Systems and methods for an intelligent, distributed, autonomous, and scalable resource discovery, management, and stitching

1. A method for an originating node to facilitate using a resource at a fulfilling node in a decentralized network of nodes, the method comprising:

sending to a node in the decentralized network a request message for the resource for use by or on behalf of the originating node, the request message comprising:

a description of the resource requested by the originating node, the node being communicatively coupled to the originating node; and

one or more intelligent distribution instructions determined by the originating node using an analytics module to determine, at least in part, the one or more intelligent distribution instructions for propagating the request message, the one or more intelligent distribution instructions setting forth: (1) one or more conditions regarding propagation of the request message by a receiving node that receives the request message, including a timeout period such that the request message times out and is dropped after a predetermined amount of time has passed, and (2) one or more conditions for responding to the request message, one or more conditions for handling receipt of one or more responses from nodes that received the request message and have the resource requested by the originating node available for use by or on behalf of the originating node, or both;

receiving a reply message from a neighbor node, the reply message comprising:

a message that the fulfilling node can satisfy the request message;

network identifier information from the fulfilling node; and

network identifier information indicating a path between the originating node and the fulfilling node; and

stitching the path from the originating node to the fulfilling node using the network identifier information received with the reply message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network identifier information includes information related to the fulfilling node and a forwarding node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more intelligent distribution instructions limit propagation of the request message through the decentralized network of nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more intelligent distribution instructions are set by the originating node based upon a determined plan.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined plan uses the one or more intelligent distribution instructions to limit a number of hops in the network.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined plan is based on an analysis of historical performance.

7. A method for using a receiving node in a decentralized network of nodes, where an originating node requests use of a resource at a fulfilling node, the method comprising

receiving, from a first neighbor node in the network, a request message, the request message comprising a description of the resource requested and one or more intelligent distribution instructions determined by the originating node using an analytics module to determine, at least in part, the intelligent distribution instructions for propagating the request message, the intelligent distribution instructions setting forth: (1) one or more conditions regarding propagation of the request message, including a timeout period such that the request message times out and is dropped after a predetermined amount of time has passed and (2) one or more conditions for responding to the request message, one or more conditions for handling receipt of one or more responses from nodes that received the request message and have the resource requested by the originating node available for use by or on behalf of the originating node, or both;

determining whether the resource is available at the receiving node by evaluating available resources at the receiving node, the receiving node and the first neighbor node having independent resource management; and

forwarding the request message to a second neighbor node, responsive to the resource being unavailable at the receiving node and the forwarding satisfying the one or more intelligent distribution instructions, the receiving node and the second neighbor node having independent resource management.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising passing a reply message from the second neighbor node to the first neighbor node, the reply message indicating a node can satisfy the request message.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

generating a reply message indicating that the receiving node can satisfy the request for the resource; and

sending the reply message to the first neighbor node.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising dropping the request message based on a lapse of the timeout period identified by the one or more intelligent distribution instructions.

11. A distributed, scalable, autonomous resource discovery, management, and stitching system, comprising:

a plurality of independently managed nodes, each node comprising;

at least one resource;

a controller that manages the at least one resource; and

an autonomous resource, discovery, management, and stitching system that interfaces with the autonomous resource, discovery, management and stitching system on another node, the autonomous resource, discovery, management and stitching system comprising:

a resource discovery engine that searches within the at least one resource responsive to a resource request message;

a resource assignment engine, operating in conjunction with the resource discovery engine, that assigns a discovered resource responsive to the resource request message;

an analytics module, which operates in conjunction with an intelligent distribution engine, that determines, at least in part, one or more instructions regarding propagation of the resource request message;

the intelligent distribution engine, operating in conjunction with the analytics module, that sets forth the one or more instructions regarding propagation of the resource request message, including a timeout period such that the resource request message times out and is dropped after a predetermined amount of time has passed; and

a resource stitching engine that stitches the discovered resource between at least two nodes.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the intelligent distribution engine establishes a ranking of at least two available discovered resources.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a resource teardown engine, operating in conjunction with the resource assignment engine, the resource teardown engine releases the discovered resource.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more intelligent distribution instructions comprise a set of one or more rules regarding selecting from among more than one response from responding nodes indicating that each of the responding nodes can fulfill the request for the resource.

15. The method of claim 6 wherein the historical performance comprises stored information about successful fulfillment of one or more prior request messages sent by the originating node.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more intelligent distribution instructions comprise a set of one or more rules regarding selecting from among more than one response from nodes indicating that each of the nodes can fulfill the request for the resource.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein at least some of the one or more intelligent distribution instructions are based, at least in part, on an analysis of historical performance.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the one or more instructions comprises a set of one or more rules regarding selecting from among more than one response from responding nodes indicating that each of the responding nodes can fulfill the request for the resource.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the resource at the originating node; and

responsive to the originating node not currently having the resource available for use at the originating node, generating the request message.