Stream Server Client Affinity in Distributed Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stream processing systems struggle to maintain affinity between clients and stream processing nodes, leading to challenges in providing responses to clients in a client-server architecture, especially when dealing with real-time data streams.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a client-server architecture with HTTP server functionality, where client context information is propagated among stream processing nodes to maintain affinity, allowing for efficient correlation and delivery of stream processing results back to clients through a system that includes multiple stream processing nodes and an HTTP stream server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional stream processing system is used, then data stream processing capability is provided, but client-server affinity is lost making response delivery difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stream server as an intermediary component between clients and stream processing nodes. The stream server receives requests from clients, manages request identifiers, and coordinates communication between clients and processing nodes. This intermediary maintains the client-server relationship and affinity while enabling distributed stream processing across multiple nodes, resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliability and managing system complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple stream processing nodes are used, then processing capacity is increased, but maintaining client affinity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stream server implements a universal request management mechanism that works across multiple stream processing nodes. It generates and manages request identifiers that are propagated to any processing node handling the request, ensuring that client affinity is maintained regardless of which specific node processes the data. This multi-functional approach allows the system to scale processing capacity while preserving client relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where request identifiers are propagated from the stream server through processing nodes back to the client. This feedback loop ensures that responses can be correctly routed back to the originating client even when processed by different nodes, maintaining affinity across distributed processing while increasing overall capacity.
3Productivity
If stream processing is implemented without HTTP server functionality, then processing efficiency is improved, but integration with existing Web services becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stream server is designed with multi-functionality, implementing both HTTP server capabilities and stream processing coordination functions. This allows the system to integrate with existing Web service infrastructure using standard HTTP protocols while maintaining efficient stream processing operations. The dual functionality enables seamless integration without sacrificing processing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of responding to requests using stream processing includes, responsive to a client request, assigning a processing thread for handling the client request. A return connection is established within the processing thread. A server request derived from the client request is sent to a stream server configured to interact with a plurality of stream processing nodes. The server request includes a thread identifier specifying the processing thread. The processing thread for handling the client request is maintained in an idle state pending a write response message from the stream server. Responsive to receiving the write response message comprising a stream processing result and the thread identifier from the stream server, the processing thread specified by the thread identifier is returned to an active state using a processor. A client response comprising the stream processing result is returned to the client over the return connection.