Pseudoconversational transaction
Encyclopedia
In transaction processing
, a pseudoconversational transaction is a type of transaction that emulates a true conversation in an interactive session
. To the end user, it appears as though the program has simply "paused" to request further input, whereas in reality, most resources are released while the input is waiting to be received.
) for an indeterminate time. This delay is the end-user 'thinking time' (or response time) and depends on human factors including speed of typing.
For systems supporting many thousands of users on a single processor, it allows the transparent 'look and feel' of a true conversational session without tying up limited resources.
Transaction processing
In computer science, transaction processing is information processing that is divided into individual, indivisible operations, called transactions. Each transaction must succeed or fail as a complete unit; it cannot remain in an intermediate state...
, a pseudoconversational transaction is a type of transaction that emulates a true conversation in an interactive session
Session (computer science)
In computer science, in particular networking, a session is a semi-permanent interactive information interchange, also known as a dialogue, a conversation or a meeting, between two or more communicating devices, or between a computer and user . A session is set up or established at a certain point...
. To the end user, it appears as though the program has simply "paused" to request further input, whereas in reality, most resources are released while the input is waiting to be received.
Transparent termination and restart
The controlling program has deliberately saved most of its state during the delay, terminated, and then, on being restarted through new input, restores its previous state. A single control variable is usually retained to hold the current state in terms of the stage of input reached (and therefore what must be recovered at any stage in order to resume processing). The state, including the control variable, is usually preserved in a 'temporary storage record' that maps the variables needing restoration as an aggregate set, usually contained in a single structure (other variables will be re-initialized on re-start).Conserving resources
This method of programming frees up pooled resources (such as memoryVirtual memory
In computing, virtual memory is a memory management technique developed for multitasking kernels. This technique virtualizes a computer architecture's various forms of computer data storage , allowing a program to be designed as though there is only one kind of memory, "virtual" memory, which...
) for an indeterminate time. This delay is the end-user 'thinking time' (or response time) and depends on human factors including speed of typing.
For systems supporting many thousands of users on a single processor, it allows the transparent 'look and feel' of a true conversational session without tying up limited resources.
External links
- Pseudoconversational and conversational design by IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...