Heartbeat Signal Redundancy Role Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing redundancy schemes in distributed control systems rely on purpose-specific hardware for failure detection and role selection, which is costly and inflexible, especially in network-centric systems where generic communication means like Ethernet are desired to minimize specialized hardware usage.
Innovation Solution
A message-based method utilizing heartbeats for both failure detection and role selection in a network of redundant processes, where a primary process transmits a heartbeat signal, and if not received, a supervising process sends a reveal command to prompt higher-priority processes to transmit heartbeats, allowing the highest-priority process to take the primary role without additional messaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If purpose-specific hardware is used for failure detection and role selection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the heartbeat message serve multiple functions: it simultaneously indicates process status (original function) and enables failure detection and role selection (new functions). By embedding additional information fields in the existing heartbeat message, the system eliminates dedicated failure detection hardware while maintaining reliability through multi-functional use of generic communication infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If dedicated redundancy links are used, then failure detection precision is improved, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heartbeat message is enhanced to carry multiple types of information (status indication, failure detection data, role selection information) through additional fields. This allows the same communication mechanism to adapt to different redundancy configurations (1 out of 2, N out of M, hot standby, warm standby) without requiring dedicated links, thereby improving both precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the information content parameters of the existing heartbeat message by adding fields such as status information field, sequence number field, and timestamp field. These parameter changes enable the message to convey precise failure detection information while maintaining compatibility with generic communication protocols, allowing flexible redundancy configurations.
3Reliability
If multiple messaging protocols are used for failure detection and role selection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges failure detection messaging and role selection messaging into the existing heartbeat communication protocol. By combining multiple functions into a single message exchange mechanism, the system reduces the number of separate messaging protocols and infrastructure components needed, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining role selection reliability through the integrated approach.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to a method for failure detection and role selection for a process (302, 304, 306, 308, 309) in a network of redundant processes comprising a primary process configured to transmit a heartbeat signal with a predetermined interval to the processes of the network.