Time-Based Node Election in Distributed Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current node election methods in distributed systems are inefficient due to uncertain timing of node voting and vote counting, leading to delayed and ineffective leadership determination.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a time-based node election method where a host configures a uniform voting time, vote counting time, and leader node tenure for all nodes, ensuring synchronized voting and vote counting operations to elect a leader node efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If nodes send voting requests asynchronously without unified timing, then nodes can process data independently, but node election cannot be performed timely and effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenode election efficiencyVSAvoidelection timing uncertainty
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic node elections by establishing fixed voting time intervals and vote counting time intervals. The host sends time configuration information to all nodes, specifying when voting should occur and when vote counting should occur. This periodic structure ensures that elections are performed regularly and predictably, resolving the timing uncertainty problem while maintaining system productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the host monitors the election process and sends time configuration information to coordinate node actions. The system feedback loop ensures that all nodes synchronize their voting and counting operations, enabling timely and effective leader node determination without compromising independent data processing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If nodes vote at different times independently, then each node maintains operational autonomy, but vote counting becomes uncoordinated and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenode operational autonomyVSAvoidvote counting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes periodic voting time intervals and vote counting time intervals that all nodes follow. During voting time, nodes exercise their operational autonomy to cast votes independently. During vote counting time, all nodes simultaneously perform counting operations. This periodic structure preserves node autonomy while ensuring coordinated, efficient vote counting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the election process into distinct time phases: voting time for independent vote casting and vote counting time for coordinated counting operations. This temporal segmentation allows nodes to maintain operational autonomy during voting while achieving coordinated efficiency during counting, resolving the contradiction between autonomy and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3279794B1Time-based node election method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2022.01.26 BEIJING OCEANBASE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • EP3279794B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3279794B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d
  • EP3279794B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present application discloses a time-based node election method and apparatus. The method includes: configuring, by a host, a same voting time and a same vote counting time for all nodes; and sending time configuration information that carries the configured voting time and vote counting time to all the nodes, so that the nodes vote in the voting time, count the number of votes in the vote counting time, and elect a leader node according to a vote counting result. Campaign nodes synchronously perform the voting operation and the vote counting operation according to the same voting time and the same vote counting time that are configured by the host, thus overcoming the defect in the prior art that the timing of each node for voting and vote counting is uncertain, so that the efficiency of determining a leader node in a node election process is significantly improved.