Restarting processes in distributed applications on blade servers

• US 20040210898A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Zachmann, Guenther, Sauermann, Volker, Becker, Wolfgang, Bergen, Axel Von, Schwarz, Arne
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/203 using migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/85 Active fault masking without idle spares
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for restarting a process running on a first processor includes preparing a second processor, copying process context information to the second processor, starting a second process using the context information on the second processor, and terminating a first process running on the first processor. The second process performs an equivalent function to the first process.

Claims

1. A method for restarting a process running on a first processor, the method comprising:

preparing a second processor;

copying process context information to the second processor;

starting a second process on the second processor, the second process using the context information; and

terminating a first process running on the first processor,

wherein the second process performs an equivalent function to the first process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first processor is associated with a first blade in a blade server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second processor is associated with a second blade in a blade server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first processor is associated with a first blade in a first blade server and the second process is associated with a second blade in a second blade server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing the second processor includes:

installing an operating system; and

installing application software.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein preparing the second processor further includes configuring the operating system and the application software.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing the second processor includes activating a cold reserve spare processor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein copying process context information to the second processor includes copying control data to the second processor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein copying process context information to the second processor includes copying process data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the process data includes dynamic data and wherein copying the dynamic data includes:

creating a checkpoint of the dynamic data; and

copying the checkpoint to the second processor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein starting the second process on the second processor includes notifying a controller that the second process is active.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein starting the second process on the second processor further includes notifying the controller that the first process is inactive.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides one or more functions in a distributed fast cache system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides one or more functions in a distributed data store system.

15. A blade system comprising:

a first blade executing a process providing a service;

a second blade; and

a controller,

wherein the blade system is operable to restart the process on the second blade such that the service is available while the process is restarted.

16. The blade system of claim 15 wherein the first blade and the second blade are on different blade servers.

17. The blade system of claim 15 wherein the process is periodically restarted.

18. The blade system of claim 15 wherein the controller manages multiple processes.

19. The blade system of claim 18 wherein the controller receives a client request and forwards the client request to one or more of the multiple processes to satisfy the request.

20. The blade system of claim 19 wherein the controller forwards the client request to the process if the client request is for the service.

21. The blade system of claim 20 wherein the process may be restarted by starting a new process to provide the service and configuring the controller to forward the client request to the new process if the client request is for the service.