Patent · US Expired

Replication optimization system and method

US6049809A · kind A · utility

102Cited by
45References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 30, 1996
Grant dateApr 11, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 30, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99954
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of efficiently replicating data structures in a distributed system of replicas. Each replica in the distributed system maintains a cursor indicative of the extent to which other replicas in the system are consistent with one another. By examining the information in its cursor, a destination replica requesting replication from a source replica is able to determine the extent to which it has been made consistent with that source replica via indirect paths, thus potentially improving the starting point of replication. The source replica similarly examines its cursor to potentially improve the starting point of replication with respect to the starting point requested by the destination replica. In this manner, redundant information transmitted from a source replica when replicating a destination replica is reduced. The reduction in the amount of transmitted replication data is particularly appreciable when the replication topology of the system is changed such as by adding a new connection between existing replicas or by adding a new replica to the system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.