Method and apparatus for initializing a new node in a network

• US 6,857,012 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chan, Desmond Cho-Hung, Sim, Siew Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/681,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/226, 709/231, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/222
• 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

A method for initializing a new node in a network. The network has multiple nodes arranged in a virtual tree format. The new node is a node of the tree, and each node of the tree has a set of attributes and a set of rolled up attributes to identify each node. A query is automatically sent to the nodes to determine what contents to download. The contents are then stored as block files in the nodes. The query contains the set of attributes and rolled up attributes for the new node. The query receives replies from a subset of the nodes that have the contents needed for the new node. Each reply identifies what subset of the block files is available and the performance characteristics of that replying node. Then the desired contents from the subset of the block files from nodes that are least congested is downloaded.

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

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

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

downloading desired portions of the contents from the subset of the block files from the replying nodes that are least congested.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a packet-communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attributes comprises a bitmap and the set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of the node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the combination comprises the binary OR of the all lineal descendants of the node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the query automatically to the plurality of nodes comprises:

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

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

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the new node does not receive the notification from a neighbor node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content is stored as block files in the plurality of nodes having the content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the replies from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content the new node should have; and

identification of portions of the content available in the replying node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the downloading the desired portion of the content comprises downloading a desired subset of the block files from the replying nodes in close proximity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the least congested is determined from the performance characteristics.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the downloading the desired subset of block files, is performed in parallel from the least congested nodes.

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

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

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

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

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

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network comprises a packet-communication network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of attributes comprises bitmap and the set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of the node.

16. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

initializing a new node in a network, the machine-readable medium configured to;

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

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

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

download a desired subset of the block files from the replying nodes that are least congested.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the network comprises a packet-communication network.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of attributes comprises a bitmap and the set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of the node.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the combination comprises the binary OR of the all lineal descendants of the node.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the send a query automatically to the plurality of nodes comprises:

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

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

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the new node does not receive the notification from a neighbor node.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the content is stored as block files in the plurality of nodes having the content.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein each of the replies from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content the new node should have;

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

performance characteristics of the replying node.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the download the desired portion of the content comprises computer program product configured to download a desired subset of the block files from the replying nodes in close proximity.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the least congested is determined from the performance characteristics.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the download the desired subset of block file is performed in parallel from the replying nodes.

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

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

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

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

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

the new node downloading desired subsets of the block files the from the replying nodes that are least congested.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the network comprises a packet-communication network.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the set of attributes comprises a bitmap and the set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of the node.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the combination comprises the binary OR of the all lineal descendants of the node.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the sending a query automatically to the plurality of nodes comprises:

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

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

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the new node does not receive the notification from a neighbor node.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the content is stored as block files in the plurality of nodes having the content.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein each of the replies

from a replying node comprises:

identification of what content the new node should have;

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

performance characteristics of the replying node.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the downloading the desired portion of the content comprises downloading a desired subset of the

block files from the replying nodes in close proximity.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the least congested is determined from the performance characteristics.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the nodes in close proximity comprise nodes having the least latency.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the downloading the desired subset of block files is performed in parallel from the replying nodes.

40. A system for initializing a new node in a network comprising:

a storage device coupled to a network;

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

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

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

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

the new node downloading desired subsets of the block files from the replying nodes that are least congested.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the network comprises a packet-communication network.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the set of attributes comprises a bitmap and the set of rolled up attributes comprises a combination of the set of attributes of all lineal descendants of the node.