Patent ID: 6381627
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
In a system that comprises a client networked to one or more networks, each network having a database that is partitioned into one or more zones and distributed over one or more distributed database servers, at least one distributed database server being an authoritative server in that it maintains complete information as to at least one zone of the distributed database, and at least one authoritative server being a master server in that it is capable of updating the distributed database, and wherein each partition of the distributed database comprises partition information for identifying (i) a zone that corresponds to the partition, (ii) a master server for the zone, and (iii) any authoritative servers for the zone, a method of detecting multiple master servers within a single zone, the method comprising steps for:locating a plurality of distributed database servers, each maintaining one or more partitions of one or more distributed databases; receiving, from each of the plurality of distributed database servers, partition information for at least one partition of at least one distributed database, whereby a plurality of partition information is received; from the plurality of received partition information, identifying a zone that corresponds to each partition and a master server for that zone; comparing master servers that are identified in the plurality of received partition information; and if the plurality of received partition information identifies only one master server for a particular zone, then concluding that the particular zone has a single master server.