Management of software images for computing nodes of a distributed computing system

• US 20060173993A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henseler, David A., Cahir, Margaret, Gilbertson, Jeanne C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed to software image management within a distributed computing system. The distributed computing system includes a plurality of application nodes interconnected via a communications network, and an image repository storing a plurality of pre-generated software image instances. A control node may pre-assign a network address to each of the image instances stored within the image repository, and assigns the network addresses of the image instances to the application nodes upon subsequent deployment of the software images to the application nodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a master software image for a type of computing function to be deployed within a distributed computing system;

generating K software image instances from the master software image, wherein the distributed computing system is configured to deploy a maximum of K of the software image instances for the type of computing function; and

deploying the software image instances on M application nodes within the distributed computing system, where M≦

K.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the image instances within a software image repository.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

designating the image instances deployed on the application nodes as active; and

designating the image instances that have not been deployed as inactive.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pre-assigning a network address to each of the image instances; and

when deploying the image instances, assigning the network addresses of the image instances to the application nodes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein assigning a network address to each of the image instances comprises assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a host name to each of the image instances.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the master software image by temporarily installing an operating system and one or more software applications on a computing node and copying the installed software.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a data structure that stores data defining each of the image instances including:

an instance identification that identifies an instance number and a version of the master software image from which the image instance was created,

a network address associated with the image instance, and

a status indicating whether the image instance is currently deployed on one of the application nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a need to deploy an additional one of the image instances;

selecting one of the image instances that has not been deployed; and

deploying the selected image instance on an additional application node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a need comprises automatically detecting a high processing load on the application nodes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a need comprises receiving input from a system administrator requesting deployment of the additional image instances.

11. A distributed computing system comprising:

a plurality of application nodes interconnected via a communications network; and

an image repository storing a plurality of K pre-generated software image instances, wherein K represents a maximum number of the software image instances to be deployed within the distributed computing system for a similar computing function.

12. The distributed computing system of claim 11, further comprising a control node coupled to a communications network, wherein the control node deploys a subset of the K software image instances on M of the application nodes within the distributed computing network, where M≦

K.

13. The distributed computing system of claim 12, wherein the control node pre-assigns a network address to each of the image instances stored within the image repository, and assigns the network addresses of the image instances to the application nodes when deploying the image instances.

14. The distributed computing system of claim 12,

wherein the image repository stores a master software image for a type of computing function to be deployed within a distributed computing system, and

wherein the control nodes generates the software image instances from the master software image.

15. The distributed computing system of claim 14, wherein each of the image instances includes:

(1) a copy of a first portion of the master image software that will be writable once deployed, and (2) a read-only reference to a remaining portion of the master image.

16. The distributed computing system of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the control node presents a user interface to receiving a request to deploy an additional image instance, and

wherein the control node selects one of the image instances that has not been deployed and deploys the selected image instance on an additional application node.

17. The distributed computing system of claim 11, further comprising a database storing data that designates the image instances associated with the deployed application nodes as active, and designates the image instances that have not been associated with the deployed application as inactive.

18. The distributed computing system of claim 11, wherein the data includes:

an instance identification that identifies an instance number and a version of the master software image from which the image instance was created,

a network address associated with the image instance, and

a status indicating whether the image instance is currently deployed.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable process to:

present a first user interface to receive input identifying a master software image for a type of computing function to be deployed within a distributed computing system;

present a second user interface to receive input identifying a maximum number of software image instances that can be deployed within the distributed computing system for the type of computing function; and

generate a software image instance from the master software image for each of the image instances that can be deployed.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

deploy a respective one of the software image instances on M of the application nodes within the distributed computing system, where M is less than the maximum number of software instances that can be deployed for the computing function.