REDUCING LATENCY WHEN SYNCHRONIZING ACCESS TO A MULTI-USER DATABASE OVER A NETWORK

摘要

A method and apparatus for reducing network latency during execution of a multiple-player game across a computer network are provided. A master database represents a world model for the game, and a master event server sequences user inputs, or events, for updating the master database. The master event server and the master database are initially located on a particular node in the network. Every other node that is used by a player in the game has a slave event server and a slave database. Slave event servers are responsible for updating their local slave database, sending events from their local node to the master event server, and forwarding events to and from other slave servers. In the method, a determination is made of which player in the game has a role in the game requiring the least latency of any role and which node in the network is being used by that player. The master event server and the master database are then migrated to that node by changing the status of the slave server of that node to that of master event server. Once the master event server has been migrated, other slave servers can establish a direct connection with the new master event server.