Method and apparatus for monitoring the availability of nodes in a communications network
US6735200B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 11, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/46
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing communications in a distributed computing system wherein a plurality of computers are interconnected with a communications network. At least a portion of the network is established as a subnetwork with at least one node attached to the subnetwork. The node in the subnetwork multicast a verification message over the subnetwork in which it is attached. A subnetwork leader for each subnetwork is identified and gathers the verification message sent from each node in the subnetwork. The subnetwork leader assembles each verification received into a subnetwork list. The subnetwork list is sent a node identified as the network leader. The network leader assembles each subnetwork list received into a master list and sends this master list out to the subnetwork leaders. In turn, the subnetwork leaders for each subnetwork multicast the master list out to each node.In one embodiment, the communications between each subnetwork leader and the network leader is over multicast.In another embodiment, a system and computer readable medium is disclosed to carry out the above method.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.