pool to respond to said Allocate and establish an LU 6.2 conversation between the distributed parts of said first distributed application.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
173 words
A method for scheduling time initiated tasks from an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) of an SNA network in which a host processor has created a plurality of run ready virtual machines which are assigned under control of a Virtual Machine Pool Manager in response to an LU 6.2 Allocate verb from said IWS to establish an LU 6.2 conversation between distributed parts of a scheduling program, one part of which is resident at the IWS and the other part of which is resident at the host, said method comprising the following steps; A) storing at said host processor, scheduling information that identifies a first distributed application program and the scheduled time said application should be executed, B) issuing, with said host processor at said specified time, an ALLOCATE verb to the VMPM of said host processor specifying the said first distributed application program, and C) assigning an idle virtual machine from said pool to respond to said Allocate and establish an LU 6.2 conversation between the distributed parts of said first distributed application.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method recited in Claim 1 in which said scheduling program comprises two distributed parts, including the further step of, A) maintaining at said IWS one part of said scheduling program, and B) maintaining at said host the other part of said scheduling program.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
78 words
The method recited in Claim 2 including the further step of, A) invoking said one part of said scheduling program at said IWS when a user of said terminal indicates to said IWS that said user wants to schedule said first distributed application program for execution on a host processor, and B) displaying a screen to said user which prompts said user to enter predetermined information into said IWS concerning the scheduling of said first distributed application program.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method recited in Claim 3 including the further step of, A) issuing with said one part of said scheduling program an LU 6.2 ALLOCATE verb requesting a conversation with said other part of said scheduling program maintained at said host, and B) establishing an LU 6.2 conversation with said other part of said scheduling program to permit said predetermined information to be transferred to said host.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method recited in Claim 4 including the further steps of, A) creating a Time Control Block Entry (TCBE) data structure with said second part of said scheduling program, and B) storing in said TCBE selected scheduling information that was entered into said IWS by said user and transferred to said host from said IWS.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method recited in Claim 3 including the further step of, A) creating with said VMPM, a Time Application Information Table data structure at said host for storing scheduling data at said host, that can be used to complete said TCBE for said first distributed application program whenever said information is not entered by said user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method recited in Claim 6 in which said host processor has an Operating System which includes a TIMER SERVICES component, and said first distributed application program comprises a Part A and a Part B, including the further step of, A) providing said VMPM with a Timer Function (TF) component which is operable in response to an alert signal from said Timer Services component to invoke said Part A of said distributed application program.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method recited in Claim 7 including the further step of, A) calling said Timer Services component of said Operating System with said TF component and specifying a time interval parameter that determines when said alert signal is to be sent to said TF from said Timer Services.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method recited in Claim 8 including the further step of, A) issuing, in response to said alert signal, an ALLOCATE verb with said Part A of said first application program to said VMPM requesting that an idle run ready virtual machine in said pool of virtual machines be assigned by said VMPM to establish a conversation with said Part B of said application program.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
170 words
The method recited in Claim 9, in which said SNA network includes a plurality of interconnected systems, each of which has a host processor and a plurality of IWSs and in which said scheduling program permits an application program to be scheduled from an IWS to run on the host processor of any one of said interconnected systems, including the further steps of, A) assigning a unique network name to each said host, B) creating a separate TCBE for each specified host that is scheduled to run said first application program and entering said unique names in said created TCBEs, and C) processing each said TCBE at said scheduled time to send an ALLOCATE verb to said VMPM of each said host, to cause respective said VMPMs to assign idle virtual machines from respective said pools of virtual machines to service said respective conversation requests represented in said received ALLOCATE verb, whereby a plurality of conversations are established between the local host and said hosts specified by said unique names.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
116 words
The method recited in Claim 10 in which said scheduling program can schedule a specified host to store and forward at a scheduled time-1, a scheduling request to initiate a specified distributed application program on a different said host at a subsequent scheduled time-2, said method including the further steps of, A) prompting said user for said scheduled time-1, B) entering a value at said IWS for said time-1, C) transferring said value to said specified host, D) storing said value in a TCBE at said specified host, and E) forwarding said scheduling request to said different host at said time-1 in response to a said alert signal from the timing services of said specified host.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method recited in Claim 11 including the further step of, A) issuing an ALLOCATE at said different host at said scheduled time to initiate the execution of said specified distributed application program on a virtual machine from the pool of virtual machines that was previously created at said different host.