High performance computing system for distributed applications over a computer

A method for detecting process failures in a distributed computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• requiring a heartbeat status message to be sent periodically from a first process to a second process;
• assigning a priority level to the first process in the distributed computer network;
• controlling the frequency of the heartbeat status message of the first process according to its priority level;
• and
• detecting any process failure of the first process by the second process based on the reception of the heartbeat status message.

A method for solving multiple consensus based problems concurrently in a distributed computer network, the distributed computer network having one or more distributed consensus client processes proposing one or more consensus based problems, and one or more distributed consensus server processes for solving the consensus based problems concurrently, the method comprising the steps of:

• transporting communication messages among distributed processes through an event bus;
• using one or more priority failure detectors to detect failed processes based on their predetermined priority levels using heartbeat status messages, wherein each of the heartbeat status messages is associated with a frequency based on an assigned priority level of the heartbeat status message, so that an amount of traffic on the event bus may be minimized by adjusting the frequency of each heartbeat status message;
• and
• solving the consensus based problems by providing a distributed consensus service through one or more asynchronous consensus sessions with the assistance of the event bus and the priority failure detectors,
• wherein the client and server processes are tagged for their respective consensus sessions, and any failure in a single process in the distributed computer network does not affect any other process, thus providing a fault tolerant and reliable mechanism.

A system for solving consensus based problems in a distributed computer network, the distributed computer network having at least one distributed consensus client process proposing a consensus based problem, and at least one distributed consensus server process for solving the consensus based problem, the system comprising the steps of:

• an event bus for transporting communication messages among distributed processes;
• at least one priority failure detector for detecting failed processes based on prioritized status messages, wherein the priority failure detector includes:
• instructions for assigning all processes in the consensus session with a set of predetermined priority levels;
• instructions for adjusting a frequency of a periodic heartbeat status message sent by each prioritized process based on its assigned priority level;
• and
• instructions for detecting a failure of the prioritized process based on the frequency controlled heartbeat status message;
• and
• a distributed consensus service for achieving a universal consensus result through an asynchronous consensus session with the assistance of the event bus and the at least one priority failure detector,
• wherein any failure in a single process in the distributed computer network does not affect any other process, thus providing a fault tolerant and reliable mechanism.

A system for locking two or more distributed objects using consensus based protocols in a distributed computer network, the system comprising the instructions for:

• broadcasting a request to at least one resource object for a lock on at least one proposed object by an initiating distributed object using a consensus based protocol;
• and
• deciding on the proposed object through a consensus service session for the resource objects to grant the lock to the at least one proposed object in a predetermined order,
• wherein any failure in a single resource object in the distributed computer network does not affect the other objects, thus providing a fault tolerant and reliable mechanism.

A system for detecting process failures in a distributed computer network, the system comprising:

• a heartbeat status message sent periodically from a first process to a second process;
• instructions for assigning a priority level to the first process in the distributed computer network;
• instructions for controlling the frequency of the heartbeat status message of the first process according to its priority level;
• and
• instructions for detecting any process failure of the first process by the second process based on the reception of the heartbeat status message.

A system for solving multiple consensus based problems concurrently in a distributed computer network, the distributed computer network having one or more distributed consensus client processes proposing one or more consensus based problems, and one or more distributed consensus server processes for solving the consensus based problems concurrently, the system comprising:

• an event bus for transporting communication messages among distributed processes;
• one or more priority failure detectors to detect failed processes based on their predetermined priority levels using heartbeat status messages, wherein each of the heartbeat status messages is associated with a frequency based on an assigned priority level of the heartbeat status message, so that an amount of traffic on the event bus may be minimized by adjusting the frequency of each heartbeat status message;
• and
• a distributed consensus service for solving the consensus based problems through one or more asynchronous consensus sessions with the assistance of the event bus and the priority failure detectors,
• wherein the client and server processes are tagged for their respective consensus sessions, and any failure in a single process in the distributed computer network does not affect any other process, thus providing a fault tolerant and reliable mechanism.