Distributed system for scheduling action requests

1. A method of operating a distributed system, said method comprising:

receiving action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in said distributed system, wherein said managed entity runs on a computer;

operating a first processor located on a first server to respond to an occurrence of an event in said distributed system by sending one or more action requests to said managed entity, each of said one or more action requests representing a request for said managed entity to carry out an action;

operating a second processor located on a second server remote from the first server to respond to said occurrence of said event in said distributed system by sending one or more other action requests to said managed entity, each of said one or more other action requests representing a request for said managed entity to carry out an action;

collecting a plurality of said action requests from said first and second processors, the plurality of action requests being such that the end-state of said managed entity depends upon the order in which the one or more action requests from the first processor are carried out relative to the one or more action requests from the second processor;

generating, from said collection of action requests, a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

operating said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising

generating event messages for distribution in said distributed system in response to the occurrence of events pertaining to the performance of a software or hardware component of said distributed system.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising

storing rules which set out one or more actions to be carried out by said managed entity in response to the generation of an event message in said distributed system.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein

said rules are accompanied by one or more conditions, and said action is requested only on said condition being met.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein

said managed entity is a software process or software application running on the computer.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein

said actions are calls to methods or procedures offered by said software to other software in said distributed system.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the distributed system comprises a plurality of administrative domains interconnected via the Internet.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein

the administrative domain includes a server.

9. A method of operating a computing node in a distributed system, said method comprising:

receiving action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in said distributed system, wherein said managed entity runs on a computer;

collecting a plurality of action requests from two or more processors in said distributed system, each of said plurality of action requests representing a request for said managed entity to carry out an action in response to the occurrence of an event in said distributed system, the plurality of action requests being such that the end-state of said managed entity depends upon the order in which the one or more action requests from one of the two or more processors are carried out relative to the one or more action requests from another of the two or more processors;

generating, from said collection of action requests, a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

sending instructions to said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing encoded instructions executable by a computer to control said computer to:

receive action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in a distributed system, wherein said managed entity runs on a computer;

collect a plurality of action requests from two or more processors, each of said plurality of action requests representing a request for said managed entity to carry out an action in response to the occurrence of an event in said distributed system, the plurality of action requests being such that the end-state of said managed entity depends upon the order in which the one or more action requests from one of the two or more processors are carried out relative to the one or more action requests from another of the two or more processors;

generate, from said collection of action requests, a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

send instructions to said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

11. A computing node for use in a distributed system comprising:

a processor and associated memory, said memory storing:

software component code executable to provide a plurality of available actions to software components running on two or more other computing nodes in said distributed system;

recommended action order reception code executable to receive order data indicative of a recommended order for carrying out two or more of said plurality of available actions;

action request assembly code executable to store, in said memory, an assemblage of requests for one or more of said actions made available by said software component, said requests having been received from said two or more computing nodes, the assemblage of requests being such that the end-state of said computing node depends upon the order in which the one or more actions requested by one of said two or more other nodes are carried out relative to the one or more actions requested by another of said two or more other nodes; and

action request assemblage processing code executable to order and/or filter said assemblage of action requests to generate a schedule of action requests for execution by said software component, said schedule having said assemblage of actions ordered in accordance with the recommended order indicated by said order data.

12. A computing node for use in a distributed system comprising:

a processor and associated memory, said memory storing:

software component code executable to provide a plurality of available actions to software components running on two or more other computing nodes in said distributed system;

action request assembly code executable to store, in said memory, an assemblage of requests for one or more of said actions made available by said software component, said requests having been received from said two or more other computing nodes, said requests being such that the end-state of said computing node depends upon the order in which the one or more actions requested by one of said two or more other computing nodes are carried out relative to the actions requested by another of said two or more other computing nodes;

action request assemblage processing code executable to order and/or filter said assemblage of action requests in dependence upon the actions requested and said order data to generate a schedule of action requests for execution by said software component, said schedule having said assemblage of actions ordered in accordance with the recommended order indicated by said order data; and

component monitoring code executable to generate an event message for distribution in said distributed system in response to the occurrence of an event pertaining to the performance of said software component, wherein said plurality of action requests are received from other computers in said distributed system in reaction to the distribution of said event message.