Causal Path Resource Attribution in Distributed Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed computing systems struggle to attribute resource consumption to specific nodes, failing to identify the causality of resource usage, which is crucial for understanding why resources are being consumed.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that analyze causal paths in a distributed computing environment to correlate resource consumption with node activity, allowing for the allocation of resource usage among different causal paths, using software code to process causal paths and resource traces to ascribe consumption to specific paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If resource consumption is tracked at the node level, then resource usage visibility is improved, but causality attribution capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments resource consumption data by associating it with specific causal paths rather than aggregating at the node level. Each resource consumption event is divided and attributed to individual causal paths (sequences of method invocations) that lead to it, enabling both node-level tracking and causality attribution simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces causal paths as an intermediary layer between node activity and resource consumption. Instead of directly linking resources to nodes, the system uses causal paths (sequences of method calls) as mediators to establish the causal relationship, allowing precise attribution of resource usage to specific operational contexts.
2Loss of information
If detailed causal path analysis is performed, then causality understanding is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-identifying and storing causal paths (sequences of method invocations) before resource consumption occurs. The system builds a causal model in advance that maps method call sequences to their executing nodes, so that when resource consumption is measured, the causal attribution can be performed efficiently without complex real-time analysis.
3Measurement precision
If resource consumption is attributed to multiple causal paths, then attribution accuracy is improved, but allocation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing resource consumption to be attributed to multiple causal paths simultaneously, with each path receiving a portion of the total resource consumption. This enables accurate multi-path attribution where a single resource usage event may be caused by overlapping causal sequences, distributing the attribution across all relevant paths rather than forcing a single-cause assignment.
Data Source
AI summary
According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises identifying at least one causal path that includes a node of a distributed computing environment that is of interest. The method further comprises analyzing the identified at least one causal path to determine at least one time interval when the node is active in such causal path, and correlating consumption of a resource by the node to the node's activity in the at least one causal path.