Patent US2507160A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US20030167293A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Fault tolerant server architecture for collaborative computing
Assignee: Cisco Technology Inc
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Filing: 2000-12-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2020-12-29
Abstract
Abstract A distributed collaborative computer system is provided that comprises a plurality of server computers interconnected via a high-speed link. Client computers can connect to any available server computer and start or join a conference hosted on either the server computer to which the client computer is connected or any other server in the system. As a result, the system and method of the present invention is easily scalable to support an arbitrary number of participants to a conference by merely adding the appropriate number of server computers to the system. In addition, by replicating the conference information on more than one server computer, the single point of failure limitation is eliminated. In fact, if a server hosting or participating in a conference malfunctions, the failure is detected by other server computers and the client computer is able to reconnect to the conference through a new server computer.
Inventors
- 👤 Min Zhu
- 👤 Bin Zhao
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 00:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/40; H04L65/403; G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/54; G06F9/547; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L12/1813; H04L12/1827; H04L65/80; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1101
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
1 . A method of distributed collaborative computing comprising: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
1 . A method of distributed collaborative computing comprising: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said communications module further comprises computer instructions implementing a secure inter-process communications protocol.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said management processes acts as a central coordinator for said collaboration function.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said central coordinator receives state information from each other said management processes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
5 . A computer program for use in distributed collaborative computing, comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
122 words
5 . A computer program for use in distributed collaborative computing, comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
6 . The computer program of claim 5 , wherein said communications module further comprises computer instructions implementing a secure inter-process communications protocol.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
7 . The computer program of claim 5 , wherein at least one of said management processes acts as a central coordinator for said collaboration function.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
8 . The computer program of claim 7 , wherein said central coordinator receives state information from each other said management processes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
130 words
9 . A computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a plurality of server computers, the computer program comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
130 words
9 . A computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a plurality of server computers, the computer program comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
10 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein said communications module further comprises computer instructions implementing a secure inter-process communications protocol.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein at least one of said management processes acts as a central coordinator for said collaboration function.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said central coordinator receive s state information from each other said management processes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
122 words
13 . A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
122 words
13 . A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising computer instructions for: partitioning a collaboration function into sub-functions; assigning at least one said sub-function to each of a plurality of logical processes; associating a respective management process with each of said plurality of logical processes, said logical processes configured so that each said logical process is capable of communicating with every other said logical process thru said respective management process; communicating between said logical processes using said respective management processes; and monitoring said respective management processes with a single supervisor process; discovering the presence of each other said management process using a communications module in each respective management process; wherein each said management process further comprises a transaction server.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
14 . The computer data signal of claim 13 , wherein said communications module further comprises computer instructions implementing a secure inter-process communications protocol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
15 . The computer data signal of claim 13 , wherein at least one of said management processes acts as a central coordinator for said collaboration function.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
16 . The computer data signal of claim 15 , wherein said central coordinator receives state information from each other said management processes.
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