System for joining a cluster by cloning configuration

• US 20040267913A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Koneru, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/505 Clust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements

Abstract

The present invention clones configuration information onto a device joining a cluster. A Configuration Acquisition System (CAS) component, which, using a list of attributes to be cloned, connects to a cluster member, interacts with the cluster member to retrieve all the attributes, reconciles the values of the attributes from the cluster member with the values of the attributes in its own configuration and applies the reconciled configuration to its Configuration Subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for cloning a node associated with a cluster, comprising:

determining configuration information to clone from the cluster; and

automatically cloning the configuration information onto the node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the configuration information to clone from the cluster further comprises connecting to a cluster member and retrieving the configuration information from the cluster member.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reconciling the retrieved configuration information with a local configuration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises adding an attribute to the local configuration when it is determined that the attribute from the cluster member does not exist in the local configuration.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises removing an attribute from the local configuration when it is determined that the attribute in the local configuration does not exist in the cluster member'"'"'s configuration.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises changing the local configuration when an attribute from the cluster member exists in the local configuration but has a different value.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein cloning the configuration information onto the node further comprises applying the reconciled configuration information onto the node.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when to trigger the cloning of the node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining when to trigger the cloning of the node further comprises triggering the cloning on at least one of the following events:

a joining of the node;

a rebooting of the node;

a reconnection of the node; and

upon a predetermined user action.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the cloning is successful and when the cloning is successful adding the node to the cluster, and when the cloning is not successful, creating an error.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the CAS further comprises:

a secure transport configured to transport messages;

an CAS server coupled to the secure transport; and

an CAS client coupled to the secure transport.

11. A system for cloning a node associated with a cluster, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with cluster members;

a memory configured to store configuration information relating to the cluster;

a configuration acquisition system (CAS) configured to distribute the configuration information to the node; and

a processor configured to perform actions, including;

determining the configuration information to clone from the cluster; and

cloning the configuration information onto the node.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration information to clone from the cluster further comprises connecting to a cluster member and interacting with the cluster member to retrieve the configuration information.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising reconciling the retrieved configuration information with a local configuration associated with the CAS.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises adding an attribute to the local configuration when it is determined that the attribute from the cluster member does not exist in the local configuration.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises removing an attribute from the local configuration when it is determined that the attribute in the local configuration does not exist in the cluster member'"'"'s configuration.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein reconciling the retrieved configuration information, further comprises changing the local configuration when an attribute from the cluster member exists in the local configuration but has a different value.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein cloning the configuration information onto the node further comprises applying the reconciled configuration information onto the node.

19. An apparatus for cluster management, comprising:

means for determining configuration information to clone from the cluster; and

means for automatically cloning the configuration information onto the node.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein means for determining the configuration information to clone from the cluster further comprises means for connecting to a cluster member and means for retrieving the configuration information from the cluster member.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for reconciling the retrieved configuration information with a local configuration.