Computer network solution and software product to establish error tolerance in a network environment

A method for creating autonomy within a new process being admitted into a processing system, the method comprising:

• enabling a new process to assign itself a unique, platform-independent identity, wherein an assignment of identity occurs at the time said new process is admitted into said processing system;
• causing said new process to directly communicate with a plurality of process in the processing system;
• enabling said new process to update a status in response to other events occuring in said processing system;
• causing said new process to maintain a status in said processing system;
• and
• causing said new process to adapt to changes in said processing system.

A method for admitting a new process into a processing system, the method comprising:

• admitting said new process into said processing system, such that a time at which said new process is admitted is based on whether one or more processes are being concurrently admitted with said new process;
• causing said new process to broadcast a heart-beat message to notify each of a plurality of processes that said new process has been admitted into said processing system;
• causing each of said plurality of processes to maintain a record identifying each of said plurality of processes;
• and
• updating the record of each of said plurality of processes to include said new process.

A method for providing fault tolerance in a processing system, the method comprising:

• enabling a plurality of processes in a processing system each to broadcast a heart-beat message, wherein said heart-beat message includes an identifier for each of said plurality of processes;
• enabling each of said plurality of processes to receive said heart-beat message;
• causing each of said plurality of processes to maintain an individual record of said plurality of processes;
• causing each of said plurality of processes to update said individual record based on said heart-beat messages;
• assigning each of said processes with a status, wherein said status is one of:
• primary, to become primary, or standby;
• and
• enabling said plurality of processes to negotiate a hierarchy of control amongst each other based on the broadcast and receipt of heart-beat messages by each of said plurality of processes, wherein said hierarchy of control is based on the status of each of said plurality of processes.

A method for providing fault tolerance for a process within a processing system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a record of a plurality of processes in said processing system, wherein said plurality of processes are each assigned an identifier;
• analyzing said record of processes to determine a priority for each process;
• if one of said plurality of processes has a highest priority and no other of said plurality of processes has a status of primary or has been flagged to become primary, then assigning a status of primary to said process;
• and
• if one of said plurality of processes has a highest priority and at least one other of said plurality of processes has a status of primary or has been flagged to become primary, then assigning a status of to become primary to said process.

A processing system comprising:

• a computer, wherein said computer introduces a new process into a processing system such that said new process is assigned an identifier;
• means for enabling said new process to broadcast a heart-beat message to said processing system;
• means for causing a plurality of processes to receive, in said processing system, said heart-beat message, wherein said heart-beat message requests said plurality of processes to individually broadcast a heart-beat message;
• means for causing each of said plurality of processes to broadcast an individual heart-beat message wherein said new process receives said individual heart-beat message during a time set by a timer;
• means for causing each of said plurality of processes to maintain an individual record of processes wherein said record contains an identifier, a status, a service type and a workload of each of said plurality of processes;
• means for causing said plurality of processes to establish a communication amongst each other, wherein said communication provides for an establishment of priority and status for each of said processes;
• means for enabling said plurality of processes to replace one or more faulty processes;
• and
• means for enabling said processing system to introduce one or more new processes.

A processing system for providing fault tolerance, the processing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory containing software which, when executed by the processor, causes the processing system to perform a process comprising:
• enabling each of a plurality of processes to transmit an individual heart-beat message wherein said heart-beat message contains an identifier of said process;
• causing each of said processes to receive said individual heart-beat message;
• causing each of said processes to maintain a record of said plurality of processes based on the receipt of said individual heart-beat messages;
• causing each of said plurality of processes to update said record based on said heart-message;
• assigning each of said processes with a status wherein said status is one of:
• primary, to become primary, or standby;
• and
• enabling said plurality of processes to negotiate a hierarchy of control amongst each other based on the broadcast and receipt of heart-beat messages by each of said plurality of processes wherein said hierarchy of control is based on the status of each of said plurality of processes.