Method and apparatus for initializing a new node in a network

• US 20030046369A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chan, Desmond Cho-Hung, Sim, Siew Yong
• Granted Patent: US 6,857,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Large payload files are selectively partitioned in blocks and the blocks distributed to a plurality of distribution stations at the edge of the network qualified to have the data. Each qualified station decides how much and what portion of the content to save locally, based on information such as network location and environment, usage, popularity, and other distribution criteria defined by the content provider. Different pieces of a large payload file may be available from different nodes, however, when a user requests access to the large payload file, for example, through an application server, a virtual file control system creates an illusion that the entire file is present at the connected node. However, since only selective portions of the large payload file may actually be resident at that node'"'"'s storage at the time of request, a cluster of distribution servers at the distribution station may download the non-resident portions of the file as the application server is servicing the user. The download may be in parallel and usually from the least congested nodes. New nodes added to the network learn from other nodes in the network what content they should have and download the required content, in a desired amount, onto their local storage devices from the nearest and least congested nodes without interrupting network operation. Each node manages its local storage and decides what content to prune based on information such as usage patterns.

Claims

1. A method for initializing a new node in a network comprising:

adding a new node to a network having a plurality of nodes;

sending a query automatically to said plurality of nodes to determine what contents to download;

receiving replies to said query from a subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents for said new node;

downloading desired portions of said contents from said subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a packetcommunication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of nodes is arranged in the form of a virtual tree for passing control information, and said new node is a node of said tree.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes has a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes for identification, said query comprising said set of attributes and said set of rolled up attributes of said new node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said set of attributes comprises a bitmap and said set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of said node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said combination comprises the binary OR of said all lineal descendants of said node.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said sending said query automatically to said plurality of nodes comprises:

announcing said new node'"'"'s inclusion in said network by sending a notification to at least one neighbor node;

forwarding said notification to nodes neighboring said at least one neighbor node, said forwarding continuing until each of said plurality of nodes in said network receives said notification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said new node does not receive said notification from a neighbor node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said content is stored as block files in said plurality of nodes having said content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of said replies from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content said new node should have;

identification of portions of said content available in said replying node; and

performance characteristics of said replying node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said downloading said desired portion of said content comprises downloading a desired subset of said block files from said replying nodes in close proximity identified as least congested.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said least congested is determined from said performance characteristics.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said downloading said desired subset of block files is performed in parallel from said least congested nodes.

15. A method for initializing a new node in a network comprising:

adding a new node to a network having a plurality of nodes, wherein said plurality of nodes is arranged in the form of a virtual tree and said new node is a node of said tree, each node of said tree having a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes for identification;

sending a query from said new node to said plurality of nodes to determine what contents to download, said contents being stored as block files in one or more nodes of said network;

receiving replies to said query from a subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents for said new node;

downloading desired portions of said contents from said subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents.

16. A method for initializing a new node in a network comprising:

adding a new node to a network having a plurality of nodes, wherein said plurality of nodes is arranged in the form of a virtual tree and said new node is a node of said tree, each node of said tree having a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes for identification;

sending a query automatically from said new node to said plurality of nodes to determine what contents to download, said content being stored as block files in one or more nodes of said network, said query comprising said set of attributes and said set of rolled up attributes for said new node;

receiving replies to said query from a subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents for said new node, wherein each of said replies identifies what subset of said block files is available in a replying node and performance characteristics of said replying node;

downloading desired subsets of said block files from said replying nodes that are least congested.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium comprising computer readable code for initializing a new node in a network, said computer readable program code configured to;

add a new node to a network having a plurality of nodes;

send a query automatically to said plurality of nodes to determine what content said new node should have;

receive replies to said query from a subset of said plurality of nodes having said content for said new node;

download a desired portion of said content from said subset of said plurality of nodes having said content.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said network comprises a packet-communication network.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said plurality of nodes is arranged in the form of a virtual tree and said new node is a node of said tree.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes has a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes for identification, said query comprising said set of attributes and said set of rolled up attributes of said new node.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said set of attributes comprises a bitmap and said set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of said node.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said combination comprises the binary OR of said all lineal descendants of said node.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said send a query automatically to said plurality of nodes comprises:

announcing said new node'"'"'s inclusion in said network by sending a notification to at least one neighbor node;

forwarding said notification to nodes neighboring said at least one neighbor node, said forwarding continuing until each of said plurality of nodes in said network receives said notification.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said new node does not receive said notification from a neighbor node.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said content is stored as block files in said plurality of nodes having said content.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein each of said replies from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content said new node should have;

identification of portions of said content available in said replying node; and

performance characteristics of said replying node.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein said download said desired portion of said content comprises computer program product configured to download a desired subset of said block files from said replying nodes in close proximity identified as least congested.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said least congested is determined from said performance characteristics.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said download said desired subset of block files is performed in parallel from said least congested nodes.

31. An apparatus for initializing a new node in a network comprising:

a network having a plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of nodes having one or more distribution servers in a distribution server cluster, said plurality of nodes having one or more content for distribution in said network;

a new node added to said network, said new node sending a query automatically to said plurality of nodes to determine what contents to download, said new node receiving replies to said query from a subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents for said new node, said one or more distribution servers in said distribution server cluster in said new node downloading desired portions of said contents from said subset of said plurality of nodes having said contents.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said network comprises a packet-communication network.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of nodes is arranged in the form of a virtual tree and said new node is a node of said tree.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes has a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes for identification, said query comprising said set of attributes and said set of rolled up attributes of said new node.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said set of attributes comprises a bitmap and said set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of said node.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said combination comprises the binary OR of said all lineal descendants of said node.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said sending a query automatically to said plurality of nodes comprises:

announcing said new node'"'"'s inclusion in said network by sending a notification to at least one neighbor node;

forwarding said notification to nodes neighboring said at least one neighbor node, said forwarding continuing until each of said plurality of nodes in said network receives said notification.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said new node does not receive said notification from a neighbor node.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said content is stored as block files in said plurality of nodes having said content.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein each of said replies from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content said new node should have;

identification of portions of said content available in said replying node; and

performance characteristics of said replying node.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said downloading said desired portion of said content comprises downloading a desired subset of said block files from said replying nodes in close proximity identified as least congested.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said least congested is determined from said performance characteristics.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said downloading said desired subset of block files is performed in parallel from said least congested nodes.