System and method for creating and managing survivable, service hosting networks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and software product for balancing resource services are always available to match the desired work to be done through the use of 'sticky services.'. Sticky services are defined as services that you know you want to have available as resources and as such they need to be present in the environment of cooperative applications; it may be that you want these always present or it may be that you want them present whenever certain conditions occur (see NewWave policy service). The general assumption of distributed systems is to not count on the environment you want being present, or put another way assume failure will occur. Therefore distributed environments like Jini assume all services are transient and will be garbage collected when not in active use. For the inside out approach to work, a mechanism should exist that, when desired, counters the transit design assumptions. This implies that two things are needed: (1) a mechanism for providing services as needed; (2) a mechanism for insuring the correct balance of resource services are always available to match the desired work to be done.