A processor may analyze an external device for one or more activity data collection devices. A processor may identify an activity the external device will perform in a protected boundary using the one or more activity data collection devices. A processor may deactivate the one or more activity data collection devices associated with the external device. A processor may generate activity data based, at least in part, on the activity and the protected boundary. A processor may output the activity data to the external device. In some embodiments, the external device may perform the activity using the activity data.

Various systems and methods may be used to implement a software defined industrial system. For example, an orchestrated system of distributed nodes may run an application, including modules implemented on the distributed nodes. The orchestrated system may include an orchestration server, a first node executing a first module, and a second node executing a second module. In response to the second node failing, the second module may be redeployed to a replacement node (e.g., the first node or a different node). The replacement mode may be determined by the first node or another node, for example based on connections to or from the second node.

Automated collaboration for peer-to-peer electronic devices, in which a user profile is registered for a peer-to-peer network. The user profile defines rules for automated collaboration among electronic devices connected to the peer-to-peer network. An electronic device connected to the peer-to-peer network discovers a new electronic device joining the peer-to-peer network. The electronic device sends, to the new electronic device, the user profile and automatically, without user input at the electronic device or the new electronic device, negotiates with the new electronic device to determine how the electronic device and the new electronic device will collaboratively work together to meet the rules specified in the user profile. Based on the negotiation, the electronic device collaborates with the new electronic device in a manner that results in the new electronic device handling at least a portion of an event at the new electronic device.

Embodiments of this specification provide a consensus node changing method and apparatus based on a Honey Badger Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus mechanism. The method includes: when receiving a transaction for changing a blockchain's consensus node, executing, by a consensus node of the blockchain, the transaction to trigger a smart contract to update a consensus node configuration list of the blockchain, where the consensus node configuration list includes serial numbers allocated to consensus nodes based on a serial number allocation rule specified by the smart contract; associating, by the consensus node based on serial numbers of consensus nodes in the updated consensus node configuration list, another consensus node of the blockchain with at least two state machines configured in the consensus node.

A method and system for synchronization and distribution of configuration cross cluster without blocking are provided herein. The method includes: responsive to detecting a node in the group of nodes of a distributed system becoming inactive, recording current operations database version as a node version of the inactive node; initiating a removal of the inactive node from the group of nodes; maintaining the version of the operations database unchanged until the inactive node is removed; enabling a change of the database version once the removal of the inactive node is completed; sending a join request once the inactive node wishes to rejoin; obtaining a list of operation objects for synchronization of the rejoining node; and accepting the rejoining node to the group, only whenever the joining node is at a same state as the nodes group, otherwise, repeating the sending of the join request until the synchronization is completed.

The present invention relates to an application that is configured to be operated in a multi-participant environment on a computer network. The application manages participants in an online session of a multi-user application so that if one of the participants exits the session, the session can continue without interruption. The application initiates an online session of the multi-user application, wherein the online session includes two or more participants comprised of network computers that are communicatively linked to a computer network. If the application detects that a first participant has disconnected from the online session, wherein the first participant is responsible for managing certain managerial functionality associated with the running of the multi-user application, then the application broadcasts a notification to existing participants of the online session over the communication network, thereby notifying the existing participants that the first participant has disconnected from the online session. The initiating application then re-assigns the functionality associated with the first participant to an existing participant of the online session. The participants can be communicating in a peer-to-peer arrangement or can be performing server duties in a client-server arrangement.

A method for configuring replicas in a distributed computing system is disclosed. In one example embodiment, a plurality of replicas with associated bootstrap modules may be created. The same bootstrap module code may be used for each replica, thereby simplifying configuration. Using the bootstrap module, the replicas may automatically configure themselves and self-assign a role for a set of predetermined roles such as master and worker. The bootstrap module may check a predetermined location such as a shared network folder for earlier registration entries and then self-select based on the remaining available roles. The bootstrap module may also store its own registration entry to inform subsequent replicas of the role and network address for the current replica so that they may self-configure correctly.

A computer-implemented method of determining a priority of an incident in a utility supply involves receiving an indication of the incident in the utility supply network, receiving subjective data relating to user perception of performance of the utility supply network and determining a priority of the incident based on the subjective data. Determining the priority may also involve using objective data about the performance of the utility supply network and information about known or planned outages.

An electronic device and a service discovery method in the electronic device are provided. The device includes at least one communication module, a processor operatively connected with the at least one communication module, and a memory operatively connected with the at least one communication module and the processor. The memory may store instructions configured to, when executed, enable the processor to configure a neighbor awareness network (NAN) cluster communicating with a plurality of external electronic devices based on a first communication protocol, through the at least one communication module, identify a service target device among the plurality of external electronic devices, while operating with the plurality of external electronic devices based on the first communication protocol, in response to a service discovery request, and allow at least one external electronic device, except for the service target device among the plurality of external electronic devices, to deactivate at least one function related to the first communication protocol, through the at least one communication module, based on identifying the service target device.

A computer-implemented system and related method address malfunctioning peers in a blockchain, the method comprising receiving endorsement results from peers in the blockchain, where the endorsement results are for one or more transactions in the blockchain. The endorsement results include successful and failed endorsements. The method further comprises distributing the successful and failed endorsements to two or more endorsement collectors, determining which peers are successful endorsement peers (SEPs) that provided successful endorsements, and which peers are failed endorsement peers (FEPs) that provided failed endorsements. A reputation score is calculated for each peer based on endorsement information from the endorsement collectors. The reputation score is then sent to at least one of a client and a system administrator. This reputation score is then used to determine peer selection in a subsequent transaction.