A system, computer-implemented method and computer program performs heartbeat messaging for managing connections for data communications. In one example method, an indication of a problem associated with a connection for data communication in a computing system or network is received. In response to receiving the indication, a heartbeat message is sent over the connection. The method monitors for a heartbeat response to the heartbeat message within a predefined heartbeat time interval. If a heartbeat response is received within the predefined heartbeat time interval, the method determines that the indication of a problem associated with the connection is invalid. If a heartbeat response is not received within the predefined heartbeat time interval, the method determines that the indication of a problem associated with the connection is valid.

Systems and methods are provided for processing messages in an Offline Charging System (OFCS) of a communications services provider. A front-end distributor unit receives Diameter messages from a Charging Trigger Function (CTF) and distributes the Diameter messages to Charging Data Function (CDF) units of the OFCS. The distributor unit receives Diameter response messages from CDFs and calculates performance metrics based on the distributed messages and their responses. The distributor unit computes revised distribution weights used for distributing new Diameter messages for new Diameter sessions to the CDF units based on the measured metrics, thus adjusting the distribution pattern of the Diameter messages based on estimated workload conditions at the CDFs.

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for expediting repetition of an unanswered poll for automatic repeat request (ARQ) feedback are provided. One method includes transmitting a poll to a peer protocol entity to trigger status reporting at the peer protocol entity, starting a timer with a duration that is set based on whether at least one predefined condition is met. The at least one predefined condition depends at least on a value of a sequence number (SN) of a protocol data unit (PDU) in which the poll is transmitted. The method may further include re-transmitting a poll when the timer expires.

A system includes a plurality of queues configured to hold tasks and state information associated with such tasks. The system further includes a plurality of listeners configured to query one of the plurality of queues for a task, receive, in response to querying one of the plurality of queues for a task, a task together with state information associated with the task, effect processing of the received task, and communicate a result of the received task to another queue of the plurality of queues, the another queue of the plurality of queues being selected based on the processing of the received task.

In general, techniques are described to dynamically adjust a session detection time defined by a timer in accordance with a bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) protocol. The techniques utilize existing hardware and BFD software infrastructure. An example network device includes a memory, programmable processor(s), and a control unit configured to execute a timer, receive one or more packets provided by the BFD protocol, detect, based on the received one or more packets, a congestion condition associated with a link via which the network device is coupled to a network, adjust, based on the detected congestion condition, a session detection time defined by the timer, and in response to a failure to receive a packet provided by the BFD protocol within the session detection time defined by the timer, detect a failure associated with the link.

A lease-based heartbeat protocol method is provided. The method may include sending a heartbeat request to a server device in a lease period, and receiving a heartbeat request response from the server device; and determining a retry sending at adaptive interval in response to the heartbeat request response being abnormal, and sending a retry heartbeat request to the server device again after the retry sending interval is past, until the lease period expires or a corresponding heartbeat request response is normal. As such, two successive retry heartbeat requests can be sent at a relatively large time interval at an initial stage of heartbeat request retry. At a later stage of the heartbeat request retry, the time interval associated with the retry heartbeat requests is reduced, such that re-sent heartbeat requests can be sent at a higher speed.

A maintenance method for network connection and a computer system are provided. The method is adapted to a computer system having a real-time clock. The real-time clock is configured to regularly wake up the computer system to check whether a network connection is working normally. In the method, a wake up operation to wake up the computer system is received from a user. It is determined whether a connection time of maintaining the network connection so far from a last time of entering a power saving mode is greater than a counting time for the real-time clock to wake up the computer system. It is tested whether the network connection is working normally when the connection time is greater than the counting time. The counting time of the real-time clock is updated to the connection time when the network connection is working normally.

A heartbeat-based data synchronization method is disclosed. The method is applied to a distributed storage system, and at least one data block group is stored in the distributed storage system. The distributed storage system includes multiple storage devices, one device in the multiple storage devices is a primary device for storing the data block group, and other devices are secondary devices for storing the data block group. The primary device performs the method. The primary device obtains access status information of the data block group, determines a heartbeat time of the data block group according to the access status information of the data block group, and sends a data synchronization instruction to the secondary device according to the heartbeat time of the data block group, where the data synchronization instruction is used to instruct the secondary device to synchronize data.

A system, method, and computer program product for determining ancillary subdivision/districts may include obtaining route data associated with one or more vehicle network operators operating one or more subdivisions/districts over which the vehicle group may travel, determining an ancillary subdivision/district of the one or more subdivisions/districts that are not included in the route data by any of the one or more vehicle network operators, receiving route data for the vehicle network operator associated with the ancillary subdivision/district, and communicating with one or more wayside interface units in the ancillary subdivision/district based on the route data.

A system, method, and computer program product for determining ancillary subdivision/districts may include obtaining route data associated with one or more vehicle network operators operating one or more subdivisions/districts over which the vehicle group may travel, determining an ancillary subdivision/district of the one or more subdivisions/districts that are not included in the route data by any of the one or more vehicle network operators, receiving route data for the vehicle network operator associated with the ancillary subdivision/district, and communicating with one or more wayside interface units in the ancillary subdivision/district based on the route data.