Use of dynamic bounded regions to improve the scalability of decentralised online environments

Abstract

In a decentralised multi-user online virtual environment, object responsibility is efficiently allocated to a controlling peer. The virtual environment is divided into a plurality of cells, and control of each cell is allocated to a responsible peer. Each responsible peer participates in a distributed hash table (DHT) to effect integration of the cells to effect the virtual environment. When a communications and processing load on the responsible peer controlling a cell exceeds a threshold, a second peer creates and takes control responsibility for an object comprising a bounded interest management region covering a region of load. Within the bounded interest management region, objects are removed or de-associated from the associated cell and instead associated with the bounded interest management region.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to information networks such as the Internet, and in particular relates to the provision of a multi-user network, such as an online gaming environment, in a manner which is scalable to a large number of users.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMulti-user networks may be required for a range of reasons. Among the most resource intensive of such multi-user networks are multi-user online gaming environments. Online gaming environments increasingly involve a complex and large virtual environment which is desired to be portrayed or rendered in as much detail as possible, in as close to real time as possible, in order to provide users or game players with a more realistic gaming experience. Further, an ever increasing number of users wish to participate together within such a gaming environment. Thus, large data volumes, high data rates and high data complexity is generally required in order to manage large numbers of users participating in real time i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

According to a first aspect the present invention provides a method for efficiently allocating object responsibility to a controlling peer in a decentralised multi-user online virtual environment, the method comprising:dividing the virtual environment into a plurality of cells, and allocating control of each cell to a responsible peer, each responsible peer participating in a distributed hash table (DHT) to effect integration of the cells to effect the virtual environment;upon a communications and processing load on the responsible peer controlling a cell exceeding a threshold, a second peer creating and taking control responsibility for an object comprising a bounded interest management region covering a region of load; andwithin the bounded interest management region, removing objects from the associated cell and associating them with the bounded interest management region.

According to a second aspect the present invention provides a peer node software application for efficiently allocating object responsibility to a controlling peer in a decentralised multi-user online virtual environment, the software application comprising:code for dividing the virtual environment into a plurality of cells, and for allocating control of each cell to a responsible peer, each responsible peer participating in a distributed hash table (DHT) to effect integration of the cells to effect the virtual environment;code for determining whether a communications and processing load on the responsible peer controlling a cell has exceeded a threshold, and if so causing a second peer to create and take control responsibility for an object comprising a bounded interest management region covering a region of load; andcode for removing objects within the bounded interest management region from the associated cell and associating them with the bounded interest management region.

In some embodiments of the invention, the bounded interest management (IM) region is configured to contain all objects in the load region, so as to reduce network traffic associated with DHT redundancy.

Problems solved by technology

Among the most resource intensive of such multi-user networks are multi-user online gaming environments.

Thus, large data volumes, high data rates and high data complexity is generally required in order to manage large numbers of users participating in real time in a spatially complex and highly detailed virtual environment.

This architecture based on central servers is inflexible as it is extremely expensive, as servers with sufficient processing power to function in this manner are expensive, leading to high deployment costs for game publishers.

However, any system utilising central gaming servers involves substantial expense associated with the gaming servers.

A further problem with gaming systems relying on central gaming servers is that the central gaming server presents a single point of failure.

Consequently, any power failure, server failure or network connection failure or deterioration at the central gaming server can cause the entire gaming environment to deteriorate or fail.

Central gaming servers also suffer from performance problems when MMO applications become overpopulated.

Central servers have a limited capacity and can handle a certain number of users.

When the number of users increases beyond this number, they experience performance problems and the user experience is compromised.

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