Semi-hierarchical system and method for administration of clusters of computer resources

• US 20040103166A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sahoo, Ramendra Kumar, Moreira, Jose E., Bae, Myung Mun
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

A system and method for managing clustered computer resources, and more particularly very large scale clusters of computer resources by a semi-hierarchical n level, n+1 tier approach. The top level consists of the controller nodes. A first tier is defined at the top level. At a last level, at which the cluster of controlled nodes is found, a last tier is defined. Additional levels of controller or controlled nodes may exist between the top and bottom levels. At least one intermediate tier is introduced between two of the levels and comprises at least one proxy or a plurality of proxies. A proxy is a process or set of processes representing processes of the clustered computer resources. Proxies can run either on controller nodes or on the controlled nodes or controlled node clusters to facilitate administration of the controlled nodes.

Claims

1. A system for providing management of scalable clusters of computer resources comprising:

at least one level of controller computer resources;

at least one level of controlled computer resources; and

one tier comprising resources in at least one of said levels and comprising at least one proxy interface between said controller and said controlled computer resources.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said proxy represents one or a plurality of processes of the controlled computer resources.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one proxy is provided in at least one of controller and controlled computer resources.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one proxy resource manager runs on at least one controller resource.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said at least one proxy manager can move from one controller resource to another controller resource.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said at least one proxy comprises at least one component for gathering event information from said controlled resources at said last level and for providing event information to said at least one proxy manager.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one proxy additionally comprises at least one component for filtering said event information prior to providing filtered event information to said at least one proxy manager.

8. A system for providing management of scalable clusters of computer nodes, including controlled and controller nodes, comprising:

a first tier of computer resources comprising a plurality of said controller nodes;

a last tier of computer resources comprising a plurality of said controlled nodes; and

an intermediate tier comprising at least one node having a proxy comprising an interface between said controller and said controlled computer resources.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said at least one node having a proxy includes at least one of a controller node and a controlled node.

10. A system for providing management of scalable clusters of computer resources, including controlled and controller resources, comprising:

n levels of computer resources wherein a first level comprises controller resources and a last level comprises at least one cluster of controlled resources; and

n+1 tiers wherein a first tier comprises said first level, a last tier comprises said last level, and an intermediate tier comprising resources in at least one level of resources and comprises at least one resource having a proxy comprising at least one process for representing cluster resources.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said proxy can run on at least one of a controller resource and a controlled resource.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one proxy resource manager runs on at least one controller resource.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one proxy manager can move from one controller resource to another controller resource.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one proxy comprises at least one component for gathering event information from said controlled resources at said last level and for providing event information to said at least one proxy manager.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one proxy additionally comprises at least one component for filtering said event information prior to providing filtered event information to said at least one proxy manager.

16. A method for providing management of a system of computer resources, wherein said computer resources comprise at least controller resources and controlled resources, comprising the steps of:

providing a first tier having at least one controller resource for providing management functions;

providing a last tier having a plurality of controlled resources; and

providing an intermediate tier comprising at least one computer resource with a proxy, said proxy comprising an interface between said controlled resources and said controller resources.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said resources are disposed in multiple levels comprising at least one level of controller resources and at least one level of controlled resources and wherein said providing an intermediate tier comprises defining said tier at resources in at least one of said levels.

18. A method for managing computer resources in a system comprising a first tier of computer resources comprising a plurality of controller resources, a last tier of computer resources comprising a plurality of controlled resources, and at least one intermediate tier comprising at least one proxy which provides an interface between said controller and said controlled computer resources, comprising the steps of:

said proxy gathering event information from said plurality of controlled resources in said last tier;

said proxy filtering said event information; and

said proxy providing said filtered event information to at least one of said plurality of controller resources in said first tier.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising said at least one of said plurality of controller resources managing said plurality of controlled resources in response to said filtered event information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said managing comprises performing predictive analysis.