Systems and methods for seamless host migration
Systems and methods of the present invention for maintaining network data distribution are provided. Network data may be distributed in such as manner as to allow a network session to weather interrupted communications between host and clients without significant loss of data. Embodiments of the present invention provide for one or more clients to serve as backup host(s) for the network session. When the other clients transmit data to the host, they may also transmit the data to one or more backup hosts if there are any indications of interrupted communication.
1. A method for managing host responsibilities, the method comprising:
evaluating a plurality of clients within a network to identify at least one of the clients satisfying backup viability criteria;
designating the identified client as a backup host to a current host within the network in relation to an identified host responsibility, the client being designated in accordance with a backup order for the identified host responsibility;
transmitting network information regarding the identified responsibility of the current host to the backup host, wherein transmitting the network information to the backup host includes downloading backup information to the backup host regarding the identified host responsibility;
identifying via the backup host that the current host has failed to perform one or more of the host responsibilities; and
replacing the current host with the backup host identified as next in the backup order of the identified host responsibility and a different backup host identified as next in a different backup order of a different host responsibility, wherein the backup host performs the identified host responsibility based on the network information before the current host is dropped out of the network, and wherein the different backup host performs at least the different host responsibility.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backup viability criteria include a requirement regarding at least one of bandwidth, processing power, memory, hardware configurations, software configurations, quality of service metrics of each of the clients, and ability to connect with each other client in the network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network information includes a network name, internet protocol addresses of the plurality of clients in the network, and firewall information.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying that the current host has failed to perform one of the host responsibilities is based on a failure by the current host to provide a heartbeat signal or acknowledgement of receipt.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuously polling the current host at periodic intervals for an indication of interrupted communication, wherein identifying that the current host has failed to perform one of the host responsibilities is based on the polling.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein downloading the backup information to the backup host includes installing an application that includes the backup information.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing the current host with the backup host is based on the backup order of the identified host responsibility, and further comprising identifying the backup order of the identified host responsibility based on at least one of order of connection to the current host, bandwidth, and quality of service.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein different host responsibilities are assigned to different backup hosts.
9. A system of allocating hosts for network data distribution, the system comprising:
a plurality of client devices in a network; and
a server that is designated a current host for the plurality of client devices, wherein the server comprises:
memory that maintains information regarding backup viability criteria for the plurality of clients,
a communication interface that transmits information regarding host responsibilities responsibility to a group of the clients that satisfy the backup viability criteria, and
a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor:
evaluates a plurality of clients within a network to identify at least one of the clients satisfying backup viability criteria;
designates the identified client as a backup host to a current host within the network in relation to an identified host responsibility, the client being designated in accordance with a backup order for the identified host responsibility;
transmits network information regarding the identified responsibility of a current host to the backup host, wherein the network information to the backup host includes backup information to the backup host regarding the identified host responsibility;
identifies via the backup host that the current host has failed to perform one or more of the host responsibilities; and
replaces the current host with the backup host identified as next in the backup order of the identified host responsibility and a different backup host identified as next in a different backup order of a different host responsibility, wherein the backup host performs the identified host responsibility based on the network information before the current host is dropped out of the network, and wherein the different backup host performs at least the different host responsibility.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the backup viability criteria include a requirement regarding at least one of bandwidth, processing power, memory, hardware configurations, software configurations, quality of service metrics of each of the clients, and ability to connect with each other client in the network.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the network information includes a network name, internet protocol addresses of the plurality of clients in the network, and firewall information.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server identifies that the current host has failed to perform one of the host responsibilities based on a failure by the current host to provide a heartbeat signal or acknowledgement of receipt.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server further continuously polls the current host at periodic intervals for an indication of interrupted communication, wherein the server identifies that the current host has failed to perform one of the host responsibilities based on the poll.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server downloads the backup information to the backup host by installing an application that includes the backup information.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server replaces the current host with the backup host based on the backup order of the identified host responsibility, and wherein the server further identifies the backup order of the identified host responsibility based on at least one of order of connection to the current host, bandwidth, and quality of service.
16. The system of claim 9 , wherein different host responsibilities are assigned to different backup.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for allocating hosts in a network data distribution, the method comprising:
evaluating a plurality of clients within a network to identify at least one of the clients satisfying backup viability criteria;
designating the identified client as a backup host to a current host within the network in relation to an identified host responsibility, the client being designated in accordance with a backup order for the identified host responsibility;
transmitting network information regarding the identified responsibility of the current host to the backup host, wherein transmitting the network information to the backup host includes downloading backup information to the backup host regarding the identified host responsibility;
identifying via the backup host that the current host has failed to perform one or more of the host responsibilities; and
replacing the current host with the backup host identified as next in the backup order of the identified host responsibility and a different backup host identified as next in a different backup order of a different host responsibility, wherein the backup host performs the identified host responsibility based on the network information before the current host is dropped out of the network, and wherein the different backup host performs at least the different host responsibility.