Method for early failure detection in a server system and a computer system utilizing the same

• US 20060031521A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilk, Tomasz F.
• Application Number:
  US10/842,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3096 wherein the means or processing minimize the use of computing system or of computing system component resources, e.g. non-intrusive monitoring which minimizes the probe effect: sniffing, intercepting, indirectly deriving the monitored data from other directly available data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• 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 method and system for detecting a failing server of a plurality of servers is disclosed. In a first aspect, the method comprises monitoring load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via at least one switch module, and determining whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server. In a second aspect, a computer system comprises a plurality of servers coupled to at least one switch module, a management module, and a failure detection mechanism coupled to the management module, wherein the failure detection mechanism monitors load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via the at least one switch module and determines whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a failing server of a plurality of servers comprising:

a) monitoring load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via at least one switch module; and

b) determining whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

c) transmitting a warning message if the server is failing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the load balancing data comprises a delay time between a first message from a client to a server and a second message from the server to the client in response to the first message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the load balancing data comprises a server'"'"'s response time during an initial TCP handshake.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining step (b) further comprises:

(b1) determining whether the delay time exceeds a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value is at least an order of magnitude greater than an expected delay time in seconds.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining step (b) further comprises:

(b2) if the delay time does exceed the threshold value, determining whether the delay time exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the delay time exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced, the server is failing.

9. A computer readable medium containing a program for detecting a failing server of a plurality of servers, comprising instructions for:

a) monitoring load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via at least one switch module; and

b) determining whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising the instruction for:

c) transmitting a warning message if the server is failing.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the load balancing data comprises a delay time between a first message from a client to a server and a second message from the server to the client in response to the first message.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the load balancing data comprises a server'"'"'s response time during an initial TCP handshake.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the determining instruction (b) further comprises:

(b1) determining whether the delay time exceeds a threshold value.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the threshold value is at least an order of magnitude greater than an expected delay time in seconds.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determining instruction (b) further comprises:

(b2) if the delay time does exceed the threshold value, determining whether the delay time exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein if the delay time exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced, the server is failing.

17. A system for detecting a failing server of a plurality of servers comprising:

at least one switch module coupled to the plurality of servers; and

a failure detection mechanism coupled to each of the plurality of switch modules, wherein the failure detection mechanism monitors load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via the at least one switch module and determines whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the failure detection mechanism transmits a warning message if the server is failing.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the load balancing data comprises a delay time between a first message from a client to a server and a second message from the server to the client in response to the first message.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the load balancing data comprises a server'"'"'s response time during an initial TCP handshake.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the failure detection mechanism further determines whether the delay time exceeds a threshold value.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the threshold value is at least an order of magnitude greater than an expected delay time in seconds.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one switch module executes a load balancing algorithm that reduces traffic to a server based on the delay time.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the failure detection mechanism further determines whether the delay time for a server exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced, wherein if the delay time exceeds the threshold value after traffic to the server has been reduced, the server is failing.

25. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of servers;

at least one switch module coupled to the plurality of servers;

a management module coupled to each of the plurality of servers and to each of the at least one switch modules; and

a failure detection mechanism coupled to the management module, wherein the failure detection mechanism monitors load balancing data for each of the plurality of servers via the at least one switch module and determines whether a server is failing based on the load balancing data associated with the server.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the failure detection mechanism causes the management module to transmit a warning message if the server is failing.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the load balancing data comprises a delay time between a first message from a client to a server and a second message from the server to the client in response to the first message.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the load balancing data comprises a server'"'"'s response time during an initial TCP handshake.