Distributed Time Synchronization via Peer Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networked systems, internal clocks of devices drift over time, leading to synchronization issues, and centralized time servers may fail due to network problems, causing initialization failures for new devices.
Innovation Solution
A device detects synchronization initiation events, broadcasts synchronization requests, receives time acknowledgments from other devices indicating their current and initialization times, selects the time acknowledgment with the shortest duration, and sets its current time based on this, allowing time synchronization without relying on a time server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized time server is used to synchronize time across network devices, then time synchronization is achieved, but the system becomes vulnerable to failures when network issues or time server problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized time synchronization system into multiple autonomous peer devices that can independently perform synchronization. Instead of one central server, each device can act as both client and server, segmenting the monolithic centralized system into distributed functional units that operate independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the time synchronization function from the centralized time server and embeds it within each peer device. Each device maintains its own timekeeping capability and can provide time information to others, removing the single point of failure represented by the central server.
2Reliability
If devices rely on a centralized time server for time initialization, then time synchronization is maintained, but new devices cannot initialize time when the time server is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
Each peer device performs time initialization autonomously by selecting another peer device as its time source. When joining the network, a device can independently initialize its time by receiving time information from any available peer, without requiring external authorization from a central server.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes time synchronization capabilities in advance by having devices maintain local time information and the ability to exchange time data with peers. This preliminary preparation ensures that when a new device joins, time initialization can occur immediately using existing peer time information without waiting for server availability.
3Loss of time
If internal clocks are used in network devices, then time tracking is achieved, but clock drift causes time differences to accumulate over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous time synchronization through periodic exchange of time information between peer devices. Each device compares its local clock time with received time data from peers and adjusts accordingly, creating a feedback loop that prevents clock drift accumulation and maintains long-term time accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for synchronizing time across a plurality of devices connected to a network are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a particular device, a synchronization initiation event; in response to detecting the synchronization initiation event, broadcasting, by the particular device to each device of the plurality of devices, a synchronization request; receiving, by the particular device, a plurality of time acknowledgments from the plurality of devices, each time acknowledgement indicating a current time of a device and a device initialization time indicating a time that the device last set the current time of the device; selecting, from the plurality of time acknowledgements the time acknowledgement with the shortest duration between an indicated device initialization time and an indicated current time of a device; and setting a current time of the particular device based on the current time indicated in the selected time acknowledgment.