System and method for allocating requests for objects and managing replicas of objects on a network
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorMichael Rabinovich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for distributing requests for objects to hosts that store replicas of the objects, and for managing the placement of the replicas among hosts. Metrics for the historical demand of a replica at a host and the distance of the host from the requester of the object are evaluated and used to make decisions as to where to forward the request substantially independently from any input provided by a host to which a request is forwarded. This simplifies autonomous replica placement decisions made by hosts. A host substantially autonomously uses request metric and load information to select a replica to be deleted, migrated or replicated, and to delete, migrate or replicate a selected replica.
Claims8
A method for placing replicas of an object in a network, comprising the steps of:
- a. establishing a deletion threshold u and a replication threshold m for a first host such that vu is less than m, v being a real number;
- b. for each host at which a replica is stored, determining a request metric for the replica;
- c. if the request metric is less than u, and if the replica is not the sole replica, then deleting the replica from the first host;.
- d. if the request metric is above u, and if it is determined that there is a second host to which it is beneficial to migrate the replica, then migrating the replica to the second host;
- and
- e. if the request metric is above m and no migration occurred in step d, then
- i. determining if there is a second host to which it is beneficial to replicate the replica of the requested object stored at the first host;
- and
- ii. if a second host is determined to be beneficial to which to replicate the replica stored at the first host, then replicating the replica stored at the first host at the second host.
A medium that stores replica management instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform the steps of:
- a. establishing a deletion threshold u and a replication threshold m for a first host such that vu is less than m, v being a real number;
- b. determining a request metric for the replica of the requested object stored at the first host;
- c. if the request metric is less than u, and if the replica is not the sole replica, then deleting the replica from the first host;
- d. if the request metric is above u, and if it is determined that there is a second host to which it is beneficial to migrate the replica, then migrating the replica to the second host;
- and
- e. if the request metric is above m and no migration occurred in step d, then
- i. determining if there is a second host to which it is beneficial to replicate the replica of the requested object stored at the first host;
- and
- ii. if a second host is determined to be beneficial to which to replicate the replica stored at the first host, then replicating the replica stored at the first host at the second host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.