Self-Healing Network Timekeeping Protocol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network timekeeping errors in online platforms, caused by updates, reboots, and configuration issues, lead to inaccuracies and fluctuations in time data, rendering software applications and services inoperable, with conventional NTP implementations failing to effectively monitor and heal these errors.
Innovation Solution
A self-healing network timekeeping protocol that introduces a new stratum with network monitors to detect and correct timekeeping errors automatically, using a multi-layer stratum hierarchy with stratum 6 agents to monitor, analyze, and remediate time discrepancies, ensuring accurate timekeeping across the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional NTP implementations are used for network timekeeping, then time data can be transmitted from source to target, but timekeeping errors occur due to updates, reboots, and configuration issues that cannot be effectively monitored or healed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-healing network timekeeping where the system automatically detects and corrects its own timekeeping errors without external intervention. The monitoring system continuously checks for configuration errors, device reboots, and updates that may affect time accuracy, and automatically remediates these issues by restoring valid time configuration from backup sources or adjacent devices, making the system self-sufficient in maintaining time accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where timekeeping data is continuously monitored and compared across the network. The system collects time data from multiple sources, analyzes discrepancies, and uses this feedback information to identify and correct errors. This closed-loop feedback system enables automatic detection of time drift, configuration errors, and device state changes, triggering appropriate corrective actions to maintain synchronized time across the network.
2Adaptability or versatility
If devices and servers are constantly updated and rebooted to improve functionality, then system capabilities are enhanced, but stored time configurations become damaged or invalid causing time data errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements protective measures by maintaining backup time configurations and valid time sources before updates or reboots occur. The system pre-establishes redundant time configuration data and identifies valid time sources in advance, so when devices are updated or rebooted and configurations become damaged, the backup information is already available to restore timekeeping functionality without interruption or error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation and backup of time configurations before updates or reboots occur. It proactively identifies valid time sources and stores configuration data in advance, so when devices are updated or rebooted, the timekeeping system can immediately revert to pre-established valid configurations rather than dealing with damaged configurations after the fact.
3Reliability
If a multi-layer stratum hierarchy with network monitors is introduced to detect and correct timekeeping errors, then timekeeping accuracy is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network timekeeping system into multiple strata or layers, with each layer having specific monitoring and correction responsibilities. This segmentation allows the complex task of maintaining time accuracy across the entire network to be distributed across multiple simpler, specialized components. Each stratum monitors specific aspects of timekeeping and can independently correct errors within its scope, reducing the complexity burden on any single component while maintaining overall system accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations described herein relate to methods, systems, and computer-readable media for self-healing network timekeeping. A method can include monitoring a plurality of computing devices described in network topology data of a computer network, receiving asynchronous network configuration data from a computing device, the asynchronous network configuration data including at least one timekeeping value, determining that at least one timekeeping value exceeds a network timekeeping threshold, responsive to the determining, comparing a root of time in the asynchronous network configuration data with the network topology data to identify at least one network timekeeping configuration error, generating a list of actions to repair the network timekeeping configuration error, and directing the computing device to perform the list of actions.