Method and apparatus for ensuring continued device operational reliability in cloud-degraded mode

Abstract

In the presence of a network fault condition preventing communication between a communication device and a network device of a first network, a method includes receiving a heartbeat request from the communication device requesting permission for the communication device to perform a device operation. The method further includes obtaining device state data associated with the communication device and determining whether the communication device is permitted to perform the device operation based on the device state data associated with the communication device. When the communication device is permitted to perform the device operation, the method also includes transmitting a heartbeat confirmation signal to the communication device. The heartbeat confirmation signal permits the communication device to perform the device operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed by data processing hardware of a communication device that causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a primary network device, heartbeat confirmation data associated with a plurality of devices that use a primary network;   storing the heartbeat confirmation data as backup for the plurality of devices that use the primary network;   receiving, from an invalidating agent, a device invalidation message invalidating at least one of the plurality of devices;   detecting a network fault condition associated with the primary network;   receiving a heartbeat request from the at least one of the plurality of devices during the network fault condition; and   based on receiving the device invalidation message from the invalidating agent, denying the heartbeat request from the at least one of the plurality of devices.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the heartbeat confirmation data comprises storing the heartbeat confirmation data at a backup network device. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the backup network device receives the heartbeat confirmation data from the primary network device in response to a pull request. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the network fault condition associated with the primary network comprises detecting a power outage at the primary network or a communication failure between the primary network and the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the network fault condition associated with the primary network comprises:
 determining that the at least one of the plurality of devices failed to provide a first heartbeat confirmation signal within a threshold period of time; and   based on determining that the at least one of the plurality of devices failed to provide the first heartbeat confirmation signal within the threshold period of time, detecting the network fault condition.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a second heartbeat confirmation signal from another device of the plurality of devices; and   in response to receiving the second heartbeat confirmation signal, performing a device operation.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise registering the at least one of the plurality of devices to receive the first heartbeat confirmation signal from the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on registering the at least one of the plurality of devices to receive the first heartbeat confirmation signal, storing a device identifier associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the primary network device is associated with a cloud network infrastructure. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise storing device state data associated with the plurality of devices that use the primary network. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 data processing hardware of a communication device; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a primary network device, heartbeat confirmation data associated with a plurality of devices that use a primary network; 
 storing the heartbeat confirmation data as backup for the plurality of devices that use the primary network; 
 receiving, from an invalidating agent, a device invalidation message invalidating at least one of the plurality of devices; 
 detecting a network fault condition associated with the primary network; 
 receiving a heartbeat request from the at least one of the plurality of devices during the network fault condition; and 
 based on receiving the device invalidation message from the invalidating agent, denying the heartbeat request from the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein storing the heartbeat confirmation data comprises storing the heartbeat confirmation data at a backup network device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the backup network device receives the heartbeat confirmation data from the primary network device in response to a pull request. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein detecting the network fault condition associated with the primary network comprises detecting a power outage at the primary network or a communication failure between the primary network and the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein detecting the network fault condition associated with the primary network comprises:
 determining that the at least one of the plurality of devices failed to provide a first heartbeat confirmation signal within a threshold period of time; and   based on determining that the at least one of the plurality of devices failed to provide the first heartbeat confirmation signal within the threshold period of time, detecting the network fault condition.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a second heartbeat confirmation signal from another device of the plurality of devices; and   in response to receiving the second heartbeat confirmation signal, performing a device operation.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise registering the at least one of the plurality of devices to receive the first heartbeat confirmation signal from the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on registering the at least one of the plurality of devices to receive the first heartbeat confirmation signal, storing a device identifier associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the primary network device is associated with a cloud network infrastructure. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise storing device state data associated with the plurality of devices that use the primary network.