RFID Edge Server Failover Arbitration
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Solution Overview
Problem
RFID edge servers in existing systems are prone to failure, leading to disruptions in tracking objects when the primary RFID edge server goes down, as there is no effective failover mechanism to ensure continuous operation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a failover system where two RFID edge servers arbitrate to determine which one will be active, with a failover agent monitoring health and automatically switching to a standby server upon failure, ensuring continuous operation by resetting reader connections and utilizing a decision algorithm to manage server states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single RFID edge server is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates because the system cannot continue operating when the server fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a standby server that is pre-configured and ready to take over immediately upon primary server failure. The arbitration mechanism is established in advance, allowing the standby server to assume the primary server's responsibilities without delay, thus maintaining system availability while managing complexity through pre-arranged failover protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an arbitration mechanism as an intermediary between the primary and standby servers. This mediator manages the failover process, determining which server should be active and ensuring smooth transitions, thereby improving reliability without requiring complex direct coordination between servers
2Reliability
If automatic failover mechanism is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional monitoring and arbitration components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service failover where the standby server automatically monitors the primary server's health and takes over when failure is detected, without requiring external intervention. The system monitors itself and performs corrective actions autonomously, improving reliability while minimizing the need for complex external management systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the standby server continuously receives heartbeats from the primary server and automatically triggers failover when heartbeats are lost. This closed-loop feedback system ensures continuous operation by detecting failures and initiating recovery actions, managing complexity through simple binary state monitoring rather than complex control algorithms
Data Source
AI summary
First and second RFID edge servers can interact with RFID tag readers. The first and second RFID edge servers can arbitrate which of the first and second RFID edge servers will be active upon start up or edge server failure.