System and method for distributed management of shared computers

• US 20050097097A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Hunt, Galen C., Welland, Robert V., Hydrie, Aamer, Stutz, David S., Levi, Steven P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A multi-tiered server management architecture is employed including an application development tier, an application operations tier, and a cluster operations tier. In the application development tier, applications are developed for execution on one or more server computers. In the application operations tier, execution of the applications is managed and sub-boundaries within a cluster of servers can be established. In the cluster operations tier, operation of the server computers is managed without concern for what applications are executing on the one or more server computers and boundaries between clusters of servers can be established. The multi-tiered server management architecture can also be employed in co-location facilities where clusters of servers are leased to tenants, with the tenants implementing the application operations tier and the facility owner (or operator) implementing the cluster operations tier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

separating a plurality of computers at a co-location facility into a plurality of clusters;

leasing the clusters to a plurality of tenants; and

allowing secure communications channels to be established between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and an operations management console of the tenant.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least some management of the computers via a landlord operations management console; and

allowing secure communications channels to be established between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the landlord operations management console.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein, for each of the plurality of tenants, the secure communications channels between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the operations management console of the tenant are established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channels between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the landlord operations management console are established using a second public/private key pair.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising implementing cluster boundaries to prevent computers within one of the plurality of clusters from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising implementing cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of computers within a cluster to communicate with other computers within the cluster.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations management console of the tenant is at a location remote from the co-location facility.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the leasing comprises leasing each cluster to a different one of the plurality of tenants, and wherein each of the plurality of computers is included in only one of the plurality of clusters.

8. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the one or more processors to:

allow the computer to be separated into one of a plurality of clusters of computers at a co-location facility, wherein the plurality of clusters are leased to a plurality of tenants; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and an operations management console of one of the plurality of tenants to which the computer is leased.

9. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

allow at least some management of the computer to be performed via a landlord operations management console; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and the landlord operations management console.

10. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the secure communications channel between the computer and the operations management console is established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channel between the computer and the landlord operations management console is established using a second public/private key pair.

11. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to implement cluster boundaries to prevent the computer from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

12. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to implement cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of the computer to communicate with other computers within the same cluster as the computer.

13. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the operations management console is at a location remote from the co-location facility.

14. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of clusters is leased to a different one of the plurality of tenants, and wherein each of the computers is included in only one of the plurality of clusters.

15. A computer comprising:

means for allowing the computer to be separated into one of a plurality of clusters of computers at a co-location facility, wherein the plurality of clusters are leased to a plurality of tenants; and

means for allowing a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and an operations management console of one of the plurality of tenants to which the computer is leased.

16. A computer as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

means for allowing at least some management of the computer to be performed via a landlord operations management console; and

means for allowing a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and the landlord operations management console.

17. A computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the secure communications channel between the computer and the operations management console is established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channel between the computer and the landlord operations management console is established using a second public/private key pair.

18. A computer as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for implementing cluster boundaries to prevent the computer from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

19. A computer as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for implementing cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of the computer to communicate with other computers within the same cluster as the computer.

20. A computer as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of clusters is leased to a different one of the plurality of tenants, and wherein each of the computers is included in only one of the plurality of clusters.

21. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

allow the computer to be separated into one of a plurality of clusters of computers at a co-location facility, wherein the plurality of clusters are leased to a plurality of tenants; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and an operations management console of one of the plurality of tenants to which the computer is leased.

22. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

allow at least some management of the computer to be performed via a landlord operations management console; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computer and the landlord operations management console.

23. A computer as recited in claim 22, wherein the secure communications channel between the computer and the operations management console is established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channel between the computer and the landlord operations management console is established using a second public/private key pair.

24. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement cluster boundaries to prevent the computer from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

25. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of the computer to communicate with other computers within the same cluster as the computer.

26. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the operations management console is at a location remote from the co-location facility.

27. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of clusters is leased to a different one of the plurality of tenants, and wherein each of the computers is included in only one of the plurality of clusters.

28. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprises one or more disks.

29. A computer as recited in claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprises one or more memories.