Distributed Network Keep-Alive Mechanism Reducing Signaling Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing keep-alive and failure detection mechanisms in distributed networks suffer from high signaling overhead and increased detection time, especially in large-scale systems, due to unnecessary message exchanges and unidirectional communication.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution divides neighboring nodes into active and passive groups, where active nodes send keep-alive queries and passive nodes listen for responses, reducing message exchanges and enabling faster failure detection with bidirectional communication and alternative notification arrangements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If keep-alive messages are exchanged with high frequency to detect node failure quickly, then failure detection speed is improved, but signaling overhead and communication load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges keep-alive functionality with data transmission by utilizing existing data communication channels to carry keep-alive information. When nodes exchange data messages, they simultaneously convey presence information, eliminating the need for separate dedicated keep-alive message exchanges and reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining timely failure detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by designing data messages to serve dual purposes: transmitting application data and providing keep-alive status information. This universal approach allows single messages to fulfill multiple functions, reducing the total message count and signaling overhead while maintaining effective failure detection capability.
2Reliability
If keep-alive messages are sent bidirectionally between all neighboring nodes to ensure reliable failure detection, then detection reliability is improved, but message exchange volume and communication load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetry in keep-alive communication by designating specific nodes as primary senders based on their role in the data transmission path. Instead of symmetric bidirectional keep-alive messages between all neighbors, only the node that sends data to a particular neighbor also sends keep-alive information, reducing redundant message exchanges while maintaining reliable failure detection through the asymmetric communication pattern.
3Measurement precision
If each node independently manages keep-alive communication with all its neighbors to ensure accurate status monitoring, then monitoring accuracy is improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling nodes to automatically infer the status of their neighbors through the presence or absence of data messages in the natural data transmission flow. Nodes do not need to actively manage separate keep-alive protocols or maintain complex state machines; instead, they passively monitor whether expected data messages arrive, allowing accurate status monitoring with minimal processing overhead and simplified logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Node, computer readable medium and method for detecting a failed node in a structured network. The method includes assigning nodes of a neighboring set either to an active group or to a passive group, wherein the nodes of the neighboring set are connected to a current node; instructing active nodes in the active group to send a keep-alive query to the current node, wherein a timing for sending the keep-alive query from the active nodes to the current node is controlled by the current node; instructing passive nodes to listen for a keep-alive query from the current node and to reply with a keep-alive query response to the current node; configuring the current node to reply with a keep-alive query response to the active nodes; and determining the failed node based on (i) the keep-alive query response received from the passive nodes and (ii) the keep-alive query sent by the active nodes. The current node is configured to not send the keep-alive query to the active nodes and the passive nodes are configured to not send a keep-alive query to the current node.