Discovering and monitoring server clusters

• US 20060195561A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Joanovic, Vlad, Voloshin, Vitaly, Keane, Thomas W., Findik, Ferit
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

In a server cluster, multiple nodes may host one or more virtual servers. Virtual servers that may be hosted by particular nodes are identified. From the nodes, status is provided as to nodes that are actively hosting virtual servers and status of nodes whether they are actively hosting or not hosting a virtual server. Failover events are indicated, including transition of a virtual server from a failed node to another node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying one or more virtual servers that may be hosted;

receiving approval to host one or more of the identified virtual servers;

indicating whether one or more of the approved virtual servers is actively hosted; and

monitoring status of the one or more approved virtual servers that are actively hosted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying is performed on a server cluster that includes the one or more virtual servers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying includes creating node and virtual server relationships.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating is provided to nodes of a server cluster and a management server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring is performed based on a cache of rules provided by a management server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring is performed as to status of a node that hosts one or more of the virtual servers, if no virtual servers are actively hosted.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an alert as to a failover of a node that hosts one or more of the virtual servers.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the providing an alert includes an indication that one or more of the virtual servers successfully or unsuccessfully transitions to another node.

9. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 1.

10. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a monitoring system agent that is accessed and controlled by the processor, wherein the monitoring system agent discovers virtual servers of a server cluster that the computer may host.

11. The computer of claim 10 wherein the monitoring system agent includes a management pack of that includes a cache of monitoring rules.

12. The computer of claim 10 wherein the monitoring system agent includes a cluster management component that discovers the virtual servers of the server cluster that the computer may host and tracks status of virtual servers that the computer actively hosts.

13. The computer of claim 10 wherein the monitoring system agent tracks status of virtual servers hosted by the computer.

14. The computer of claim 10 wherein the monitoring system agent tracks status of other computers that host virtual servers.

15. The computer of claim 10 wherein the monitoring system agent identifies failover events including successful transition of a virtual server that was hosted by the computer prior to the failover event to another computer.

16. The computer of claim 10 wherein the approval of the computer to host one or more of the virtual servers is performed through the monitoring system agent.

17. A server cluster comprising:

one or more virtual servers; and

multiple nodes, wherein each node may host one or more of the virtual servers and monitors status of other nodes in the server cluster.

18. The server cluster of claim 17 wherein a node of the multiple nodes monitors a virtual server if the node actively hosts the virtual server.

19. The server cluster of claim 17 wherein a node of the multiple nodes monitors other nodes that actively host one or more of the virtual servers.

20. The server cluster of claim 17 wherein the multiple nodes track failover events that occur in the server cluster.