Apparatus and method for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a heartbeat link failure
First Claim
1. An apparatus for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a failure of a link coupling the servers on which each server provides a heartbeat to the other server, wherein each of the servers is configured to take over the identity of the other server on a common network in response to detecting a failure of the other server'"'"'s heartbeat on the link, the apparatus comprising:
- a status indicator, provided by each of the servers to indicate whether the other server'"'"'s heartbeat has failed; and
a storage controller, coupled to receive each of said status indicators from the servers, wherein said storage controller determines the link has failed if each of said status indicators indicates the other server'"'"'s heartbeat has failed, wherein said storage controller inactivates one of the servers in response to determining the link has failed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a failure of a link on which each server provides a heartbeat to the other server. Each of the servers is configured to take over the identity of the other server on a common network in response to detecting a failure of the other server'"'"'s link heartbeat. Each server provides a status indicator to a storage controller indicating whether the other server'"'"'s link heartbeat stopped. The storage controller determines the link has failed if both of the status indicators indicate the other server'"'"'s heartbeat stopped, and responsively kills one of the servers. The storage controller also receives a heartbeat directly from each server. If only one direct heartbeat stops when the status indicators indicate the link heartbeats stopped, then the storage controller detects one server has failed and inactivates the failed server.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. An apparatus for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a failure of a link coupling the servers on which each server provides a heartbeat to the other server, wherein each of the servers is configured to take over the identity of the other server on a common network in response to detecting a failure of the other server'"'"'s heartbeat on the link, the apparatus comprising:
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a status indicator, provided by each of the servers to indicate whether the other server'"'"'s heartbeat has failed; and
a storage controller, coupled to receive each of said status indicators from the servers, wherein said storage controller determines the link has failed if each of said status indicators indicates the other server'"'"'s heartbeat has failed, wherein said storage controller inactivates one of the servers in response to determining the link has failed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for deterministically performing active-active failover of first and second redundant servers, the method comprising:
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indicating, by the first server, a first heartbeat previously received on a link from a second server has stopped;
indicating, by the second server, a second heartbeat previously received on the link from the first server has stopped;
determining, by a storage controller, the link has failed in response to said first and second servers indicating the first and second heartbeats on the link have stopped; and
inactivating, by the storage controller, one of the servers in response to said determining. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A network storage appliance, comprising:
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a storage controller; and
redundant servers, coupled to said storage controller, configured to perform active-active failover on a network to which each is coupled, each configured to generate;
a first heartbeat, to the other server on a link coupling said servers;
a second heartbeat, to said storage controller; and
a status, to said storage controller, of said heartbeat received from the other server;
wherein said storage controller is configured to distinguish between a first situation in which one of said redundant servers has failed and a second situation in which said link has failed based on said first heartbeats, said second heartbeats, and said statuses. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification