System and method for distributed management of shared computers

• US 20050108381A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• 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 7,200,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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:

allowing a tenant to which a cluster of one or more computers at a facility have been leased to communicate with the one or more computers; and

implementing cluster boundaries at the facility to prevent computers within the cluster from communicating with computers in another cluster.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the facility comprises a co-location facility.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowing comprises establishing secure communications channels between the one or more computers and a corresponding tenant operations management console.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the cluster boundaries are implemented at a first tier of a multi-tiered management architecture; and

allowing the tenant operations management console, implemented in a second tier of the multi-tiered management architecture, to establish sub-boundaries within the cluster.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the sub-boundaries within the cluster prevents one or more computers in the cluster from communicating with one or more other computers in the cluster.

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

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

establishing secure communications channels between each of the plurality of computers and the landlord operations management console.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the landlord operations management console is located at the facility.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cluster includes one or more additional computers that have not been leased to the tenant.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the implementing cluster boundaries comprises adding one or more filters to each of the one or more computers in the cluster.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the implementing cluster boundaries further comprises including, in filters of each of the one or more computers, the addresses of the other computers at the facility that are not in the cluster.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

allowing the tenant to establish sub-boundaries within the cluster to prevent one or more computers in the cluster from communicating with one or more other computers in the cluster.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein allowing the tenant to establish sub-boundaries comprises allowing the tenant to add one or more additional filters to one or more computers in the cluster, wherein each of the one or more additional filters is at least as restrictive as the one or more filters added in implementing the cluster boundaries.

13. A computer comprising:

a controller including an interface via which a tenant to which a cluster of computers at a facility have been leased can communicate with the computer, wherein the computer is included in the cluster;

a plurality of filters, each filter restricting communication with one or more other computers at the facility; and

wherein the controller uses the plurality of filters to implement a cluster boundary at the facility to prevent the computer from communicating with other computers in other clusters.

14. A computer as recited in claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of filters indicates that no data can be sent to a particular one or more of the other computers.

15. A computer as recited in claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of filters indicates that no data can be received from a particular one or more of the other computers.

16. A computer as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of filters includes an address of one of the other computers in one of the other clusters.

17. A computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the facility comprises a co-location facility.

18. A computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the other computers in the other clusters have been leased to one or more other tenants.

19. A computer as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

one or more additional filters, each of the one or more additional filters restricting communication with one or more computers in the cluster of computers; and

wherein the controller uses the one or more additional filters to implement a sub-boundary within the cluster of computers to prevent the computer from communicating with one or more additional computers in the cluster.

20. A computer as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the one or more additional filters is at least as restrictive as the plurality of filters.

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

allow a tenant to which a cluster of one or more computers at a facility have been leased to communicate with the one or more computers; and

implement cluster boundaries at the facility to prevent computers within the cluster from communicating with computers in another cluster.

22. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 21, wherein the facility comprises a co-location facility.

23. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 21, wherein to allow the tenant to communicate with the one or more computers is to establish secure communications channels between the one or more computers and a corresponding tenant operations management console.

24. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein:

the cluster boundaries are implemented at a first tier of a multi-tiered management architecture; and

wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to allow the tenant operations management console, implemented in a second tier of the multi-tiered management architecture, to establish sub-boundaries within the cluster.

25. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein each of the sub-boundaries within the cluster is to prevent one or more computers in the cluster from communicating with one or more other computers in the cluster.

26. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

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

establish secure communications channels between each of the plurality of computers and the landlord operations management console.

27. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 26, wherein the landlord operations management console is located at the facility.

28. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 21, wherein to implement cluster boundaries is to add one or more filters to each of the one or more computers in the cluster.

29. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 28, wherein to implement cluster boundaries is further to include, in filters of each of the one or more computers, the addresses of the other computers at the facility that are not in the cluster.

30. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

allow the tenant to establish sub-boundaries within the cluster to prevent one or more computers in the cluster from communicating with one or more other computers in the cluster.

31. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 30, wherein to allow the tenant to establish sub-boundaries is to allow the tenant to add one or more additional filters to one or more computers in the cluster, wherein each of the one or more additional filters is at least as restrictive as the one or more filters added in implementing the cluster boundaries.

32. A system comprising:

means for allowing a tenant to which a cluster of one or more computers at a facility have been leased to communicate with the one or more computers; and

means for implementing cluster boundaries at the facility to prevent computers within the cluster from communicating with computers in another cluster.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein the means for implementing cluster boundaries comprises means for adding one or more filters to each of the one or more computers in the cluster.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the filters of each of the one or more computers include the addresses of the other computers at the facility that are not in the cluster.

35. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising:

means for allowing the tenant to establish sub-boundaries within the cluster to prevent one or more computers in the cluster from communicating with one or more other computers in the cluster.

36. A system as recited in claim 35, wherein the means for allowing the tenant to establish sub-boundaries comprises means for allowing the tenant to add one or more additional filters to one or more computers in the cluster, wherein each of the one or more additional filters is at least as restrictive as the one or more filters added in implementing the cluster boundaries.