Dynamic adaptive server provisioning for blade architectures

• US 20040054780A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Romero, Francisco J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

A system and method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly. The method includes receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly, and determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool. If the QoS attribute is below a standard, a blade server is allocated from a free server pool for use by the application server pool. If the QoS attribute is above a standard, at least one server is removed from the application server pool. An article of manufacture including a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly.

Claims

1. A method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is below a standard; and

allocating a blade server from a free server pool for use by the application server pool.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising selecting, prior to allocating for use, a blade server from a free server pool to obtain a selected blade server.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising preparing, prior to allocating for use, the selected blade server for operation with the application server pool.

4. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

5. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

6. The method of claim 3 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

16. An application server pool produced in accordance with the method of claim 1.

32. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising provisioning images onto at least one blade server of the application server pool.

36. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising monitoring the performance of at least one blade server of the application server pool from information received by a server agent associated with the blade server.

40. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising removing the use of at least one blade server from the application server pool.

43. The method of claim 40 additionally comprising disposing the removed blade server in the free server pool.

46. The method of claim 1 transmitting alarms asynchronously to a management server.

50. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising determining a relative performance of another application server pool.

53. The method of claim 50 additionally comprising identifying at least one blade server from said another application server pool that would impact performance the least if reallocated to the application server pool.

7. A method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is above a standard; and

removing the use of a blade server from the application server pool.

8. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising allocating the use of the removed blade server for use by a free server pool.

17. An application server pool produced in accordance with the method of claim 7.

33. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising provisioning images onto at least one blade server of the application server pool.

37. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising monitoring the performance of at least one blade server of the application server pool from information received by a server agent associated with the blade server.

47. The method of claim 7 transmitting alarms asynchronously to a management server.

9. A method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is below a standard;

determining that no blade server in a free server pool is available for use; and

selecting a lower priority blade server for use by the application server pool.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said selecting a lower priority blade server comprises selecting a lower priority blade server from the application server pool to obtain a selected blade server.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising preparing the selected blade server for operation with the application server pool.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising flushing the selected blade server.

13. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

14. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

15. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

18. An application server pool produced in accordance with the method of claim 9.

34. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising provisioning images onto at least one blade server of the application server pool.

38. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising monitoring the performance of at least one blade server of the application server pool from information received by a server agent associated with the blade server.

41. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising removing the use of at least one blade server from the application server pool.

44. The method of claim 41 additionally comprising disposing the removed blade server in the free server pool.

48. The method of claim 9 transmitting alarms asynchronously to a management server.

51. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising determining a relative performance of another application server pool.

54. The method of claim 51 additionally comprising identifying at least one blade server from said another application server pool that would impact performance the least if reallocated to the application server pool.

19. A method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is below a standard;

determining that a free server pool has a blade server for use; and

selecting from the free server pool the available blade server for use by the application server pool.

20. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising installing software on the selected available blade server.

21. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising configuring the selected available blade server.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising configuring the selected available blade server.

23. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising readying the selected available blade server for operation.

24. The method of claim 22 additionally comprising readying the selected available blade server for operation.

25. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

26. The method of claim 24 additionally comprising reconfiguring a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

27. An application server pool produced in accordance with the method of claim 19.

35. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising provisioning images onto at least one blade server of the application server pool.

39. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising monitoring the performance of at least one blade server of the application server pool from information received by a server agent associated with the blade server.

42. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising removing the use of at least one blade server from the application server pool.

45. The method of claim 42 additionally comprising disposing the removed blade server in the free server pool.

49. The method of claim 19 transmitting alarms asynchronously to a management server.

52. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising determining a relative performance of another application server pool.

55. The method of claim 52 additionally comprising identifying at least one blade server from said another application server pool that would impact performance the least if reallocated to the application server pool.

28. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for;

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is above a standard; and

removing the use of a blade server from the application server pool.

29. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for;

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is above a standard; and

removing the use of a blade server from the application server pool.

30. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for;

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is below a standard;

determining that no blade servers in a free server pool is available for use; and

selecting for use by the application server pool a lower priority blade server.

31. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for;

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

determining at least one QoS attribute for the application server pool;

determining that the QoS attribute is below a standard;

determining that a free server pool has a blade server for use; and

selecting from the free server pool the available blade server for use by the application server pool.

56. A system for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

a management server;

a rapid deployment system coupled to the management server; and

a rack-and-blade computer system coupled to the management server.

57. The system of claim 56 additionally comprising an image repository coupled to the management server.

58. The system of claim 56 additionally comprising an image repository coupled to the management server through the rapid deployment system.

59. The system of claim 57 wherein the rapid deployment system manages the image repository.

60. The system of claim 56 additionally comprising a policy data base coupled to the management server.

61. The system of claim 56 additionally comprising a hardware information repository coupled to the management server.

62. The system of claim 56 wherein said rack-and-blade assembly additionally comprises a free server pool.

63. The system of claim 57 where in said rack-and-blade assembly additionally comprises at least one application server pool.

64. The system of claim 62 where in said rack-and-blade assembly additionally comprises at least one application server pool.

65. The system of claim 63 wherein said rapid deployment system is coupled to said application server pool.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein said management server includes at least one application plug-in for each application request being supported by the application server pool.

67. The system of claim 56 wherein said rack-and-blade assembly additionally comprises a pair of application server pools.

68. A system for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

means for receiving blade server performance information from a rack-and-blade computer assembly; and

a means, coupled to the means for receiving blade server performance information, for managing an image repository.

69. The system of claim 68 additionally comprising a data base means, coupled to the means for receiving blade server performance information, for storing at least one policy.

70. The system of claim 68 additionally comprising a repository means, coupled to the means for receiving blade server performance information, for storing hardware information.

71. The system of claim 68 wherein said rack-and-blade computer assembly comprises a free server pool.

72. The system of claim 69 where in said rack-and-blade computer assembly comprises at least one application server pool.

73. The system of claim 70 where in said rack-and-blade computer assembly comprises at least one application server pool.

74. The system of claim 68 wherein said rack-and-blade computer assembly comprises a pair of application server pools.