Dynamic Server Health Scoring for Low-Latency Request Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Real-time payment processing systems face challenges in maintaining optimal system performance and reliability due to unpredictable resource utilization patterns, network congestion, and insufficient fault detection, leading to increased latency and instability under dynamic computational workloads.

Innovation Solution

A system that calculates a dynamic server health score based on parameters such as last response timestamp, server heartbeat, and client request strikes, using a weighted formula to adaptively select servers for transaction processing, ensuring efficient resource allocation and proactive fault tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If reactive fault detection protocols are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but system reliability deteriorates due to insufficient fault detection and recovery capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidfault detection complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously computing health scores based on multiple metrics (CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, network throughput) before faults occur. This proactive monitoring enables the system to detect and respond to potential issues before they cause system failures, thereby improving reliability without requiring complex reactive protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring server health metrics and adjusting request routing decisions based on computed health scores. The load balancer receives feedback from health score computations and dynamically modifies its request distribution strategy, creating a closed-loop control system that improves reliability through adaptive response to changing system conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If dynamic health score computation is implemented, then request handling adaptability is improved, but computational overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverequest handling adaptabilityVSAvoidcomputational overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The health score computation system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors server performance, detects potential faults, guides load balancing decisions, and provides system-wide health awareness. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single unified health score metric, the system achieves high adaptability without proportionally increasing computational overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically collecting its own operational metrics (CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, network throughput) and using these self-generated data to compute health scores. This eliminates the need for external monitoring infrastructure, reducing computational overhead while maintaining high adaptability in request handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If multiple server metrics are monitored, then fault detection precision is improved, but measurement complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection precisionVSAvoidmonitoring complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple individual server metrics (CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, network throughput) into a single unified health score. This consolidation maintains high fault detection precision by considering all relevant metrics, while simplifying the monitoring complexity by providing a single composite indicator that can be easily interpreted and acted upon

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Stability of the object's composition

If proactive health monitoring is implemented, then system stability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem stabilityVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system achieves self-service by automatically collecting performance metrics from servers and computing health scores without requiring complex external monitoring infrastructure. This self-contained approach improves system stability through continuous proactive monitoring while minimizing the added complexity by using the servers' own operational data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20260037963A1Adaptive request handling using a dynamic server health score

Publication Date: 2026.02.05 MASTERCARD INT INC

AI summary

A system provides a mechanism to identify whether a server is fit to process a transaction request. The system is configured to receive a transaction request from an entity and determine metrics for one or more parameters associated with a server. A health score of the server is computed based on the metrics and determined whether or not the health score of the server meets a criterion. The transaction request is processed by the server based on the health score of the server meeting the criterion. Aspects of the disclosure are also related to determining metrics for each of a plurality of servers for one or more parameters and calculating a health score for each of the plurality of servers. The server having a highest health score may be used for processing the transaction request. The mechanism provides efficiency and reduction in processing latency of the transactions.