Scalable Peer Matching Service for Distributed Content Transfer

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional peer matching systems face resource limitations, leading to performance issues and overload when handling numerous requests for digital content downloads, resulting in reduced efficiency and potential service failures.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a scalable peer matching service that coordinates requests across multiple peer matching nodes, utilizing a unit controller and hub to manage and synchronize peer device registrations, and prioritize co-located devices for efficient content sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a specific instance of a central service is used to coordinate peer matching requests, then peer devices can be matched for content downloads, but the central service becomes overloaded and performance deteriorates when handling numerous requests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeer matching request handling capacityVSAvoidcentral service availability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized peer matching service into multiple distributed peer matching nodes. Each node independently handles peer matching requests, eliminating the single-point overload problem. The system segments the monolithic central service into modular units that can scale horizontally to handle increased request volumes without compromising reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a discovery service as an intermediary that coordinates between peer devices and peer matching nodes. Instead of peer devices directly contacting a single central service, the discovery service distributes requests across multiple peer matching nodes, preventing any single node from becoming overwhelmed while maintaining system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If multiple peer matching nodes are deployed to handle increased requests, then service capacity increases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeer matching request handling capacityVSAvoidpeer matching system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs peer matching nodes with universal functionality, where each node can perform the same peer matching operations. This multi-functionality allows the system to scale by simply adding more identical nodes rather than designing complex specialized components, thereby increasing capacity without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a discovery service that provides feedback mechanisms to coordinate peer matching nodes. The discovery service monitors system state and dynamically directs peer matching requests to appropriate nodes based on current load conditions, simplifying the management of multiple nodes through centralized coordination rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer negotiation protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If peer devices contact the same central service instance, then peer matching can be coordinated, but resource consumption at the central service increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeer matching coordinationVSAvoidcentral service resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the central service into multiple distributed peer matching nodes, each handling a portion of the peer matching workload. This segmentation distributes resource consumption across multiple nodes rather than concentrating it at a single service instance, reducing the resource burden on any individual node while maintaining coordinated peer matching functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The discovery service acts as an intermediary that distributes peer matching requests across multiple peer matching nodes. This intermediary layer prevents direct concentration of requests at a single service instance, thereby reducing resource consumption at any individual node while preserving the ability to coordinate peer matching across the distributed system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3262823B1Scalable peer matching
Publication Date: 2019.07.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3262823B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3262823B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3262823B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The techniques and systems described herein implement an improved peer matching service by coordinating peer matching requests across multiple peer matching nodes configured within a peer matching unit so that resource consumption can be spread out and resource limitations are not exceeded. Moreover, the peer matching service can determine if a peer matching unit is overloaded (e.g., experiencing an increased number of requests in a given time interval that is causing performance degradation), and the peer matching service can implement an action to scale out the number of requests within the peer matching unit (e.g., re-distribute some peer matching requests to another peer matching unit). In various examples, the peer matching service can determine if peer devices are co-located peer devices based on location information and can generate a list that prioritizes the co-located peer devices.