Shared routing in a measurement system

Abstract

System and method for managing routing resources for a measurement task. The system includes a computer and one or more measurement devices. The legs of a route for routing signals in performing the measurement task are created by, for each respective leg: determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route. If not, then the resource is configured with a desired configuration of the respective leg, and a resource reservation indicated, e.g., by incrementing a resource usage count. If the resource is currently used, the desired configuration is compared with the resource's current configuration. If the current configuration conforms to the desired configuration, a resource reservation is indicated, otherwise, an error message indicating that the leg failed is returned, and optionally, an alternative leg for the route is created which includes a different resource than the respective leg. The route is stored.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for managing routing resources in a measurement system, the method comprising: 
 creating one or more legs of a route from a source to a destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route, then: 
 configuring the routing resource in accordance with a desired configuration of the respective leg; and  
 reserving the routing resource;  
 
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is currently used in an existing route, then: 
 comparing the desired configuration of the respective leg with the current configuration of the routing resource; and  
 reserving the routing resource if the current configuration of the routing resource conforms to the desired configuration of the leg; and  
 
   storing the route;    wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the routing resource has a usage count;    wherein said determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route comprises determining if the usage count has a value of zero; and    wherein said reserving the routing resource comprises incrementing the usage count of the routing resource by one.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 returning an error message indicating that the leg failed if the desired configuration of the leg does not match the current configuration of the routing resource.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 creating an alternative leg for the route if the desired configuration of the respective leg does not match the current configuration of the routing resource;    wherein the alternative leg includes a different routing resource than the respective leg.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the measurement system is configured to perform a measurement task; and    wherein the route is created to perform signal routing functions in the measurement task, the method further comprising: 
 after performance of the measurement task, releasing the route.  
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , 
 wherein each respective routing resource has a usage count;    wherein said releasing the route comprises decrementing the usage count of the respective routing resource of each leg of the route by one; and    wherein the respective routing resource of each leg is freed when the usage count is zero.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , 
 wherein each respective routing resource has a usage count which indicates the number of routes which have reserved the respective routing resource;    wherein reserving the respective routing resource comprises incrementing the usage count;    wherein releasing the respective routing resource comprises decrementing the usage count; and    wherein a usage count of zero indicates that the respective routing resource is free.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the measurement system is configured to perform a measurement task;    wherein the route is created to perform signal routing functions in the measurement task,    wherein said creating and said storing are performed in a verify stage; and    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource is a temporary usage count indicating the number of routes in the measurement system which have reserved the respective routing resource for the measurement task.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , 
 wherein said creating and said storing are performed in a runtime stage; and    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource indicates the number of routes in the measurement system which have reserved the respective routing resource;    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource represents an actual state of the respective routing resource hardware.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the route is a task-independent route;    wherein said creating and said storing are performed in a verify stage; and    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource indicates the number of routes in the measurement system which have reserved the respective routing resource;    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource represents an actual state of the respective routing resource hardware.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , the method further comprising: 
 determining if a prior task-independent route has not already been created from the source to the destination;    wherein said creating and said storing are performed if a prior task-independent route has not already been determined from the source to the destination.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the measurement system includes a routing table which stores source/destination pairs for task-independent routes;    wherein said determining if a prior task-independent route has not already been determined from the source to the destination comprises: 
 searching the routing table for a source/destination pair that matches the source and destination of the independent route; and  
   wherein said storing includes storing the source and the destination of the independent route as a source/destination pair in the routing table.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 receiving a request to release the task-independent route;    determining if the source/destination pair of the task-independent route is in the routing table; and    if the source/destination pair of the task-independent route is in the routing table, releasing the task-independent route.    
     
     
         14 . A carrier medium which stores program instructions for managing routing resources in a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform: 
 creating one or more legs of a route from a source to a destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route, then: 
 configuring the routing resource in accordance with a desired configuration of the respective leg; and  
 reserving the routing resource;  
 
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is currently used in an existing route, then: 
 comparing the desired configuration of the respective leg with the current configuration of the routing resource; and  
 reserving the routing resource if the current configuration of the routing resource conforms to the desired configuration of the leg; and  
 
   storing the route;    wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.    
     
     
         15 . The carrier medium of  claim 14 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform: 
 creating an alternative leg for the route if the desired configuration of the respective leg does not match the current configuration of the routing resource;    wherein the alternative leg includes a different routing resource than the respective leg.    
     
     
         16 . The carrier medium of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the measurement system is configured to perform a measurement task; and    wherein the route is created to perform signal routing functions in the measurement task, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform: 
 after performance of the measurement task, releasing the route.  
   
     
     
         17 . The carrier medium of  claim 14 , 
 wherein each respective routing resource has a usage count which indicates the number of routes which have reserved the respective routing resource;    wherein reserving the respective routing resource comprises incrementing the usage count;    wherein releasing the respective routing resource comprises decrementing the usage count; and    wherein a usage count of zero indicates that the respective routing resource is free.    
     
     
         18 . The carrier medium of  claim 17 , 
 wherein the route is a task-independent route;    wherein said creating and said storing are performed in a verify stage; and    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource indicates the number of routes in the measurement system which have reserved the respective routing resource;    wherein the usage count of the respective routing resource represents an actual state of the respective routing resource hardware.    
     
     
         19 . A system for managing routing resources in a measurement system, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory medium, coupled to the processor; and    an input, coupled to the memory medium, wherein the input is operable to receive input information specifying a source and a destination in a measurement system;    wherein the memory medium stores program instructions which are executable by the processor to perform: 
 creating one or more legs of a route from the source to the destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route, then: 
 configuring the routing resource in accordance with a desired configuration of the respective leg; and  
 reserving the routing resource;  
 
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is currently used in an existing route, then: 
 comparing the desired configuration of the respective leg with the current configuration of the routing resource; and  
 reserving the routing resource if the current configuration of the routing resource conforms to the desired configuration of the leg; and  
 
 
 storing the route in the memory medium;  
 wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.  
   
     
     
         20 . A system for managing routing resources in a measurement system, comprising: 
 means for creating one or more legs of a route from a source to a destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is not currently used in an existing route, then: 
 configuring the routing resource in accordance with a desired configuration of the respective leg; and  
 reserving the routing resource;  
 
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is currently used in an existing route, then: 
 comparing the desired configuration of the respective leg with the current configuration of the routing resource; and  
 reserving the routing resource if the current configuration of the routing resource conforms to the desired configuration of the leg; and  
 
   means for storing the route;    wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.    
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for managing routing resources in a measurement system, the method comprising: 
 creating one or more legs of a route from a source to a destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently reserved;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is not currently reserved, then: 
 configuring the routing resource in accordance with a desired configuration of the respective leg; and  
 reserving the routing resource; and  
 
   storing the route;    wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently reserved comprises determining if the routing resource for the respective leg is used in an existing route.  
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method for managing routing resources in a measurement system, the method comprising: 
 creating one or more legs of a route from a source to a destination, wherein, for each respective leg of said one or more legs, said creating includes: 
 determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently reserved;  
 if the routing resource for the respective leg is currently reserved, then: 
 comparing the desired configuration of the respective leg with the current configuration of the routing resource; and  
 reserving the routing resource if the current configuration of the routing resource conforms to the desired configuration of the leg; and  
 
   storing the route;    wherein the route is operable to route signals in the measurement system.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said determining if a routing resource for the respective leg is not currently reserved comprises determining if the routing resource for the respective leg is used in an existing route.