Distributed high availability system and method

• US 20050259572A1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiaramonte, Michael R., Esfahany, Kouros H.
• Application Number:
  US11/132,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20050259572A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 network of computer resources includes a plurality of heterogeneous nodes. Each node meets predetermined minimum standards. The nodes are interconnected, either directly or indirectly, to one another over a high-speed data network. A distributed service layer circulates status data pertaining to the plurality of heterogeneous nodes throughout the interconnection of nodes.

Claims

1. A network of computer resources, comprising:

a plurality of heterogeneous nodes, each meeting predetermined minimum standards, interconnected, either directly or indirectly, to one another over a high-speed data network; and

a distributed service layer for circulating status data pertaining to the plurality of heterogeneous nodes throughout the interconnection of nodes.

2. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a distributed service layer for providing parallel processing of one or more applications throughout said system of interconnected nodes.

3. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a distributed service layer for providing fail-over such that execution of an application on one node may be seamlessly transferred to another node in the event that said one node fails.

4. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a distributed service layer for providing load balancing such that execution of an application may occur on one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes based on node availability.

5. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a shared storage system for sharing data amongst said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said shared storage system is a distributed storage area network (SAN).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein data is replicated over said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes are geographically diverse.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein execution of an application may occur on one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes based on proximity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein data-flow path interruptions are automatically resolved by rerouting data over said high-speed data network

11. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a thin-server executing on a distributed service layer for providing fault tolerance and high availability.

12. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising an application program interface (API) for providing in

13. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a distributed service layer for providing execution of an application throughout said system of interconnected nodes, wherein a parent-process is executed on said service layer for providing execution and said parent-process restarts said application when said application stops executing.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said application restarts said parent-process when said parent process stops executing.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein an application installed on one of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes may be made available to each of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.

16. A method for utilizing a network of computer resources, comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of heterogeneous nodes, each meeting predetermined minimum standards, either directly or indirectly, to one another over a high-speed data network; and

circulating status data pertaining to the plurality of heterogeneous nodes throughout the interconnection of nodes.

17. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of providing parallel processing of one or more applications throughout said system of interconnected nodes.

18. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of providing fail-over such that execution of an application on one node may be seamlessly transferred to another node in the event that said one node fails.

19. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of providing load balancing such that execution of an application may occur on one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes based on node availability.

20. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of sharing data amongst said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of sharing is performed by a distributed storage area network (SAN).

22. The method of claim 16, wherein data is replicated over said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes are geographically diverse.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein execution of an application may occur on one or more of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes based on proximity.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein data-flow path interruptions are automatically resolved by rerouting data over said high-speed data network

26. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of executing a thin-server on a distributed service layer for providing fault tolerance and high availability.

27. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of providing an application program interface (API) for providing in

28. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising the step of providing execution of an application throughout said system of interconnected nodes, wherein a parent-process is executed on said service layer for providing execution and said parent-process restarts said application when said application stops executing.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said application restarts said parent-process when said parent process stops executing.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein an application installed on one of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes may be made available to each of said plurality of heterogeneous nodes.