Interprocess communications system and method utilizing shared memory for message transfer and datagram sockets for message control

摘要

The present invention is an interprocess communications (IPC) system and method which utilizes shared memory to transfer message contents and a separate, efficient notification mechanism to perform message control functions. The present invention supports robust, asynchronous communications between potentially large number of software application processes residing on any single or tightly-coupled multiple processor arrangement supporting shared memory between the processes. The present invention is a combination of existing IPC mechanisms available in most commercially available UNIX operating systems. The IPC mechanism utilizes the presently available UNIX shared memory IPC mechanism for transferring message contents and the presently available UNIX datagram socket IPC mechanism for message control and notification. The IPC mechanism may be adapted to other operating system environments. The IPC mechanism performs a controlled shutdown of the interprocess communications associated with a user process which has ceased executing. The shared memory allocated for the IPC mechanism is periodically audited to reclaim lost shared memory blocks due to user process failures.