Method and apparatus for managing versioning data in a network data processing system

• US 20060161911A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Paul Stuart, Brown, Michael Wayne, Barrs, John William
• Application Number:
  US11/037,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing versioning data for a state between a first virtual machine on a data processing system and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system. Versioning information is stored in response to a request to generate a version in the first virtual machine. A request is sent to the second virtual machine for the second virtual machine to generate a corresponding version. The version and the corresponding version are used to restore the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine to the prior state. The prior state in the first virtual machine is restored using the stored version when a subsequent request is received to restore the prior state. A subsequent request is sent to the second virtual machine. This request requests restoring the prior state for the second virtual machine using the corresponding version.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the method comprising:

storing versioning information in the data processing system in response to a first request to generate a version in the first virtual machine; and

sending a second request to the second virtual machine for the second virtual machine to generate a corresponding version in response to the request to generate a version in the first virtual machine, wherein the version and the corresponding version are used to restore the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine to the prior state.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to receiving a first subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, restoring the prior state in the first virtual machine using the version; and

sending a second subsequent request to the second virtual machine, wherein the second subsequent request requests restoring the prior state for the second virtual machine using the corresponding version.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual machine selectively restores the prior state in the second virtual machine using the corresponding version based on a policy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the policy defines users for which the second subsequent request will be processed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prior state is for a session between a first application in the first virtual machine and a second application in the second virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is a client application and wherein the second application is a server application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the version includes data in memory managed by the first virtual machine and connection information for a connection between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the corresponding version includes data in memory managed by the second virtual machine and connection information for a connection between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request and the second request are application programming interface calls.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are Java virtual machines.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the version and the corresponding version are associated with a version identifier.

12. A method in a data processing system for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to store versioning information in the data processing system from the second virtual machine on the remote data processing system; and

storing a version containing the versioning information for use in restoring the first virtual machine to the prior state, wherein the version corresponds to another version generated by the first virtual machine for the prior state.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

responsive to receiving a subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, selectively restoring the prior state in the first virtual machine using the version.

14. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine on a data processing system and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for storing versioning information in the data processing system in response to a first request to generate a version in the first virtual machine; and

second instructions for sending a second request to the second virtual machine for the second virtual machine to generate a corresponding version in response to the request to generate a version in the first virtual machine, wherein the version and the corresponding version are used to restore the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine to the prior state.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

third instructions, responsive to receiving a first subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, for restoring the prior state in the first virtual machine using the version; and

fourth instructions for sending a second subsequent request to the second virtual machine, wherein the second subsequent request requests restoring the prior state for the second virtual machine using the corresponding version.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the second virtual machine selectively restores the prior state in the second virtual machine using the corresponding version based on a policy.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the policy defines users for which the second subsequent request will be processed.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the prior state is for a session between a first application in the first virtual machine and a second application in the second virtual machine.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first application is a client application and wherein the second application is a server application.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the version includes data in memory managed by the first virtual machine and connection information for a connection between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the corresponding version includes data in memory managed by the second virtual machine and connection information for a connection between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first request and the second request are application programming interface calls.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are Java virtual machines.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the version and the corresponding version are associated with a version identifier.

25. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine in a data processing system and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a request to store versioning information in the data processing system from the second virtual machine on the remote data processing system; and

second instructions for storing a version for use in restoring the first virtual machine to the prior state, wherein the version corresponds to another version generated by the first virtual machine for the prior state.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:

third instructions, responsive to receiving a subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, for selectively restoring the prior state using the version.

27. A data processing system for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the data processing system comprising:

storing means for storing versioning information in the data processing system in response to a first request to generate a version in the first virtual machine; and

sending means for sending a second request to the second virtual machine for the second virtual machine to generate a corresponding version in response to the request to generate a version in the first virtual machine, wherein the version and the corresponding version are used to restore the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine to the prior state.

28. The data processing system of claim 27 wherein the sending means is a first sending means and further comprising:

restoring means, responsive to receiving a first subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, for restoring the prior state in the first virtual machine using the version; and

second sending means for sending a second subsequent request to the second virtual machine, wherein the second subsequent request requests restoring the prior state for the second virtual machine using the corresponding version.

29. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the second virtual machine selectively restores the prior state in the second virtual machine using the corresponding version based on a policy.

30. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the policy defines users for which the second subsequent request will be processed.

31. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the prior state is for a session between a first application in the first virtual machine and a second application in the second virtual machine.

32. A data processing system for managing versioning data for a prior state between a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine on a remote data processing system, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request to store versioning information in the data processing system from the second virtual machine on the remote data processing system; and

storing means for storing a version for use in restoring the first virtual machine to the prior state, wherein the version corresponds to another version generated by the first virtual machine for the prior state.

33. The data processing system of claim 32 further comprising:

restoring means, responsive to receiving a subsequent request in the first virtual machine to restore the prior state, for selectively restoring the prior state using the version.

34. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of instructions to store versioning information in the data processing system in response to a first request to generate a version in the first virtual machine; and

send a second request to the second virtual machine for the second virtual machine to generate a corresponding version in response to the request to generate a version in the first virtual machine, wherein the version and the corresponding version are used to restore the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine to the prior state.