Patent Document ID: 8266474
Application ID: 12717909
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for fast failure detection in a distributed computer system, comprising: executing a distributed computer system having a plurality of clusters comprising at least a first cluster, a second cluster and the third cluster; initializing failure detection by creating a connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters, wherein for each one of the plurality of clusters, a respective connected cluster list describes others of the plurality of clusters said each one is communicatively connected with; sending a status update message upon a change in connectivity between the plurality of clusters; generating an updated connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters in accordance with the status update message; and determining whether the change in connectivity is a result of a cluster failure by examining the updated connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters; wherein upon receiving a loss of communication status update message from the second cluster, the third cluster removes the first cluster from a connected cluster list of the second cluster, and wherein the third cluster checks a connected cluster list of the third cluster to determine whether the third cluster is connected to another cluster to which the first cluster is also connected.