Techniques for achieving high responsiveness from communicating nodes, and verifying, measuring and deterring any unresponsiveness thereof

• US 6,798,780 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1998
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shaikh, Hidayatullah, Dias, Daniel M., Dan, Asit, Iyengar, Arun K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ODLAND, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US09/195,909
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/217, 370/221, 370/225, 370/248, 370/222, 709/238, 709/239, 714/1, 379/209.01, 379/210.01
• US Class Current: 370/395.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks

Abstract

Techniques for establishing contact between a first node and a second node in a communication system having a plurality of nodes. Upon a failure of an attempt by the first node to contact the second node, the first node contacts a 3rd party node, which in turn attempts to contact the second node on behalf of the first node. The first node'"'"'s initial attempt to contact the second node can be verified by the 3rd party node, thereby avoiding an unjust detriment to the first node. Multiple retries or 3rd party nodes can be used to attempt contact on behalf of the first node. Responsiveness of nodes can be measured, and subsequent penalties can be assessed, as a result of their unresponsiveness.

Claims

1. A communication system having at least a first computing node, a second computing node and a third computing node, the communication system comprising:

means for the first computing node of the communication system attempting to contact the second computing node of the communication system;

means for, upon the second computing node failing to correctly respond to the attempt by the first computing node to contact the second computing node, the third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node, wherein the third computing node'"'"'s attempt is responsive to the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node; and

means for assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises a financial assessment against the second computing node, and wherein the penalty is determined as a function of at least one of the following;

number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the first computing node;

an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto; and

a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the third computing node or other computing nodes.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for using said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said means for using includes means for recording a time of said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node at an earlier time.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for handling a failure of the third computing node to contact the second computing node by using a fourth computing node to attempt to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing node and the second computing node normally communicate using a first automated communication medium, and wherein said means for using a third computing node includes means for using a second automated communication medium.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for implementing a communications method in a communication system including a first computing node, a second computing node, and a third computing node, the computer readable program code means comprising:

code means for a first computing node of the communication system attempting to contact a second computing node of the communication system;

code means for, upon the second computing node failing to correctly respond to the attempt by the first computing node to contact the second computing node, a third computing node of the communication system attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node, the third computing node'"'"'s attempt being responsive to the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node; and

code means for assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises a financial assessment against the second computing node, and wherein the penalty is determined as a function of at least one of the following;

a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the first computing node;

an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto; and

a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the third computing node or other computing nodes.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6, further comprising:

code means for using said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein said code means for using includes code means for recording a time of said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node at an earlier time.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein the first computing node and the second computing node normally communicate using a first automated communication medium, and wherein said code means for using a third computing node includes code means for using a second automated communication medium.

10. A communications method for a computing environment including a first computing node, a second computing node, and a third computing node, said method comprising:

attempting, by a first computing node of the computing environment, to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with a second computing node of the computing environment; and

determining whether the second computing node responds correctly to the first computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node, and if not, then responsive thereto, attempting by a third computing node of the computing environment to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with the second computing node, and determining whether the second computing node responds correctly to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node; and

assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises decreasing a responsiveness rating of the second computing node, wherein the penalty is determined as a function of an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein responsive to said determining whether the second computing node responds correctly to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node, the method further comprises advising the first computing node whether the second computing node correctly responds to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein responsive to the second computing node failing to correctly respond to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node, the method further comprises verifying unresponsiveness of the second computing node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said verifying unresponsiveness includes recording a time of the third computing node attempting to initiate contact with the second computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to initiate contact with the second computing node at an earlier time.

14. A communication system of a computing environment, said system comprising:

a first computing node, a second computing node and a third computing node; and

wherein the first computing node is adapted to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with the second computing node of the communication system, and is adapted to determine whether the second computing node correctly responds to the first computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node, and if not, then responsive thereto the third computing node is adapted to attempt to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with the second computing node, and to determine whether the second computing node responds correctly to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to automatedly initiate contact with the second computing node; and

wherein the third computing node is adapted to assess a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises decreasing a responsiveness rating of the second computing node, wherein the penalty is determined as a function of an amount of time the first computing node other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for advising the first computing node whether the second computing node correctly responds to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for verifying unresponsiveness of the second computing node.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said means for verifying unresponsiveness includes means for recording a time that the third computing node attempted to initiate contact with the second computing node to verify whether the first computing node attempted to initiate contact with the second computing node at an earlier time.

18. At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a communications method for a computing environment including a first computing node, a second computing node, and a third computing node, the method comprising:

attempting by a first computing node of the computing environment, to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with a second computing node of the computing environment; and

determining whether the second computing node responds correctly to the first computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node, and if not, then responsive thereto, attempting by a third computing node of the computing environment to initiate contact, in an automated fashion, with the second computing node, and determining whether the second computing node responds correctly to the third computing node'"'"'s attempt to initiate contact with the second computing node; and

assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises decreasing a responsiveness rating of the second computing node, wherein the penalty is determined as a function an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto.

19. A communications method for a communication system including a first computing node, a second computing node, and a third computing node, the method comprising:

a first computing node of the communication system attempting to contact a second computing node of the communication system;

the second computing node failing to respond to the attempt by the first computing node to contact the second computing node;

a third computing node of the communication system attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node, the third computing node'"'"'s attempt being responsive to the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node; and

assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises a financial assessment against second computing node, and wherein the penalty is determined as a function of at least one of the following;

a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the first computing node;

an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto; and

a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the third computing node or other computing nodes.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said using includes recording a time of said third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node to verify that the first computing node attempted to contact the second computing node at an earlier time.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the second computing node failing to respond to the third computing node; and

plurality of computing nodes each attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node until one of said plurality of computing nodes successfully contacts the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising designating the third computing node as a trusted computing node, wherein the trusted computing node is trusted by the first computing node and the second computing node to accurately perform collecting and storing of information associated with the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising collecting and storing information associated with at least one of verifying the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node and assessing the penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond.