DIRECTORY-SERVICES-BASED LAUNCHER FOR LOAD-BALANCED, FAULT-TOLERANT, ACCESS TO CLOSEST RESOURCES

• US 20010023440A1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: GAISFORD, CALVIN R., NAY, KYRT V., BROOKS, MATTHEW G., JANIS, DAMON V., BODINE, BILL GUY, COOK, RANDALL C., FRANKLIN, NICHOLAS H.
• Application Number:
  US08/940,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023440A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5033 considering data affinity

Abstract

A directory services system includes a resource object, such as an application object for accessing a resource associated with the resource object. Attributes of the resource object reflect proximity of the actual resource to a user, in some measurable, physical dimension. The proximity attributes may be used to access functionally equivalent instances of a resource object based on proximity. Also, load balancing, fault tolerance, and other factors may be relied upon to select a preferred resource whenever a requested resource is unavailable. A resource, via its resource object in the directory services database, may be easily disabled for maintenance, or any other reason by setting a new disabling attribute in the object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selecting a resource, the apparatus comprising a computer system comprising a processor, for executing executable data structures, operably connected to a memory device for storing the executable data structures and associated operational data structures, said executable and operational data structures comprising:

a directory services system for managing objects, including at least one resource object corresponding to a resource, and for relating the objects to one another;

a resource object of the at least one resource object, comprising a special function attribute;

a utility, executable to manage the value of the special function attribute;

a consuming executable programmed to perform the special function, using the special function attribute.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the special function attribute is selected from the group consisting of a load-balancing list, a fault-tolerance list, a proximity attribute, a site list of sites bound to corresponding proximity attributes, and a disabling flag effective to disable an instance of the resource object.

3. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the consuming executable is effective to select a closest resource corresponding to the resource object and functionally equivalent to a requested resource.

4. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the special function attribute is a disabling flag effective to prevent access to an instance of a requested resource corresponding to the resource object.

5. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the resource object further comprises a proximity attribute corresponding to a value reflecting a relative preferability between the resource object and another resource object functionally equivalent thereto.

6. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the resource object corresponds to a physical entity for performing a physical function for a plurality of nodes networked together in the computer system.

7. The apparatus of

claim 6

, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to provide a directory services server effective to store and manage the objects, a client node for accessing the objects provided by the directory services server, and programmed to select a resource corresponding to the resource object by comparing a proximity attribute of the resource object to a location of the client node.

8. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein the proximity attribute reflects a value of a parameter selected from a physical distance, a routing speed over a network, a geographical name, a context of a name, and a logical organization identification.

9. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein the resource object contains a proximity attribute effective to identify a physical location of a resource, corresponding to the resource object, with respect to a physical location of a node, corresponding to a user, and wherein the consuming executable is effective to select the resource based on the proximity attribute.

10. The apparatus of

claim 9

, wherein the proximity attribute is contained within the context of a distinguished name corresponding to the resource object.

11. A method for selecting a resource, the method comprising:

providing a directory services system for managing and relating objects, including a resource object corresponding to a resource, the resource object having a selection attribute for distinguishing the resource object from another, functionally equivalent, alternative instance of the resource object;

requesting a launch of the resource for providing a function;

selecting a closest instance of the resource using the selection attribute.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the resource object further comprises a list for identifying a plurality of the alternative instances, the list comprising entries, each corresponding to a respective alternative instance bound to a value of the selection attribute for selecting from the plurality of alternative instances.

13. The method of

claim 12

, wherein the selection attribute corresponds a value reflecting a parameter selected from the group consisting of a physical distance, a routing speed, geographical location, a processor loading, and a logical relationship.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein the parameter reflects a distance.

15. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the parameter is contained within a distinguished name corresponding to the resource object.

16. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising providing a disabling flag attribute effective to render inaccessible the resource object, while leaving other relationships intact with respect to the resource object.

17. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising selecting an alternative resource object based on load balancing between the resource object and the alternative resource object.

18. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising selecting an alternative resource object based on fault-tolerance attributes providing redundancy when the resource object is unavailable.

19. A memory device for storing data structures, the data structures comprising:

a directory services system for managing objects, including at least one resource object corresponding to a resource, and for relating the objects to one another;

a resource object of the at least one resource object, comprising a special function attribute;

a utility, executable to manage the value of the special function attribute;

a consuming executable programmed to perform the special function, using the special function attribute.

20. The memory device of

claim 19

, wherein the special function attribute is a disabling flag effective to disable an instance of the resource object while leaving other environment data and relationships, associated therewith, intact.