Method and System for Detecting Failures of Network Nodes

A method for a central controller to detect device failures in a network comprised of a plurality of communicatively-coupled network nodes, wherein a first node communicates with the central controller via a second node that is in communication with the central controller, said method comprising:

• recording a failure alert received from the second node in a log stored on the memory device, said second node providing said failure alert based on a determination that the first node has not transmitted a predetermined number of messages over a predefined number of time periods;
• determining, by the processor, that the first node has failed based on a set of failure alerts recorded in the log, said set including failure alerts received from a plurality of nodes;
• and
• generating, when the processor determines that the first node has failed, a failure notification causing a notification device to indicate a failure.

A system for detecting device failures in nodes communicatively-coupled in a network, wherein a first of said nodes comprises a processor and a memory device, said memory device including data and computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first node to:

• record in a log stored on the memory device the time that messages are received from a second of the plurality of nodes that is a direct neighbor of the first node;
• determine, based on said log, that the second node has not transmitted a predetermined number of messages over a predefined number of time periods;
• and
• provide, based on said determination, a failure alert to a central controller.

A method for detecting device failures in nodes communicatively-coupled in a network, wherein a first of said nodes comprises a processor and a memory device, said memory device including data and computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first node to:

• record in a log stored on the memory device the time that messages are received from a second of the nodes that is a direct neighbor of the first node;
• determine, based on said log, that the second node has not transmitted a predetermined number of messages over a predefined number of time periods;
• and
• provide, based on said determination, a failure alert to a central controller.