Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus to extend the fault-tolerant abilities of a node into a network

US6370654B1 · kind B1 · utility

6Cited by

4References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Nortel Networks Limited · CA

Inventors

Albert G. Law, Jr. · Plano, US
Jay Woods · Yakima, US
Peter M. Willenbring · Richardson, US

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 17, 1998
Grant date	Apr 9, 2002
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 17, 2018

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F11/1482
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus that networks fault-tolerant computing platforms with non fault-tolerant computing platforms includes at least one fault-tolerant computing platform, a plurality of non fault-tolerant computing platforms, and communication links connecting the fault-tolerant computing platform to the non fault-tolerant computing platforms. The fault-tolerant computing platform includes application software and a fault-tolerant extension layer. Each non fault-tolerant computing platform includes application software and a fault-tolerant extension layer. A method for extending fault-tolerance into the non fault-tolerant computing platforms includes the steps of: a) waiting for a transaction from the application software; c) selecting a non fault-tolerant computing platform; d) sending the transaction to a first non fault-tolerant computing platform; e) if a response from the first non fault-tolerant computing platform is not received within a preset time period, then sending the transaction, bundled with an associated BLOB, to a second non fault-tolerant computing platform; and f) if a response from the non fault-tolerant computing platform is received within a preset time period, then s…

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