Distributed means of organizing an arbitrarily large number of computers

• US 8,180,869 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Russell Fish
• Original Assignee: Russell Fish
• Inventors: Fish, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US12/703,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/249, 370/400, 370/403, 345/440
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A technique for organizing a plurality of computers such that message broadcast, content searching, and computer identification of the entire collection or a subset of the entire collection may be performed quickly without the use of a controlling computer. The technique describes the creation, operation, and maintenance of a connection scheme by which each computer in the collection appears to be the top level of a hierarchical array. The maintenance of this hierarchical connection scheme allows one to many communications throughout the collection of computers to scale geometrically rather than linearly.

Claims

1. A distributed computer network, comprising:

a plurality of processors; and

a network communication medium for interconnecting the plurality of processors;

wherein the plurality of processors further comprise a set of nodes having a predetermined set of parameters;

wherein the set of nodes are logically arranged in a regular logical geometric pattern such that each node can operate as a logical center node in a hierarchy of nodes;

wherein the set of nodes includes a top node;

wherein the top node is changed in reaction to an initiation of a broadcast message;

wherein the regular logical geometric pattern of nodes includes the logical center node connected to the set of nodes in a logical set of concentric rings interconnected by four diametrically opposed radials; and

wherein the regular logical geometric pattern includes a set of concentric rings surrounding the logical center node and a hole in the set of concentric rings and wherein a node in the set of concentric rings fills the hole by changing its logical position in the regular logical geometric pattern.

2. The distributed computer network of claim 1, wherein the network communication medium includes a physical interconnection between the plurality of processors unrelated to the regular logical geometric pattern.

3. The distributed computer network of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of processors that receives the message forwards the message to a logically neighboring node processor.

4. The distributed computer network of claim 1, wherein the logical set of concentric rings includes a regular closed two dimensional polygonal configuration having an even number of sides.

5. The distributed computer network of claim 1, wherein the logical set of concentric rings includes a regular closed three dimensional polygonal configuration.

6. The distributed computer network of claim 1, wherein the regular logical geometrical pattern of nodes includes at least one hole and a mobile node adjacent the hole and wherein the mobile node fills the hole by logical movement toward the logical center node.

7. The distributed computer network of claim 1 wherein the top node sends the broadcast message to each of the nodes in a radially expanding pattern within the regular logical geometric pattern.

8. A method for communicating in a computer network, comprising:

logically arranging a plurality of computers around a first computer situated at a logical center of the plurality of computers;

selecting a top computer from the plurality of computers based on initiation of a message;

sending the message from the top computer to a set of logically adjacent subordinate computers that proceed in a logical pattern radially from the top computer; and

forwarding the message from at least one subordinate computer, along at least one series of logically adjacent computers that logically extends radially from the at least one subordinate computer but that does not intersect any of the series of logically adjacent subordinate computers that proceed in a logical pattern radially from the top computer;

wherein the computer network includes a second computer with a higher bandwidth and a third computer with a lower bandwidth, further comprising the step of switching the positions of the second computer and the third computer to move the third computer away from the logical center of the plurality of computers with respect to the second computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of logically arranging comprises the further step of establishing a plurality of logically neighboring computers for each computer, wherein each computer has no more than a predetermined number of logically neighboring computers, and wherein the plurality of computers are evenly distributed around the first computer.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of delaying sending of the message from the top computer if a bandwidth utilization of the plurality of computers is above a predetermined threshold.

11. A distributed computer network, comprising:

a plurality of processors and at least one communication medium for interconnecting the plurality of processors;

wherein the plurality of processors are logically arranged such that each processor can operate at a top level of a hierarchy that includes at least a significant number of the plurality of processors by sending a message to at least one logically neighboring processor;

wherein the message is disseminated throughout the hierarchy by each processor that receives the message forwarding the message to at least one logically neighboring processor such that each processor in the hierarchy receives the message only once;

wherein the plurality of processors include a processor situated at a logical center and the remaining processors are logically arranged around the logical center;

wherein each processor tends to switch positions with an adjacent processor closer to the logical center when the adjacent processor has less available bandwidth than said processor.

12. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication medium includes at least one physical interconnection unrelated to the logical arrangement of the plurality of processors.

13. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein each processor that receives the message forwards the message to one or two logically neighboring processors.

14. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein the plurality of processors are logically arranged in a polygonal configuration having an even number of sides.

15. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein the plurality of processors are logically arranged in a three dimensional configuration.

16. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein each processor tends to move to a location closer to the logical center if said location is not occupied by another processor.

17. The distributed computer network of claim 16, wherein each processor further tends to move in a predetermined direction to an adjacent location on the same logical level if said adjacent location is not occupied by another processor.

18. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein the message relates to a broadcast of data.

19. The distributed computer network of claim 11, wherein the message relates to a search for information selected from the group consisting of specified data and a specified processor.