Remote Server Reachability Detection for Network Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the reachability of network-connected devices are inefficient and cumbersome, often requiring frequent pings from user devices, which can drain battery power and lead to unnecessary notifications.
Innovation Solution
A system where a remote server periodically pings network-connected devices and sends instructions to user devices to confirm reachability, allowing user devices to verify and notify users only when necessary, reducing resource consumption and improving user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user devices frequently ping network-connected devices to determine reachability, then reachability detection accuracy is improved, but battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
A remote server acts as an intermediary to perform reachability detection. Instead of user devices continuously pinging network-connected devices, the server periodically performs the pings and stores the results. User devices query the server for reachability status, eliminating the need for frequent local pings and reducing battery consumption while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the reachability detection function at the remote server level. The server maintains a database of reachability status information obtained from periodic pings, allowing user devices to access this pre-computed information without performing their own detection operations, thus reducing energy consumption.
2Reliability
If user devices frequently ping network-connected devices to determine reachability, then reachability detection accuracy is improved, but unnecessary notifications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The remote server performs preliminary reachability detection actions by periodically pinging network-connected devices and storing the results in a database before user devices need this information. This pre-computation allows user devices to simply query the server for status information rather than performing their own pings and generating notifications based on potentially stale or redundant data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the server receives reachability status information from periodic pings, updates its database, and user devices query this updated information. This feedback loop ensures that notifications are only generated when actual changes in reachability status occur, preventing unnecessary notifications while maintaining accurate detection.
3Loss of energy
If a remote server periodically pings devices and stores results, then resource utilization is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The remote server serves as an intermediary that centralizes the complex reachability detection operations. By offloading the periodic pings and data storage to the server, user devices remain simple and low-power, while the server handles the computational complexity and resource management of continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote server performs multiple functions: it conducts periodic reachability pings, stores results in a database, receives queries from user devices, and provides reachability status information. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate components into a single versatile system.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for transmitting a message to a user device in accordance with a determination that another device is unreachable over a network. In one example, a server device, at a first location, may identify a controller device resident at a second location, whereby the controller device is configured to communicate with a router at the second location. The server device may also receive a list of user devices. The server device may transmit a ping message to the controller device via the router to determine whether the controller device is unreachable by the server device. The server device may subsequently transmit a message to a user device on the list in accordance with a determination that the controller device is unreachable by the server device, whereby the message includes instructions for the user device to determine whether the controller device is unreachable by the user device.