Abstract: Apparatus and method to improve the speed, scalability, robustness and dynamism of multicast data transfers to remote computers. Many Grid Computing applications, such as Genomics, Proteomics, Seismic, Risk Management, etc., require a priori transfer of sets of files or other data to remote computers prior to processing taking place. Existing multicast and data transfer protocols are static and can not guarantee that all nodes will contain a copy of the replicated data or files. The fully distributed data transfer and data replication protocol of the invention permits transfers which minimize processing requirements on master transfer nodes by spreading work across the network. The result is higher scalability than current centralized protocols, more dynamism and allows fault-tolerance by distribution of functionality. The ability to distribute the protocol is simplified through our innovative symmetric-connectionless data transfer protocol.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to improve the speed, scalability, robustness and dynamism of data transfers to remote computers across a network are provided. The fully distributed data transfer and data replication protocol of the present invention permits transfers that minimize processing requirements on master transfer nodes by spreading work across the network. The result is higher scalability than current centralized protocols, which are static and cannot guarantee retention of replicated data and files. The present invention further provides for more dynamism and allows fault-tolerance by distribution of functionality. The ability to distribute data is simplified through asynchronous and autonomous data transfer.