Method and apparatus for providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems

A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for providing updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• a receiving node receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set contains information that identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;
• wherein a receiving node of the one or more receiving nodes is a processing node that comprises one or more group members;
• deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;
• delivering the group message to the receiving nodes;
• receiving an acknowledgment of the group message from one of the receiving nodes;
• updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, information that identifies each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment;
• determining a number of group members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;
• updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of group members that received the message;
• and
• providing the updated message view to the sender.

An apparatus providing updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, comprising:

• means for a receiving node receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set contains information that identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;
• wherein a receiving node of the one or more receiving nodes is a processing node that comprises one or more group members;
• means for deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;
• means for delivering the group message to the one or more group members;
• means for receiving an acknowledgment of the group message from one of the receiving nodes;
• means for updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, information that identifies each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment;
• means for determining a number of group members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;
• means for updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of group members that received the message;
• and
• means for providing the updated message view to the sender.

An apparatus providing updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems, comprising:

• a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;
• a processor;
• one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
• a receiving node receiving a group message from a sender associated with a sending node in a network, wherein the group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set, wherein the acknowledgment set contains information that identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed;
• wherein a receiving node of the one or more receiving nodes is a processing node that comprises one or more group members;
• deferring issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node;
• delivering the group message to the one or more group members;
• receiving an acknowledgment of the group message from one of the receiving nodes;
• updating the message view by removing, from the acknowledgment set, information that identifies each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment;
• determining a number of group members of one of the receiving nodes that received the message;
• updating the message view by setting the counter equivalent to the number of group members that received the message;
• and
• providing the updated message view to the sender.