Synchronizing machines in groups
View Patent ↗Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to support synchronizing machines in groups. In some embodiments, synchronization is implemented by receiving an indication to activate a selected machine of a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, where each member of the group has information identifying all members of the group. Further activities include transmitting an activation message from the selected machine to the remainder of the group to notify the remainder that the selected machine is active, capturing a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active, and transmitting information, based on the record, to the remainder of the group from the selected machine to synchronize results of the activities with the remainder after the selected machine becomes inactive. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a node including a receiver to receive an indication that the node is to be activated as a selected machine of a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, each member of the group having information identifying all members of the group, wherein the information identifying all the members of the group is received by monitoring multicast domain name service traffic on the subnet; and
a transmission module to transmit an activation message from the selected machine to a remainder of the group to notify the remainder that the selected machine is active, and to transmit information, based on a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active, to the remainder to synchronize results of the activities with the remainder once the selected machine becomes inactive.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recorder to capture the record of the activities.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user input device to provide the indication.
4. A system, comprising:
a first node in a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, the first node including a receiver to receive an indication that the first node is to be activated as a selected machine of the group; and
a second node in the group, each member of the group having information identifying all members of the group, the second node comprising a reception module to receive an activation message from the selected machine to notify the second node that the selected machine is active, the selected machine to transmit information, based on a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active, to the second node to synchronize results of the activities with the second node once the selected machine becomes inactive, wherein the information identifying all the members of the group is received by monitoring multicast domain name service traffic on the subnet.
5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a storage unit coupled to the subnet to store the record.
6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a display coupled to the first node to display visible indications of the activities.
7. A processor-implemented method to execute on one or more processors that perform the method, comprising:
receiving an indication to activate a selected machine of a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, each member of the group having information identifying all members of the group, wherein the information identifying all the members of the group is received by monitoring multicast domain name service traffic on the subnet;
transmitting an activation message from the selected machine to a remainder of the group to notify the remainder that the selected machine is active;
capturing a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active; and
transmitting information, based on the record, to the remainder from the selected machine to synchronize results of the activities with the remainder once the selected machine becomes inactive.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the receiving comprises:
detecting manipulation of a user input device coupled to the selected machine.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the subnet is defined by a sub-level portion of an Internet protocol address.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein capturing the record comprises:
recording at least one of data values or user input device conditions that change on the selected machine as a result of the activities.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein capturing the record comprises:
capturing the record of the activities at least one of directly or indirectly.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving the information identifying all the members of the group.
13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining that the selected machine is no longer active.
14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a request to enter the selected machine as a member of the group.
15. A processor-implemented method to execute on one or more processors that perform the method, comprising:
receiving an activation message from a selected machine at an inactive machine, the selected machine and the inactive machine forming part of a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, each member of the group having information identifying all members of the group, the activation message to notify the inactive machine that the selected machine is active, wherein the information identifying all the members of the group is received by monitoring multicast domain name service traffic on the subnet; and
receiving information at the inactive machine from the selected machine, based on a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active, to synchronize results of the activities with the inactive machine once the selected machine becomes inactive.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
synchronizing the results by synchronizing application data processing operations based on the activities.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
synchronizing the results by synchronizing data stored in each member of a remainder of the group, including the inactive machine.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting occurrence of a status change at the inactive machine, by the inactive machine, after receiving the activation message; and
transmitting an indication of the status change as a local status notification message to the selected machine while the selected machine is active.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
synchronizing the results using a single sign-on procedure for applications on the selected machine to gain access to applications on the inactive machine.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
synchronizing the results associated with applications forming part of a pre-selected operational environment.
21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a request at the inactive machine to add the inactive machine as a member of the group.
22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a request at the inactive machine to remove the inactive machine as a member of the group.