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Apparatus and method for communicating between computer systems using a sliding send window for ordered messages in a clustered computing environment

  • US 7,185,099 B1
  • Filed: 11/22/2000
  • Issued: 02/27/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:

  • at least one processor;

    a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

    a network interface that couples the apparatus to a network that is coupled to a plurality of other computer systems and wherein the apparatus and the plurality of other computer systems form a cluster of computers that cooperate via ordered messages to perform a task; and

    a cluster communication mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the cluster communication mechanism including a sliding send window that communicates at least one ordered message to a plurality of the other computer systems without waiting for an acknowledge message from any of the plurality of other computer systems before sending out the next ordered message, and wherein each ordered message includes a header with information that indicates whether an acknowledge message for the ordered messages may be delayed and grouped with at least one subsequent acknowledge message, and the cluster communication mechanism enforces execution order of a plurality of received messages to perform the task;

    wherein the cluster communication mechanism sends a null message forcing acknowledges to pending messages to be sent by the plurality of other computer systems when the cluster communication mechanism changes to a new destination for sending subsequent messages.

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