Managing a computing cluster using replicated task results

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having software stored thereon, the software for processing tasks in a distributed data processing system including a plurality of nodes, the software including instructions for causing a computing system to:

• process a plurality of sets of tasks using two or more of the plurality of processing nodes, each set of tasks configured to generate a corresponding set of results and being associated with a corresponding time interval of a plurality of time intervals,
• maintain, at a first processing node of the plurality of processing nodes, a plurality of counters, the plurality of counters including:
• a working counter indicating a current time interval of the plurality of time intervals in the distributed data processing system, and
• a replication counter indicating a time interval of the plurality of time intervals for which at least one of (1) all tasks associated with that time interval, or (2) all corresponding results associated with that time interval, are replicated at multiple processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes, and
• provide messages from the first processing node to the other processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes, the messages including a value of the working counter and a value of the replication counter.

An apparatus for processing data, the apparatus including:

• a distributed data processing system including a plurality of processing nodes, each processing node including at least one processor;
• and
• a communication medium connecting the plurality of processing nodes for sending and receiving information between processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes;
• wherein the distributed data processing system is configured to:
• process a plurality of sets of tasks using two or more of the plurality of processing nodes, each set of tasks configured to generate a corresponding set of results and being associated with a corresponding time interval of a plurality of time intervals,
• maintain, at a first processing node of the plurality of processing nodes, a plurality of counters, the plurality of counters including:
• a working counter indicating a current time interval of the plurality of time intervals in the distributed data processing system, and
• a replication counter indicating a time interval of the plurality of time intervals for which at least one of (1) all tasks associated with that time interval, or (2) all corresponding results associated with that time interval, are replicated at multiple processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes, and
• provide messages from the first processing node to the other processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes, the messages including a value of the working counter and a value of the replication counter.