Managing interfaces for sub-graphs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9886241-B2
Application number	US-201414561494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

Specifying a dataflow graph includes: rendering, in a first user interface, a representation of a first dataflow graph. At least one component represents a computation associated with at least one of data flowing into an input port or data flowing out of an output port. A link between components is rendered based on user input indicating a flow of data. In a second user interface, a representation of a sub-graph of the first dataflow graph is rendered. A first flow junction represents a connection between: (1) a flow of data outside the sub-graph interface, and (2) a flow of data inside the sub-graph interface. A link is rendered between the first flow junction and a second flow junction based on user input indicating a relationship between a first descriptor and a second descriptor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for specifying a dataflow graph, the method including:
rendering, in a first user interface, a representation of a first dataflow graph, the rendering including:
rendering a plurality of components of the first dataflow graph, at least one component that represents a computation associated with at least one of data flowing into an input port or data flowing out of an output port, and
establishing a relationship between an output port of a first component of the first dataflow graph and an input port of a second component of the first dataflow graph, based on first user input indicating a flow of data from the output port of the first component to the input port of the second component; and

rendering, in a second user interface, a representation of a sub-graph of the first dataflow graph, the rendering including:
rendering at least one sub-graph interface, the sub-graph interface including two or more flow junctions, which each define a connection between a first flow of data to an input port and a second flow of data from an output port, where the first flow and the second flow are generated as a single flow during execution of the first dataflow graph, and where a first flow junction of the sub-graph interface represents a connection between: (1) a flow of data outside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a third component of the first dataflow graph, and (2) a flow of data inside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a first component of the sub-graph, and
establishing a relationship between the first flow junction and a second flow junction of the sub-graph interface based on second user input indicating that a first descriptor of a data or computational characteristic associated with the first flow junction of the sub-graph interface is derived from a second descriptor of a data or computational characteristic associated with the second flow junction of the sub-graph interface, where the second user input is different from the first descriptor and the second descriptor, and where the second flow junction represents a connection between: (1) a flow of data outside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a fourth component of the first dataflow graph, and (2) a flow of data inside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a second component of the sub-graph.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including generating a data structure storing a representation of the first dataflow graph that includes:
data representing a first set of one or more components that include one or more flows of data connected through one or more flow junctions outside of the sub-graph interface; and
data representing a second set of one or more components that include one or more flows of data connected through one or more flow junctions inside of the sub-graph interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relationship between the first flow junction and the second flow junction corresponds to the first descriptor being identical to the second descriptor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user interface includes a portion configured to receive a user input that specifies properties of respective flow junctions of a set of defined flow junctions of the sub-graph interface.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the properties define a direction in which a transfer of a descriptor of a data or computational characteristic associated with a corresponding flow junction will occur.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the direction corresponds to an inward transfer of a value of a first descriptor of a data or computational characteristic from the first flow junction to the first component of the sub-graph.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the direction corresponds to an outward transfer of a value of a first descriptor of a data or computational characteristic from the first flow junction to the third component of the first dataflow graph.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first descriptor describes a data characteristic of data transferred between the port of the third component of the first dataflow graph and the port of the first component of the sub-graph.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data characteristic includes a format of fields of records within the transferred data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the descriptor describes a computational characteristic of at least one of the third component of the first dataflow graph or the first component of the sub-graph.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computational characteristic includes a degree of parallelism of execution of a computation represented by the third component of the first dataflow graph or the first component of the sub-graph.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user interface is generated by a first computing system.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second user interface is generated by a second computing system different from the first computing system.

14. Software stored in a non-transitory form on a computer-readable medium, for specifying a dataflow graph, the software including instructions for causing a computing system to:
render, in a first user interface, a representation of a first dataflow graph, the rendering including:
rendering a plurality of components of the first dataflow graph, at least one component that represents a computation associated with at least one of data flowing into an input port or data flowing out of an output port, and
establishing a relationship between an output port of a first component of the first dataflow graph and an input port of a second component of the first dataflow graph, based on first user input indicating a flow of data from the output port of the first component to the input port of the second component; and

render, in a second user interface, a representation of a sub-graph of the first dataflow graph, the rendering including:
rendering at least one sub-graph interface, the sub-graph interface including two or more flow junctions, which each define a connection between a first flow of data to an input port and a second flow of data from an output port, where the first flow and the second flow are generated as a single flow during execution of the first dataflow graph, and where a first flow junction of the sub-graph interface represents a connection between: (1) a flow of data outside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a third component of the first dataflow graph, and (2) a flow of data inside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a first component of the sub-graph, and
establishing a relationship between the first flow junction and a second flow junction of the sub-graph interface based on second user input indicating that a first descriptor of a data or computational characteristic associated with the first flow junction of the sub-graph interface is derived from a second descriptor of a data or computational characteristic associated with the second flow junction of the sub-graph interface, where the second user input is different from the first descriptor and the second descriptor, and where the second flow junction represents a connection between: (1) a flow of data outside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a fourth component of the first dataflow graph, and (2) a flow of data inside the sub-graph interface to or from a port of a second component of the sub-graph.

15. A computing system for specifying a dataflow graph, the computing system including:
a first computing device, including at least one processor, configured to render, in a first user interface, a representation of a f

Assignees

• Ab Initio Technology Llc

Inventors

• Stevens Daniell Garrick
• Tsvetanov Tsvetan

Classifications

• G06F8/34 Primary

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F8/10 Primary

  Requirements analysis; Specification techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/9024

  Graphs; Linked lists (G06F16/9027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F9/4494

  data driven · CPC title

• G06F8/20

  Software design · CPC title