Method and apparatus for managing locking of resources in a cluster by use of a network fabric

• US 20040085908A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammons, Richard L., Balasubramanian, Shankar, Alonso, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US10/285,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/46 Cluster building

Abstract

Managing cluster membership and providing and managing locks in the switches forming the interconnecting network. To manage the cluster membership, a zone is created, with indicated members existing in the zone and the zone being managed by the switches. The nodes communicate their membership events, such as alive messages, using an API to work with the switch to which they are attached. The desired membership algorithm is executed by the switches, preferably in a distributed manner. Each switch then enforces the membership policies, including preventing operations from evicted nodes. This greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming tasks, thus providing improved cluster performance. In a like manner, the switches in the fabric manage the resource locks. The nodes send their lock requests, such as creation and ownership requests, to the switch to which they are connected using an API. The switches then perform the desired lock operation and provide a response to the requesting node. Again, this greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming activities, providing improved cluster performance.

Claims

1. A network comprising

a plurality of nodes forming a cluster, each node including a communications port for transferring messages, said messages including data messages for other nodes and lock messages requesting control of a shared resource;

and

a device for transferring messages, said device coupled to each of said nodes forming said cluster, said device transferring data messages between said nodes and receiving lock messages from said nodes, said device including;

a plurality of communications ports coupled to said nodes;

a processor,

memory coupled to said processor and storing programs executed by said processor; and

logic coupled to said communications ports and said processor and transferring data messages between said communications ports and lock messages between said ports and said processor,

wherein said stored programs include a program for controlling resource locks, said processor executing said lock stored program to process lock messages from said nodes.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a second device for transferring messages, said second device coupled to each of said nodes forming said cluster, said second device transferring data messages between said nodes and receiving lock messages from said nodes, said second device including;

a plurality of communications ports coupled to said nodes;

a processor;

memory coupled to said processor and storing programs executed by said processor; and

logic coupled to said communications ports and said processor and transferring data messages between said communications ports and lock messages between said ports and said processor,

wherein said device and said second device are coupled together,

wherein said second device is connected to at least one of said nodes and processes lock messages from said nodes to which it is connected, and

wherein said device and said second device exchange lock messages.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said device maintains lock status for the network and said second device forwards lock messages between said nodes and said device.

4. The network of claim 3, further comprising at least one additional second device connected to at least one node, coupled to each of said nodes forming said cluster and said device and transferring data messages between said nodes and receiving lock messages from said nodes, wherein said second device processes lock messages from said nodes to which it is connected, and

wherein said device and said additional second device exchange lock messages.

5. A device for use with a plurality of nodes forming a cluster, each node including a communications port for transferring messages, the messages including data messages for other nodes and lock messages requesting control of a shared resource, the device comprising

a plurality of communications ports for coupling to the nodes;

a processor;

memory coupled to said processor and storing programs executed by said processor; and

logic coupled to said communications ports and said processor and transferring data messages between said communications ports and lock messages between said ports and said processor,

wherein said stored programs include a program for controlling resource locks, said processor executing said lock stored program to process lock messages from the nodes

6. The device of claim 5, the device also for use with a second device for transferring messages, the second device coupled to each of the nodes forming the cluster, the second device transferring data messages between the nodes and receiving lock messages from the nodes,

wherein said device communication ports are further for coupling to the second device,

wherein the device is connectable to at least one of the nodes and processes lock messages from the nodes to which it is connectable, and

wherein the device can exchange lock messages with the second device.

7. A node which is one of a plurality of nodes forming a cluster, the node comprising:

a communications port for transferring messages, said messages including data messages for other nodes and lock messages for requesting control of a shared resource, said communications port for coupling to a device for transferring messages, the device coupled to each of the nodes forming the cluster, the device transferring data messages between the nodes and receiving lock messages from the nodes;

a processor;

memory coupled to said processor and storing programs executed by said processor; and

logic coupled to said communications port and said processor and transferring data messages between said communications port and said processor, said data messages addressed to the other nodes, and transferring lock messages between said communications port and said processor, said lock messages addressed to the device.

8. A method for managing resource locks used by a cluster, the cluster formed by a plurality of nodes, each node including a communications port for transferring messages, the messages including data messages for other nodes and lock messages for requesting control of a shared resource, with each of the nodes coupled to a device for transferring messages, the device transferring data messages between the nodes and receiving lock messages from the nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting data messages from a node, said data messages addressed to another node;

providing said data messages to the addressed node;

transmitting lock messages from a node, said lock messages addressed to the device;

providing said lock messages to the device; and

controlling resource locks in the device based on received lock messages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein there is a second device for transferring messages, the second device coupled to each of the nodes forming the cluster and to the device, the second device transferring data messages between the nodes and receiving lock messages from the nodes, wherein the second device is connected to at least one of the nodes and processes lock messages from the nodes to which it is connected, the method further comprising:

exchanging lock messages between the device and the second device

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the device maintains lock status for the network and the second device forwards lock messages between the nodes and the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein there is at least one additional second device connected to at least one node, coupled to each of the nodes forming the cluster and to the device and processing lock messages from the nodes to which it is connected, the method further comprising:

exchanging lock messages between the device and the additional second device.

12. A device for use with a plurality of nodes forming a cluster, each node including two communications ports for transferring messages, the messages including data messages for other nodes and lock messages for requesting control of a shared resource, one of the communication ports connected to a first fabric and the other of the communications connected to a second fabric for each node, the device comprising:

a plurality of communications ports for coupling to the nodes, at least one of said communications ports for connection to the first fabric and at least one of said communications ports for connection to the second fabric;

a processor;

memory coupled to said processor and storing programs executed by said processor; and

logic coupled to said processor and said communication ports, including said communication port for connection to the first fabric and said communication port for connection to the second fabric, and transferring lock messages between said ports and said processor,

wherein said stored programs include a program for controlling lock status and a program to compare lock status for the first and second fabrics, said processor executing said lock status stored programs to process lock messages from the nodes.

13. The device of claim 12, the device also for use with a second device for transferring messages, the second device coupled to each of the nodes forming the cluster, the second device transferring data messages between the nodes and receiving lock messages from the nodes,

wherein said device communication ports are further for coupling to the second device,

wherein the device is connectable to at least one of the nodes and processes lock messages from the nodes to which it is connectable, and

wherein the device can exchange lock messages with the second device.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the device does not transfer data messages between said communications port for connection to the first fabric and said communications port for connection to the second fabric.