Method and apparatus for propagating content filters for a publish-subscribe network

An apparatus for propagating filters in a publish-subscribe network, comprising:

• a filter receiving module, wherein the filter receiving module receives a plurality of filters from one or more nodes relating to subscriptions to content in the network, wherein a filter of the plurality of filters describes a set of events that a subscriber is interested in receiving;
• a filter reduction module, wherein the filter reduction module reduces a number of the filters by merging one or more filters of the plurality of filters based upon particular criteria;
• and
• a filter propagation module, wherein the filter propagation module propagates, in the publish-subscribe network, the reduced number of filters for use in satisfying the subscriptions;
• wherein the filter propagation module includes instructions for propagating the filters using one or more of a plurality of particular procedures chosen from a list consisting of:
• an eager propagation scheme;
• lazy propagation scheme;
• response to broadcast advertisement scheme;
• after network topology computation scheme;
• periodic propagation scheme;
• filter re-propagation during fault repair scheme;
• and, filter re-propagation during network re-configuration scheme.

A method for propagating filters in a publish-subscribe network, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving, at a router, a plurality of filters at a node in the network, wherein a filter of the plurality of filters describes a set of events that a subscriber is interested in receiving;
• (b) the router processing one or more of the received filters to reduce the number of filters;
• (c) the router determining whether to propagate filters based on recipient behavior rules;
• and
• (d) the router propagating the processed filters to a next node in the network;
• wherein the router propagating includes propagating the filters using one or more of a plurality of particular procedures chosen from a list consisting of:
• an eager propagation scheme;
• lazy propagation scheme;
• response to broadcast advertisement scheme;
• after network topology computation scheme;
• periodic propagation scheme;
• filter re-propagation during fault repair scheme;
• and, filter re-propagation during network re-configuration scheme.

An apparatus for propagating filters in a publish-subscribe network, comprising:

• a filter receiving module, wherein the filter receiving module receives a plurality of filters at a node in the network, wherein a filter of the plurality of filters describes a set of events that a subscriber is interested in receiving;
• a filter processing module, wherein the filter processing module reduces the number of filters by merging one or more filters of the plurality of filters in the plurality of received filters;
• and,
• a filter propagation module, wherein the filter propagation module determines whether to propagate filters based on recipient behavior rules and, if determined to propagate, propagates the reduced number of filters to a next node in the network;
• wherein the filter propagation module includes instructions for propagating the filters using one or more of a plurality of particular procedures chosen from a list consisting of:
• an eager propagation scheme;
• lazy propagation scheme;
• response to broadcast advertisement scheme;
• after network topology computation scheme;
• periodic propagation scheme;
• filter re-propagation during fault repair scheme;
• and, filter re-propagation during network re-configuration scheme.

A method of filter propagation in a publish-subscribe network, comprising the steps of:

• a router sending notification requesting filters;
• one or more downstream routers receiving the notification;
• one or more of the downstream routers propagating the filter requests further downstream;
• the router requesting filters waiting for a response from the downstream routers to which the filter request is propagated;
• one or more of the downstream routers collecting filters from the further downstream routers to which the filter request is propagated;
• one or more of the downstream routers processing the propagated filters to reduce the number of filters;
• and,
• one or more of downstream routers sending the reduced number of filters upstream to the router requesting filters;
• wherein the one or more of downstream routers propagation includes propagating the filters using one or more of a plurality of particular procedures chosen from a list consisting of:
• an eager propagation scheme;
• lazy propagation scheme;
• response to broadcast advertisement scheme;
• after network topology computation scheme;
• periodic propagation scheme;
• filter re-propagation during fault repair scheme;
• and, filter re-propagation during network re-configuration scheme.