Synchronizing a distributed communication system using diagnostic heartbeating

摘要

A first component, executing using a processor and a memory in a first data processing system, receives a diagnostic heartbeat packet from a second component executing in a second data processing system, wherein the diagnostic heartbeat packet is a packet comprising a header, a set of heartbeat parameters, and a set of diagnostic attributes. The first component determines, using a value of a diagnostic attribute in the diagnostic heartbeat packet, that a first communication link between the first and the second data processing systems is usable but includes a soft network error, wherein a soft network error condition is a network error condition that adversely affects transmission of packets having certain properties in the data communication network. The first component re-routes a synchronization message from the first component to the second component using a second communication link between the first and the second data processing systems.

主权项

1. A method for synchronizing a distributed communication system using diagnostic heartbeating, the method comprising:
a first component, executing using a processor and a memory in a first data processing system, receiving a diagnostic heartbeat packet from a second component executing in a second data processing system, wherein the diagnostic heartbeat packet is a packet comprising a header, a set of heartbeat parameters, and a set of diagnostic attributes; the first component determining, using a value of a diagnostic attribute in the diagnostic heartbeat packet, that a first communication link between the first and the second data processing systems is usable but includes a soft network error, wherein a soft network error condition is a network error condition that adversely affects transmission of packets having certain properties in a data communication network; and the first component re-routing a synchronization message from the first component to the second component using a second communication link between the first and the second data processing systems.