Method and apparatus for providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems

• US 20040081149A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhat, Satisha K., Williams, Matthew F., Belair, Stephen P., Mamillapalli, Sudhakar, Mortala, Venkatasiva
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems. A group message is received from a sender associated with a sending node in a network. The group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set. The acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed. Issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node is deferred. The group message is delivered to the receiving nodes. An acknowledgment of the message is received from one of the receiving nodes. The message view is updated by removing each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment from the acknowledgement set. The updated message view is provided to the sender.

Claims

1. A method of providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;

deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;

delivering the group message to the receiving nodes;

receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes;

updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment; and

providing the updated message view to the sender.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a number of members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;

updating the message view by incrementing the counter to the number of members that received the message.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes then currently in the acknowledgment set.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes that fail to acknowledge the message in a specified time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes and updating the message view a plurality of times in a specified period.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message view is created at a group messaging layer associated with the sending node.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message view is associated with a message that is received from an application layer of the sending node.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating the message at a sender in an application layer of the sending node;

dispatching the message from the application layer to a group messaging layer of the sending node;

creating the message view and associating the message view with the message;

sending the message with the message view to the recipient nodes;

receiving the updated message view at the sender; and

performing a specified application operation based on the updated message view.

9. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;

deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;

delivering the group message to the receiving nodes;

receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes;

updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment; and

providing the updated message view to the sender.

10. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining a number of members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;

updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of members that received the message.

11. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes then currently in the acknowledgment set.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes that fail to acknowledge the message in a specified time.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes and updating the message view a plurality of times in a specified period.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the message view is created at a group messaging layer associated with the sending node.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the message view is associated with a message that is received from an application layer of the sending node.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

creating the message at a sender in an application layer of the sending node;

dispatching the message from the application layer to a group messaging layer of the sending node;

creating the message view and associating the message view with the message;

sending the message with the message view to the recipient nodes;

receiving the updated message view at the sender; and

performing a specified application operation based on the updated message view.

17. An apparatus providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, comprising:

means for receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;

means for deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;

means for delivering the group message to the receiving nodes;

means for receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes;

means for updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment; and

means for providing the updated message view to the sender.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

determining a number of members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;

updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of members that received the message.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes then currently in the acknowledgment set.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes that fail to acknowledge the message in a specified time.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes and updating the message view a plurality of times in a specified period.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the message view is created at a group messaging layer associated with the sending node.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the message view is associated with a message that is received from an application layer of the sending node.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

creating the message at a sender in an application layer of the sending node;

dispatching the message from the application layer to a group messaging layer of the sending node;

creating the message view and associating the message view with the message;

sending the message with the message view to the recipient nodes;

receiving the updated message view at the sender; and

performing a specified application operation based on the updated message view.

25. An apparatus providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;

a processor;

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;

deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;

delivering the group message to the receiving nodes;

receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes;

updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment; and

providing the updated message view to the sender.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

determining a number of members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;

updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of members that received the message.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes then currently in the acknowledgment set.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of periodically re-transmitting the message to all nodes that fail to acknowledge the message in a specified time.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of receiving an acknowledgment of the message from one of the receiving nodes and updating the message view a plurality of times in a specified period.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the message view is created at a group messaging layer associated with the sending node.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the message view is associated with a message that is received from an application layer of the sending node.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

creating the message at a sender in an application layer of the sending node;

dispatching the message from the application layer to a group messaging layer of the sending node;

creating the message view and associating the message view with the message;

sending the message with the message view to the recipient nodes;

receiving the updated message view at the sender; and

performing a specified application operation based on the updated message view.