System, method and interface for controlling server lifecycle

• US 20030225875A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Revanuru, Naresh, Gunduc, Mesut, Halpern, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The current structure for starting and shutting down a server is complicated and affords little administrative control. A server must be started in one long-running step and cannot be shutdown without risk of disrupting in-flight work. The ability to bring up a server quickly and bring down a server gracefully is crucial to improving availability. A server configuration in which a server that is brought up as a hot-stand by server for a running, active server can significantly reduce downtime (failover time) in the case of an outage. A server that can be suspended gracefully can be removed from service without disrupting clients. These new features require improvements to the server lifecycle to clearly articulate the distinction between an initialized server and an active server (for hot standby) and between a suspending server and a suspended server (for graceful suspend) and to simplify the lifecycle by removing circular initialization dependencies between services and clarifying the lifecycle contract.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a user or automated process to control the lifecycle of a server in an application server environment, comprising:

a server, operating within said application server environment and having a server lifecycle associated therewith;

a plurality of services capable of operating with said server;

an interface between said server and said plurality of services, said interface capable of being implemented by one or more of said services to allow the services to participate in the server lifecycle; and

,

a plurality of methods defined by or included within said interface for initializing, suspending, resuming and/or shutting down a server in cooperation with the services operating therewith.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the methods can be accessed by a server to control or to receive information from said plurality of services.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the services implement the interface to allow the services to participate in the server lifecycle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the methods can be accessed by a software application.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the software application comprises an administration module, said administration module including a graphical user interface for allowing an administrator or other user to control the operation of the server and its associated server lifecycle.

6. An interface for allowing a user or automated process to control the lifecycle of a server in an application server environment, said application server environment comprising a server and associated server lifecycle, said application server environment further comprising a plurality of services capable of operating with said server, the interface comprising:

an interface definition implemented by the services to allow the services to participate in the server lifecycle; and

,

a plurality of methods defined by said interface definition for initializing, suspending, resuming and/or shutting down a server in cooperation with the services operating therewith.

7. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a startInStandby method for initializing the server and placing it in a STANDBY state.

8. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a resume method for resuming the operation of the server and placing it in a RUNNING state.

9. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a start method for starting the server and placing it in a RUNNING state.

10. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a suspend method for suspending the operation of the server gracefully and placing it in a STANDBY state.

11. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a forceSuspend method for forcefully suspending the operation of the server and placing it in a STANDBY state.

12. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a shutdown method for stopping the operation of the server gracefully and placing it in a SHUTDOWN state.

13. The interface of claim 6 wherein said interface includes a forceShutdown method for stopping the operation of the server forcefully and placing it in a SHUTDOWN state.

14. A method for controlling the lifecycle of a server in an application server environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a server operating within said application server environment and having a server lifecycle associated therewith;

providing a plurality of services capable of operating with said at least one server;

providing an interface between said server and said plurality of services, said interface being capable of implemented by one or more of said plurality of services to allow the services to participate in the server lifecycle;

defining a plurality of methods within said interface for initializing, suspending, resuming and/or shutting down a server in cooperation with the services operating therewith; and

,

allowing said services to use said methods to participate in the server lifecycle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the methods can be accessed by a server to control or to receive information from said plurality of services

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the services implement the interface to allow the services to participate in the server lifecycle.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the methods can be accessed by a software application.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the software application comprises an administration module, said administration module including a graphical user interface for allowing an administrator or other user to control the operation of the server and its associated server lifecycle.