Fault tolerant symmetric multi-computing system

• US 20050063300A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anilkumar Dominic
• Original Assignee: Anilkumar Dominic
• Inventors: Dominic, Anilkumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism

Abstract

A system enabled for fault-tolerant symmetric multi-computing using a group of nodes is described hereon. A symmetrical group of nodes networked using a reliable, ordered, and atomic group-to-group TCP communication system is used in providing fault-tolerance and single system image to client applications. The communication between the client and the group is standards based. The processing load is shared among a group of nodes with transparent distribution of tasks to application segments. The system is fault-tolerant in that if a node fails remaining replicas if any continue service without disruption of service or connection. Nodes may be added to or retired from the group in a manner transparent to the client as well as server applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication between groups in a network, the apparatus comprising:

a. a first uniquely addressed group and a second uniquely addressed group, the first group comprising a plurality of end points and each group comprising at least one node;

b. a communication protocol having a single logical connection enabled for communication between each group;

c. the plurality of end points enabled to admit data into a node in the first uniquely addressed group and enabled to transmit data to the second uniquely addressed group to effect communication between non-empty subsets of each group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein data communication between each group does not pass through an intermediary node of either group.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an end point comprises a protocol stack.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said protocol guarantees delivery of data in the order sent by said groups.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said end-point reside at a node.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said end-point reside outside of a said node.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein membership of said two groups vary during the life of the said connection.