Nodes of a distributed computing system communicate over a communication network. Nodes can be computing systems that each include at least one programmable processor. A distributed system can, in a non-limiting example, be a cluster of nodes that implement a distributed data storage application or any other kind of application in which exchange of messages between nodes in a cluster occurs to enable the multiple nodes to remain synchronized with regard to processes being executed by the cluster. A process as used herein refers generally to any kind of data processing, data storage, or other computer-implemented process. A communication network can include one or more of a wired network, a wireless network, a local area network, a wide area network, an organization's intranet, the Internet, or the like. Usually, nodes in a distributed system use consensus protocols to coordinate replication of data on several nodes to enable continued operation in case of a failure of one or more of the nodes of the cluster. Other nodes of a cluster besides a node being referenced are generally referred to as “peer nodes” or simply “peers” of the node.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds