Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Microsoft Corporation

Michael T Massa

Rod N Gamache

David Allen Dion

Gor Nishanov

David Bruce Lomet

Sunita Shrivastava

Rohit Jain

Rudolf Opavsky

Philip Alan Bernstein

Rushabh A Doshi

Rajsekhar Das

Vadim Eydelman

Alessandro Forin

Khawar Zuberi

John D Vert

Leslie B Lamport

Robert T Short

Glenn R Peterson

Norbert Paul Kusters

Philip A Bernstein

Patrick James Helland

David Rogers Treadwell, Iii

Raj Das

Sunita V Nishanov

Timothy M Morre

Rod Gamache

A method for providing fault-tolerant network communications between a plurality of nodes for an application, including providing a plurality of initial communications pathways over a plurality of networks coupled between the plurality of nodes, receiving a data packet on a sending node from the application, the sending node being one of the plurality of nodes, the data packet being addressed by the application to an address on one of the plurality of nodes, and selecting a first selected pathway for the data packet from among the plurality of initial communications pathways where the first selected pathway is a preferred pathway.

Fault-tolerant communications in routed networks

A method and system for increasing server cluster availability by requiring at a minimum only one node and a quorum replica set of replica members to form and operate a cluster. Replica members maintain cluster operational data. A cluster operates when one node possesses a majority of replica members, which ensures that any new or surviving cluster includes consistent cluster operational data via at least one replica member from the immediately prior cluster. Arbitration provides exclusive ownership by one node of the replica members, including at cluster formation, and when the owning node fails. Arbitration uses a fast mutual exclusion algorithm and a reservation mechanism to challenge for and defend the exclusive reservation of each member. A quorum replica set algorithm brings members online and offline with data consistency, including updating unreconciled replica members, and ensures consistent read and update operations.

Consistent cluster operational data in a server cluster using a quorum of replicas

A distributed computing system can be operated in a fault tolerant manner using a collection of auxiliary computing devices and more main computing devices than the number of faults the system can tolerate. A quorum of all of the main computing devices can be used. In the event of a failure, an alternative quorum from a selected set of quorums, comprising at least one main computing device and some or all of the auxiliary computing devices, can be used to complete pending operations and to select a new set of quorums. Alternatively, another state machine, comprising at least one main computing device and some or all of the auxiliary computing devices, can select a new quorum comprising the currently operating main computing devices, and the new quorum can then complete pending operations and can continue to select proposals using the proposal number assigned by the other state machine.

Cheap paxos

A method and system for directing data transfers between applications and devices residing on different computers or devices using an adaptive flow control protocol has been described. When an application or device requests to transfer data with another application or device, adaptive flow control protocol adapts the way data is transferred by observing when an application that is receiving data posts a receive buffer and detects the receive buffer's size. Based upon the application's or device's behavior, the adaptive flow control protocol transfers the data in a mode that is best suited for the application.

Adaptive flow control protocol

A method and system for increasing server cluster availability by requiring at a minimum only one node and a quorum replica set of replica members to form and operate a cluster. Replica members, independent from the nodes, maintain cluster operational data. A cluster operates when one node possesses a majority of replica members, which ensures that any new or surviving cluster includes consistent cluster operational data via at least one replica member from the immediately prior cluster. Arbitration provides exclusive ownership by one node of the replica members, including at cluster formation, and when the owning node fails. Arbitration uses a fast mutual exclusion algorithm and a reservation mechanism to challenge for and defend the exclusive reservation of each member. A quorum replica set algorithm brings members online and offline with data consistency, including updating unreconciled replica members, and ensures consistent read and update operations.

Method and system for consistent cluster operational data in a server cluster using a quorum of replicas

A method and system wherein following a partitioning of a server cluster, operational subgroups arbitrate for possession of a quorum resource that determines cluster representation, wherein the arbitration is biased by a relative weight of the subgroup. The weight may be relative to the original cluster weight, or submitted as a bid that is relative to other possible subgroup weights. The biasing gives subgroups that are better capable of representing the cluster an arbitration advantage over lesser subgroups. The biasing weight of each subgroup may be determined by node count and/or by a calculation of the subgroup's resources. The arbitration may be delayed based on the relative weight, or alternatively, the arbitration may comprise a bidding process in which a subgroup's bid is based on the subgroup's relative weight.

System for determining at subgroup of nodes relative weight to represent cluster by obtaining exclusive possession of quorum resource

A method and system for directing data transfers between applications and devices residing on different computers or devices using a transport provider switch to determine whether to use a primary transport provider or one of a plurality of alternative transport providers. When an application or device requests to transfer data with another application or device, the transport provider switch detects whether the applications and devices are served by an alternative transport provider and, if so, directs that alternative transport provider to transfer the data. To improve data transfer performance, the switch employs an adaptive protocol that adapts the way data is transferred by observing when an application that is receiving data posts a receive buffer and detects the receive buffer's size. Based upon the application's or device's behavior, the switch transfers the data in a mode that is best suited for the application. A credit-based sequencing method is used to coordinate message transfers.

Method and system for switching between network transport providers

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Michael T Massa