99--TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY BYZANTINE FAULT TOLERANT CLOCK A SELFSTABILIZING SYNCHRONIZATION PROTOCOL

NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits interest from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. THE TECHNOLOGY: Synchronization and coordination algorithms are part of distributed computer systems. Clock synchronization algorithms are essential for managing the use of resources and controlling communication in a distributed system. Also, a fundamental criterion in the design of a robust distributed system is to provide the capability of tolerating and potentially recovering from failures that are not predictable in advance. Overcoming such failures is most suitably addressed by tolerating Byzantine faults. A Byzantine-fault model encompasses all unexpected failures, including transient ones, within the limitations of the maximum number of faults at a given time. NASA Langley Research Center has developed a protocol for clock synchronization in the presence of Byzantine faults after a transient event has dissipated. In the presence of arbitrary faulty node(s), the method is proven to self-stabilize the clock. The protocol has been shown to tolerate bursts of transient failures and deterministically unite with respect to synchronization period. The innovative protocols timing measures of variables are based on the nodes local clock, and thus, no central clock or externally generated pulse is needed. The protocol produces strong results because it does not rely on any assumptions regarding the initial state or internal status of the system. The minimum assumption enables the protocol to be employed for many practical as well as theoretical applications. NASA is seeking development partners and potential licensees for the patented protocol. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to Sean Sullivan, Research Triangle International (RTI), at: NASA Langley Research Center, Strategic Relationships Office (SRSO), 17 West Taylor St., Mail Stop 218, Building 1212, Room 110 Hampton, Virginia, E-mail: [email protected], or phone: 757-864-5055. Please indicate the date and title of the FBO notice and include your company and contact information. RTI is responsible for aggregating and acknowledging all responses. These responses are provided to members of NASA Langleys Innovative Partnerships Office within the SRO for the purpose of promoting public awareness of our technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, SRO will follow the formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register as required. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.