Efficient maintenance of a distributed system membership view
First Claim
1. A method of removing inactive members from a list of members in a distributed computing system, wherein active members of the computing system generate messages indicating that the active members are available in the computing system, and new members are added to the computing system, the method comprising:
- concurrently maintaining first and second lists for members of the computing system, the first list comprising a working list including current members of the computing system, and the second list comprising a listening list, includingadding to the listening list, any of the current members of the computing system that, during a given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any of the current members are available in the computing system, andadding to the listening list and to the working list, any new members added to the computing system that, during the given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any new members are available in the computing system; and
at a specified time, replacing the working list with the listening to form a new working list, and starting a new, empty listening list, thereby removing from the working list any of said current members of the computing system that did not generate, during the given time period, the messages indicating that said current members are available in the computing system.
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Abstract
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for maintaining a membership view of a distributed computing system comprising a multitude of members, wherein each of said members sends out a message indicating that said each of the members is available in the system. In one embodiment, the method comprises maintaining a first list of at least some of the members in the distributed system; and over a period of time, when one of the members sends out the message indicating that said one of the members is available in the distributed system, adding said one of the members to a second list. At defined times, the first list is replaced with the second list. In an embodiment, the method further comprises at said defined times, starting a new, empty second list.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of removing inactive members from a list of members in a distributed computing system, wherein active members of the computing system generate messages indicating that the active members are available in the computing system, and new members are added to the computing system, the method comprising:
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concurrently maintaining first and second lists for members of the computing system, the first list comprising a working list including current members of the computing system, and the second list comprising a listening list, including adding to the listening list, any of the current members of the computing system that, during a given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any of the current members are available in the computing system, and adding to the listening list and to the working list, any new members added to the computing system that, during the given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any new members are available in the computing system; and at a specified time, replacing the working list with the listening to form a new working list, and starting a new, empty listening list, thereby removing from the working list any of said current members of the computing system that did not generate, during the given time period, the messages indicating that said current members are available in the computing system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A membership view maintenance system for removing inactive members from a list of members in a distributed computing system, wherein active members of the computing system generate messages indicating that the active members are available in the computing system, and new members are added to the computing system, the membership view maintenance system comprising:
a computer system comprising a memory for storing data, and one or more hardware processor units connected to the memory for transmitting data to and receiving data from the memory, the one or more hardware processor units configured for; concurrently maintaining first and second lists for members of the computing system, the first list comprising a working list including current members of the computing system, and the second list comprising a listening list, including adding to the listening list, any of the current members of the computing system that, during a given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any of the current members are available in the computing system, and adding to the listening list and to the working list, any new members added to the computing system that, during the given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any new members are available in the computing system; and at a specified time, replacing the working list with the listening to form a new working list, and starting a new, empty listening list, thereby removing from the working list any of said current members of the computing system that did not generate, during the given time period, the messages indicating that said current members are available in the computing system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article of manufacture comprising:
at least one computer usable device having computer readable program code logic to execute a machine instruction in a processing member for maintaining a membership view of a distributed computing system by removing inactive members from a list of members in the distributed computing system, wherein active members of the computing system generate messages indicating that the active members are available in the computing system, and new members are added to the computing system, the computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following; concurrently maintaining first and second lists for members of the computing system, the first list comprising a working list including current members of the computing system, and the second list comprising a listening list, including adding to the listening list, any of the current members of the computing system that, during a given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any of the current members are available in the computing system, and adding to the listening list and to the working list, any new members added to the computing system that, during the given time period, generate the messages indicating that said any new members are available in the computing system; and at a specified time, replacing the working list with the listening to form a new working list, and starting a new, empty listening list, thereby removing from the working list any of said current members of the computing system that did not generate, during the given time period, the messages indicating that said current members are available in the computing system. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification