Patent ID: 11962463
Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 7:
8. A node configured to be used in a data distribution network, the node comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor instructions stored thereon, the processor configured to load and execute the instructions that, when executed, cause the node to be configured to:
make a self-determination in accordance with a local joint policy, the local joint policy defining rules for performing calculations used to make decisions to:
perform computations to service a computation request received from an entity;
forward the computation request or representation thereof or a data request for at least a portion of a data object; and
cache the at least a portion of the data object;

perform computations to service the computation request using data of the data object; and
forward results of the computations performed, the results forwarded toward the entity that submitted the computation request and in a direction opposite to a direction in which the computation request is received by the node, wherein the local joint policy includes a calculation of a difference between respective computation request counters for computation requests of one or more queues at the node and respective data request counters for the computation requests of the one or more queues, the respective computation request counters representing demand for computations, the respective data request counters representing demand for data objects.