Distributed Service Centre Message Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed messaging systems face challenges in delivering messages in sequence without central control, leading to scalability issues, increased bandwidth requirements, complexity, and potential service outages due to unsynchronized message delivery across geographically distributed nodes.
Innovation Solution
Each service centre determines message delivery times based on the arrival time of messages and alerts, using a linear or non-linear time mapping algorithm to ensure synchronized delivery without central coordination, leveraging relative time and configurable parameters like maximum retention and delivery periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a central control function is used to synchronize message delivery across distributed service centres, then message delivery sequence is improved, but device complexity and scalability are worsened due to the single bottleneck and increased bandwidth requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Each service centre independently determines its own message delivery time based on locally stored parameters (arrival time TM, maximum retention time ΔTretention, configured delivery period ΔTdelivery) without requiring central coordination. The service centre autonomously calculates delivery time TD using the time mapping algorithm, eliminating the need for a central scheduler and reducing system complexity while maintaining synchronized delivery across distributed nodes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the synchronization problem from a control-based approach to a parameter-based approach. By pre-configuring delivery parameters (ΔTretention, ΔTdelivery) and using the time mapping algorithm TD = Talert + f(TM, Talert, ΔTretention, ΔTdelivery), each service centre converts local message arrival times into synchronized delivery times through mathematical transformation rather than centralized coordination, reducing complexity while maintaining precision
2Manufacturing precision
If recipient-based subscriber distribution is used to store all messages for a specific recipient in a single location, then message delivery sequence is improved, but scalability and robustness are worsened due to the single bottleneck and service outages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized message storage function into multiple distributed service centres, each capable of storing and delivering messages independently. Instead of requiring all messages for a recipient to be in one location, the system segments message storage across multiple nodes, each using the same time mapping algorithm to ensure synchronized delivery, thereby improving both reliability and scalability while maintaining delivery sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-configures maximum retention time ΔTretention and configured delivery period ΔTdelivery parameters at each service centre before message delivery occurs. These pre-set parameters create a buffer that ensures messages are delivered within synchronized time windows even if individual service centres experience delays or outages, providing fault tolerance while maintaining delivery sequence across the distributed system
3Reliability
If geographically distributed service centres are used to improve scalability and robustness, then reliability is improved, but message delivery synchronization is worsened without central control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates equipotential conditions across geographically distributed service centres by using a standardized time mapping algorithm that operates identically at each location. By normalizing the delivery calculation method (TD = Talert + f(TM, Talert, ΔTretention, ΔTdelivery)) and using synchronized alert time Talert as a reference point, all service centres operate at the same temporal potential, achieving synchronized message delivery across geographic boundaries without requiring central control or knowledge of other centres' operations
Data Source
AI summary
When a device is switched off, all messages for that device are stored in different distributed service centers. For example, the message from user A may be stored in SMSC A and a message from user B in SMSC B where both subscribers and respective SMSCs can even belong to different networks. When the device is switched on again it notifies its presence to the network (performed by the MSC indicating this to the HLR). As a result of this alert, different service centers that have messages pending for that device will be notified that the device has come on-line again (performed by the HLR notifying SMSC A and SMSC B). Instead of directly sending out all messages, as in the prior art, each service center instead schedules the messages in an internal queue for delivery according to a local control scheme, which achieves synchronized delivery from multiple distributed SMSCs even though there is no centralised control. Each service center maps the ‘age’ of the message on its time axis as the time-to-deliver the message to the device. The deliveries are then sent out according to the derived schedule. As independent service centers all will base their decisions on the same length of the delivery schedule and same maximum retention time, the message deliveries of the different service centers will be interleaved with one another. This ensures that for significant time differences, messages from different service centers will still arrive in order at the device.