Patent ID: 7421578
Filing Date: 2008-09-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method performed by a first computer node for selecting a leader node to provide service to a plurality of other nodes in a multicast group, wherein each of the nodes communicates using multicast, broadcast or anycast messages, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: issuing a first election call message; receiving candidacy announcement messages from one or more leader candidate nodes in a specified time period; selecting a victor from among all leader candidate nodes from which candidacy announcement messages are received; receiving one or more victor announcement messages from one or more leader victor nodes for a second specified time period; resolving zero or more collisions among the victor announcement messages to result in selecting the leader node; receiving, in the first election call message, first identity information specifying a second node that sent the first election call message; pushing the identity information onto a stack; receiving a second election call message that includes second identity information specifying a third node that sent the second election call message; and ignoring the second election call message when the second identity information is found in the stack.