Dynamic Batching Interval for Game Session Process Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Game hosting services face contention issues when handling high volumes of game session requests, leading to performance degradation due to competition for computing resources, which traditional approaches like sharding can mitigate but at the cost of fragmenting available processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic batching interval mechanism that adjusts based on contention levels, allowing idle processes to be queued and assigned in batches, reducing the frequency of data store queries and minimizing contention by optimizing the assignment of processes to game session requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sharding approaches are used to mitigate contention, then contention is reduced, but available processes are fragmented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic batching interval mechanism that adjusts the batching duration based on real-time contention levels. When contention is high, the batching interval increases to reduce query frequency; when contention is low, the interval decreases to improve responsiveness. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the system behavior to current conditions rather than using static sharding that permanently fragments processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the batching interval parameter dynamically based on contention metrics. By monitoring contention levels and adjusting the batching interval parameter accordingly, the system can reduce data store query frequency during high contention without permanently fragmenting processes like sharding does, thus resolving the contradiction between contention mitigation and process integrity
2Productivity
If data store query frequency is increased to improve process assignment speed, then assignment efficiency improves, but contention increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic batching where multiple game session requests are collected over a batching interval and then processed together in a single data store query. This periodic action reduces the total number of queries compared to processing each request individually, thereby reducing contention while maintaining acceptable assignment speeds through batched processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring contention levels and using this information to dynamically adjust the batching interval. When contention is detected to be high, the batching interval increases to reduce query frequency; when contention is low, the interval decreases to improve assignment speed. This feedback loop resolves the contradiction by automatically balancing productivity and contention based on system conditions
3Reliability
If batching interval is increased to reduce data store query frequency, then contention is reduced, but process assignment latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the batching interval dynamic rather than static. The system continuously monitors contention levels and adjusts the batching interval in real-time. When contention is high, the interval increases to reduce query frequency; when contention is low or game session request volume is low, the interval decreases to minimize latency. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by adapting to system conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from contention monitoring to adjust the batching interval parameter. By continuously measuring contention levels and using this feedback to modify the batching interval, the system can reduce latency when contention is low while still maintaining reduced query frequency when contention is high, thus resolving the time-loss versus contention reduction contradiction
Data Source
AI summary
A game-hosting service of a service provider network is configured to dynamically adjust a batching interval used to assign processes to game session requests in batches of processes. The adjustment of the batching interval may be based on a level of contention resulting from operations to assign processes to game session requests. With the batching interval adjusted, the game-hosting service may queue one or more incoming game session requests received during the batching interval, query a data store for available processes after a lapse of the batching interval, assign ones of the available server processes to the game session request(s), and instruct the assigned processes to host corresponding game sessions. Dynamically adjusting the batching interval in this manner allows high volume games to benefit from added throughput, while lower volume games can benefit from quicker latency.