Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2002-06-04
Lim, Krisna (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
C709S239000, C709S242000, C370S400000, C370S237000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401129
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to datacommunication networks in which messages are sent between origination nodes and destination nodes. The invention also relates to methods of providing a high availability in datacommunications networks, particularly in networks wherein nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way.
In various known datacommunication networks the status of different nodes is monitored in different ways so as to obtain some knowledge about the availability of the particular nodes. For example different algorithms can be used to obtain information about the availability of the nodes. In most cases, however, the networks themselves have to be of a particular kind, or the nodes have to be of some particular kind, or both, in order to be able to obtain such information. Particularly no satisfactory solution has been found to control the availability of nodes in a network, the configuration of which is not known or which changes in an unpredictable manner.
Today it is common knowledge to distribute software and t he flexibility of ordinary personal computers as far as the receivability and delivery of applications is concerned has increased considerably. Computers are also connected in more in varying manners and a network is resulting in which there is an extremely high number of different routes to the same destination, which network however also changes, or evolves, dynamically. German Patent DE-C4304916 shows a network including datacommunication stations and which is dynamically reconfigurable which means that stations can be added during the operation of the network. Between an origination station for a data message and a final receiving station, a number of stations may exist which can contain algorithms for routing the message. These algorithms can also handle the situation of sending the message another way when a particular communication link has been interrupted. When a new station is added, said station will itself search for a central communication station. According to this document a central communication station is presupposed for keeping control and it is not enabled to provide information about the availability level for particular stations and to obtain a sufficient or desired degree of availability.
German Patent DE-C4428349 relates to routing in a communication network and of achieving a sufficient availability level through allocation of a sufficient amount of alternative routes. In the document is described an algorithm for selecting the route which is the best to use. Said route is excluded from being selected as long as there are other routes if it has indicated that it is busy a predetermined number of times. However, the document does not at all discuss how different routes are established and it does not relate to the situation when new stations are added. In continuously evolving communication networks it is becoming more and more important to be able to obtain information about which is the actual availability, i.e. which is the probability of success when a message is sent from one node to another, but for example also to be able to obtain some information about the time it might take to send a message from one point to another and with what probability of success in what time etc.
If for example messages are sent from a client or a customer administration system (CAS), i.e. any origination node, it is actually possible to say something about the availability of said node. For a destination node such as for example a service management application system (SMAS) or any other application system handling incoming messages, it is also possible to influence the availability or the access. For example it is possible to require a high availability connection to the network such as for example Internet or an intranet. This is however not the only thing that affects the availability that is experienced by an origination system or a user since between an origination node and a destination node, there are large number of intermediate nodes such as for example proxies, which may go down quite often, with serving means, such as for example WEB-servers, mail servers, proxy servers and software crashes occur more or less frequently. Whereas it is normally possible to more or less accurately predict the accessibility or availability of an origination node and a destination node themselves as well as the connection to the global communication network itself, it is extremely difficult to say something about the availability an origination node, or rather the actual user, experiences of a destination node because of all the intermediate equipment or the intermediate nodes, particularly if the network structure changes dynamically through addition (and/or removal) of equipment or nodes.
In a network in which a centralized node is provided keeping information about all the other nodes, messages etc., such as for example an X0.25 network, it is generally less problematic. However, the use of such a solution, i.e. a centralized node, is inflexible or it requires too much intelligence from the application.
SUMMARY
What is needed is therefore a datacommunications network with a number of origination nodes, a number of destination nodes and a number of intermediate nodes in which messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to a destination node and in which network nodes can be added and/or removed in an unpredictable way and for which the availability can be affected or controlled in order to establish a high availability connection over an independently evolving network or at least a connection with a sufficient availability.
A communications network is also needed in which it is possible to add new equipment in an unpredictable and independent way and still being able to establish the best choice of route. Particularly a network is needed through which the receiving side can be made as available as possible to a sending side. Still further it is desirable to provide for a high availability even if the number of nodes is very high. Particularly a structure is needed through which the actual need of availability can be satisfied to the highest possible extent and then be extended gradually so that either more messages can be sent or so that the availability can be increased. Particularly there is a need to be able to provide for high availability communication based on ordinary computers in a network with an unknown configuration which is cost-effective, easy to introduce and which can be widely used. A network is also needed wherein there are no particular requirements as to the structure of the network or the nodes themselves and which can be implemented using common computers and common communication methods.
A method of providing high availability communication in a data communication network is also needed as well as a method of providing high availability communication in an independently evolving network particularly offering a high availability communication to the origination node as to destination nodes for their incoming communication.
Therefore a datacommunications network is provided wherein at least a destination node has access to a basic functionality from which a functionality application is offered to other nodes which can fetch it from said destination node. When said functionality application including specific software is fetched by a destination node, a routing functionality application is accompanying or associated with said functionality application.
A functionality application which is considered to be attractive for many users is selected for being associated with the routing functionality and when it has been installed in the node, it is made available to other nodes in a higher hierarchical layer so that the chance that it is fetched by an overlying node is high. In alternative embodiments there are more than one functionality application, e.g. two or more applications are offered. Advantageously a number of parallel nodes in each of at least two different layers fetch the functi
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Lim Krisna
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
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