Transparent service provider

• US 20060015764A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teneros Incorporated (Ongoing Operations LLC)
• Original Assignee: Teneros Incorporated (Ongoing Operations LLC)
• Inventors: Tuma, George, Gupta, Rajesh, Das, Saumitra, Ocko, Matt, Kalia, Manish, Purrier, John, Sukhija, Sandeep
• Application Number:
  US11/166,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015764A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups

Abstract

A service appliance is installed between production servers running service applications and service users. The production servers and their service applications provide services to the service users. The service appliance replicates the service data of service applications and monitors the service application. If the service appliance detects that the service application has failed or is about to fail, the service appliance takes control of the service. Using the replica of the service data, the service appliance responds to service users in essentially the same manner as a fully operational service application and production server and updates its replica of the service data as needed. When the service appliance detects that the service application has resumed functioning, the service appliance automatically synchronizes the data of the service application of the production server with the service appliance'"'"'s data and returns control of the service to the service application and its production server.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service using a service appliance, the method comprising:

connecting a service appliance to a network including a production server providing a first service and a client system accessing the first service, such that network traffic between the production server and the client system is received by the service appliance;

synchronizing a second service provided by the service appliance with the first service;

monitoring the production server; and

in response to a determination that the production server is in a failure condition, substituting a second service in place of the first service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second service has a configuration different from a configuration of the first service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second service is provided by a second service application different from a first service application providing the first service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein substituting the second service in place of the first service further comprises:

monitoring the production server;

synchronizing the first service of the production server with the second service of the service appliance in response to a determination that the production server is operational; and

substituting the first service in place of the second service in response to the completion of synchronization of the first service with the second service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein substituting the second service in place of the first service further comprises:

receiving network traffic directed to the production server;

determining if the network traffic includes a service access;

in response to the network traffic including the service access, providing the network traffic to the second service, such that the second service responds to the service access; and

in response to the network traffic including the service access, blocking at least a portion of the network traffic from the production server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein substituting the second service further comprises:

determining if the network traffic includes an administrative access; and

in response to the network traffic including the administrative access, providing at least a portion of the network traffic to the production server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the second service with the first service comprises:

determining a configuration of the first service;

configuring the second service to be compatible with the configuration; and

replicating service data of the first service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein replicating service data comprises:

(a) initiating a first data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance at a first time, wherein the first data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server prior to the first time;

(b) upon completion of the first data transfer, initiating an additional data transfer of the service data from the production server at a subsequent time, wherein the second data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server between the first time and the subsequent time;

(c) repeating (b) a predetermined number of times.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(d) upon completion of (a), (b), and (c), initiating a wait state of the service appliance;

(e) during the wait state of the service appliance, initiating a further data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance following a time interval, wherein the further data transfers are adapted to copy the service data created by the production server during the time interval.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

continually receiving network traffic directed to the production server;

caching at least a portion of the network traffic directed to the production server; and

upon completion of (a), (b), and (c), initiating a wait state of the service appliance;

during the wait state of the service appliance, providing at least the cached network traffic to the second service; and

during the wait state of the service appliance, providing at least a portion of the cached network traffic to the production server, enabling the first service to respond to the network traffic.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein replicating service data comprises:

(a) initiating a first data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance at a first time, wherein the first data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server prior to the first time;

(b) upon completion of the first data transfer, initiating an additional data transfer of the service data from the production server at a subsequent time, wherein the second data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server between the first time and the subsequent time;

(c) determining if the production server created additional service data following a previous data transfer; and

(d) in response to a determination that the production server has created additional service data following a previous data transfer, repeating (b), (c) and (d) for at least one additional data transfer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(e) upon completion of (a), (b), (c), and (d), initiating a wait state of the service appliance;

(f) during the wait state of the service appliance, initiating a further data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance following a time interval, wherein the further data transfers are adapted to copy the service data created by the production server during the time interval.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

continually receiving network traffic directed to the production server;

caching at least a portion of the network traffic directed to the production server; and

upon completion of (a), (b), (c), and (d), initiating a wait state of the service appliance;

during the wait state of the service appliance, providing at least a portion of the cached network traffic to the second service; and

during the wait state of the service appliance, providing at least [see above] a portion of the cached network traffic to the production server, enabling the first service to respond to the network traffic.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing the first service with the second service further comprises:

(a) initiating a first data transfer of the service data from the service appliance to the production server at a first time, wherein the first data transfer is adapted to copy the service data stored by the service appliance prior to the first time;

(b) upon completion of the first data transfer, initiating an additional data transfer of the service data from the service appliance to the production server at a subsequent time, wherein the second data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the service appliance between the first time and the subsequent time;

(c) determining if the service appliance created additional service data following a previous data transfer; and

(d) in response to a determination that the service appliance has created additional service data following a previous data transfer, repeating (b), (c) and (d) for at least one additional data transfer.

