Method and apparatus for exchanging heartbeat messages and configuration information between nodes operating in a master-slave configuration

A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines that cause the one or more machines to perform the following operations:

• generating, by a node, a heartbeat message, which has a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance being managed by the node and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• sending the heartbeat message to one or more other nodes over one or more networks to be processed by the one or more other nodes.

A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines that cause the one or more machines to perform the following operations:

• receiving, by the local node, a heartbeat message from a remote node, wherein the heartbeat message has a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance being managed by the node and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• processing a heartbeat segment of the heartbeat message based on the field identifying the application instance being managed by the remote node.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor configured to generate a heartbeat message, which has a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance being managed by the node and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• at least one interface configured to send the heartbeat message to one or more other nodes over one or more networks to be processed by the one or more other nodes.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one interface residing on a local node configured to receive a heartbeat message from a remote node, the heartbeat message having a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance being managed by the node and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• at least one processor configured to process a heartbeat segment of the heartbeat message based on the field identifying the application instance being managed by the remote node.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor residing on a first node configured to generate a heartbeat message, which has a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message , wherein a heartbeat segment includes a field identifying a current configuration associated with an application instance being managed by the first node;
• and
• at least one interface configured to send the heartbeat message to one or more other nodes over the one or more networks to be processed by the one or more other nodes.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating a heartbeat message, which has a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• means for sending the heartbeat message to one or more other nodes.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a heartbeat message, the heartbeat message having a format that allows multiple heartbeat segments to be included within the heartbeat message, wherein each heartbeat segment of the multiple heartbeat segments is respectively associated with an application instance and includes one or more fields including a field identifying the associated application instance;
• and
• means for processing a heartbeat segment of the heartbeat message based on the field identifying the application instance.