Standardizing System Calls for Silent Data Corruption Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting silent data corruption in software or hardware errors across different computing environments are limited, especially in systems like web servers, due to non-deterministic elements such as system time and random numbers, which complicate result comparison and detection.
Innovation Solution
Generating and using reference information, such as timestamps and random numbers, across computing environments to standardize system calls and ensure identical results, allowing for easier comparison and detection of discrepancies indicating software or hardware errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the same software operations are performed on different computer systems to detect silent data corruption, then data integrity verification is improved, but non-deterministic elements such as system time and random numbers cause result discrepancies that reduce detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of system calls by providing standardized reference information (reference timestamps and reference random numbers) to computing environments. This standardization transforms non-deterministic system calls into deterministic operations, allowing accurate comparison of results across different computing environments while maintaining reliability of data integrity verification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference information (reference timestamps and reference random numbers) as an intermediary between the execution request and the computing environments. This intermediary standardizes the input to system calls, enabling deterministic behavior and accurate result comparison across different systems without compromising the verification process
2Adaptability or versatility
If system time and random numbers are used in software operations, then functionality and realism are improved, but non-deterministic behavior increases making result comparison difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating and providing reference information (reference timestamps and reference random numbers) before executing software operations on different computing environments. This pre-standardization of temporal and random parameters enables deterministic results while preserving full software functionality, significantly reducing the complexity of result comparison
Data Source
AI summary
A computerized method, computer system, and a computer program product for processing an execution request within different computing environments. Execution requests and generated reference information are forwarded to the different computing environments, where the requests are processed using the reference information. Results of the processed execution requests are collected from the different computing environments. The results are compared to find any discrepancy, possibly giving indication of a software or hardware error.