15. A service appliance, comprising:

a network interface adapted to connect with a network including a production server providing a first service and a client system accessing the first service, such that network traffic between the production server and the client system is received by the service appliance;

at least one information processing device adapted to execute at least one software application;

a storage device adapted to store service data; and

at least one software application adapted to provide a second service to the client system;

wherein the service appliance includes;

logic to synchronize the second service provided by the service appliance with the first service;

logic to monitor the production server; and

logic to substitute a second service in place of the first service in response to a determination that the production server is in a failure condition.

16. The service appliance of claim 15, wherein the logic to substitute the second service further comprises:

logic to monitor the production server; and

logic to synchronize the first service of the production server with the second service of the service appliance in response to a determination that the production server is operational; and

logic to substitute the first service in place of the second service in response to the completion of synchronization of the first service with the second service.

17. The service appliance of claim 15, wherein the logic to substitute the second service in place of the first service further comprises:

logic to receive network traffic directed to the production server;

logic to determine if the network traffic includes a service access;

logic to provide the network traffic to the second service in response to the network traffic including the service access, such that the second service responds to the service access; and

logic to block at least a portion of the network traffic from the production server in response to the network traffic including the service access.

18. The service appliance of claim 17, wherein the logic to substitute the second service further comprises:

logic to determine if the network traffic includes an administrative access; and

logic to provide at least a portion of the network traffic to the production server in response to the network traffic including the administrative access.

19. The service appliance of claim 15, wherein the logic to synchronize the second service with the first service comprises:

logic to determine a configuration of the first service;

logic to configure the second service to be compatible with the configuration; and

logic to replicate service data of the first service.

20. The service appliance of claim 19, wherein the logic to replicate service data comprises:

(a) logic to initiate a first data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance at a first time, wherein the first data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server prior to the first time;

(b) logic to initiate an additional data transfer of the service data from the production server at a subsequent time following the completion of the first data transfer, wherein the second data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server between the first time and the subsequent time;

(c) logic to repeat execution of (b) a predetermined number of times.

21. The service appliance of claim 20, further comprising:

(d) logic to initiate a wait state of the service appliance following the execution of (a), (b), and (c);

(e) logic to initiate a further data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance during the wait state of the service appliance and following a time interval, wherein the further data transfers are adapted to copy the service data created by the production server during the time interval.

22. The service appliance of claim 20, further comprising:

logic to continually receive network traffic directed to the production server;

logic to cache at least a portion of the network traffic directed to the production server; and

logic to initiate a wait state of the service appliance following the execution of (a), (b), and (c);

logic to provide at least the cached network traffic to the second service during the wait state of the service appliance; and

logic to provide at least a portion of the cached network traffic to the production server during the wait state of the service appliance, thereby enabling the first service to respond to the network traffic.

23. The service appliance of claim 19, wherein the logic to synchronize the first service with the second service further comprises:

(a) logic to initiate a first data transfer of the service data from the service appliance to the production server at a first time, wherein the first data transfer is adapted to copy the service data stored by the service appliance prior to the first time;

(b) logic to initiate an additional data transfer of the service data from the service appliance to the production server at a subsequent time upon completion of the first data transfer, wherein the second data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the service appliance between the first time and the subsequent time;

(c) logic to determine if the service appliance created additional service data following a previous data transfer; and

(d) logic to repeat execution of (b), (c) and (d) for at least one additional data transfer in response to a determination that the service appliance has created additional service data following a previous data transfer.

24. The service appliance of claim 23, further comprising:

(e) logic to initiate a wait state of the service appliance upon completion of the execution of (a), (b), (c), and (d);

(f) logic to initiate a further data transfer of the service data from the production server to the service appliance during the wait state of the service appliance and following a time interval, wherein the further data transfer is adapted to copy the service data created by the production server during the time interval.

25. The service appliance of claim 23, further comprising:

logic to continually receive network traffic directed to the production server;

logic to cache at least a portion of the network traffic directed to the production server; and

logic to initiate a wait state of the service appliance upon completion of the execution of (a), (b), (c), and (d);

logic to provide at least the cached network traffic to the second service during the wait state of the service appliance; and

logic to providing at least a portion of the cached network traffic to the production server during the wait state of the service appliance, thereby enabling the first service to respond to the network traffic.