In-Flight Entertainment Server Startup via Publish-Subscribe Staggering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In-flight entertainment and communications systems experience significant startup delays due to simultaneous connection requests from multiple passenger display terminals overwhelming the IFEC server, leading to prolonged availability of functionality and content.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a publish-subscribe inter-process communications model where message brokers publish availability messages to specific topics, allowing terminals to initiate persistent communications links only after the server's startup is complete and sequencing connection requests based on topic subscriptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple passenger display terminals simultaneously initiate connection requests to the IFEC server during startup, then all terminals can establish persistent communications links, but the server becomes overwhelmed causing prolonged startup delays and reduced system availability
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary actions by publishing startup status messages to a topic before terminals attempt connections. Terminals subscribe to this topic and only initiate connection requests after receiving confirmation that the server is ready, thereby performing the connection establishment action at the optimal time when the server can handle it without being overwhelmed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through a publish-subscribe mechanism where the server publishes its startup status to a topic. Terminals monitor this topic for status changes and adjust their connection initiation behavior accordingly. This feedback loop ensures terminals only connect when the server is ready, preventing overload and reducing startup delays.
2Productivity
If all passenger display terminals attempt to establish persistent communications links with the IFEC server at the same time during boot-up, then connectivity is established for all terminals, but the server experiences overload leading to extended delays in becoming functional
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary actions by publishing startup status messages to a topic before terminals attempt connections. Terminals subscribe to this topic and only initiate connection requests after receiving confirmation that the server is ready, thereby performing the connection establishment action at the optimal time when the server can handle it without being overwhelmed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic status checks through the publish-subscribe model where the server periodically publishes its readiness status. Terminals continuously monitor this topic and initiate connections in periodic batches rather than all at once, distributing the connection load over time and preventing server overload.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for establishing persistent communications links between a plurality of terminals and a primary server includes one or more message brokers each publishing messages to one or more topics. A plurality of message clients each on a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals are subscribed to selected topics. The message clients are receptive to those messages published by the message brokers to the topics to which the respective one of the message clients is subscribed. A plurality of application clients, each of which are on a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals and linked with the respective one of the message clients thereon, initiate a request to the primary server in response to a published message to at least one of the topics to which the linked message client is subscribed.