In one example embodiment, a server generates a candidate instantiation of virtual applications among a plurality of hosts in a data center to support a multicast stream. The server provides, to a first set of agents corresponding to a first set of the plurality of hosts, a command to initiate a test multicast stream. The server provides, to a second set of agents corresponding to a second set of the plurality of hosts, a command to join the test multicast stream. The server obtains, from the second set of agents, a message indicating whether the second set of agents received the test multicast stream. If the message indicates that the second set of agents received the test multicast stream, the server causes the virtual applications to be instantiated in accordance with the candidate instantiation of the virtual applications.

A multicast rule is represented in a hierarchical linked list with N tiers. Each tier or level in the hierarchical linked list corresponds to a network layer of a network stack that requires replication. Redundant groups in each tier are eliminated such that the groups in each tier are stored exactly once in a replication table. A multicast replication engine traverses the hierarchical linked list and replicates a packet according to each node in the hierarchical linked list.

In one example, a system comprises a plurality of non-last-hop routers (non-LHRs) of a network, the non-LHRs configured with a multicast distribution tree for a multicast group to transport first multicast packets of a multicast flow toward one or more LHRs, wherein a router of the non-LHR routers is configured to receive unicast packets for an application session associated with the multicast group, encapsulate the unicast packets in a multicast header to generate the first multicast packets for distribution using the multicast distribution tree, and output the first multicast packets; and the one or more LHRs, wherein the one or more LHRs are interested receivers of the multicast group, and wherein the one or more LHRs are configured to receive the first multicast packets of the multicast flow, extract the unicast packets for the application session, and send the unicast packets to one or more clients of the application session.

Techniques for limiting forwarding of multicast communications are described herein. For example, the techniques intelligently forward data along paths of a network where members of a multicast group are located. As such, a node that does not lead to members of the multicast group may be configured to selectively and intelligently forward multicast messages it receives. This can reduce network communications, ultimately conserving processing, communication, and/or battery resources of the nodes and improving performance of the network.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for consensus system downtime recovery. One of the methods includes: multicasting a pre-prepare message to at least some of the backup nodes; obtaining (Q-1) or more prepare messages respectively from (Q-1) or more of the backup nodes, wherein the prepare messages each indicate an acceptance of the pre-prepare message by the corresponding backup node; storing the pre-prepare message and the (Q-1) or more prepare messages; multicasting a commit message to at least some of the backup nodes, the commit message indicating that the primary node agrees to the (Q-1) or more prepare messages; and obtaining, respectively from Q or more nodes among the primary node and the backup nodes, Q or more commit messages each indicating that the corresponding node agrees to (Q-1) or more prepare messages received by the corresponding node.

Provided are a swarm control apparatus and an operating method thereof. In particular, a swarm control method, performed by the swarm control apparatus, includes: generating a first rule related to the swarm, based on an attribute of at least one node from among a plurality of nodes; sharing the generated first rule with the at least one node; forming the swarm including the at least one node, based on the shared first rule; detecting a change in the at least one node in the swarm; and changing the first rule to a second rule, based on the detected change.

An information processing apparatus including: a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to perform a process including: setting a forwarding path or a forwarding method; creating a data list storing a random value; and requesting each of a plurality of clients to add an attribute value stored by the client to the data list and forward the data list using the forwarding path or the forwarding method.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a mesh network having nodes connected via both wired and wireless connections, at differing data rates. Each node of the invention also has a plurality of interfaces and a backhaul network. The invention provides a method of managing the mesh network such that at least one node is capable of being in communication with a plurality of other nodes within the network and send and receive packets to other nodes without being hampered by differing protocols, standards, or data rates.

A narrow-band wireless data network includes a central provisioning server that is configured for providing command and control data to the network, to retain the mesh-tree structure of the network, and to manage and retain all sensor data and new connection requests. A gateway device is connected to the central provisioning server for communicating with the network through a first and a second radio receiver/transmitter that is configured to send and receive data on at least one frequency channel. Multiple device nodes that control and communicate with associated sensor devices for collecting sensor data. The device nodes interpret and execute commands transmitted from the gateway device or other device nodes on the network addressed to individual device nodes. The commands are executed with no acknowledgment.

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for highly-scalable, in-network multicasting of statistics data is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, from an underlay controller, a match-and-action table that is indexed using one or more multicast (MC) group identifiers and includes one or more special MC headers; detecting a packet carrying statistics data; determining whether the packet includes an MC group identifier; in response to determining that the packet includes the MC group identifier: using the MC group identifier, retrieving a special MC header, of the one or more special MC headers, from the match-and-action table; generating an encapsulated packet by encapsulating the packet with the special MC header; and providing the encapsulated packet to an interface controller for transmitting the encapsulated packet to one or more physical switches.