Automated discovery and inventory of nodes within an autonomic distributed computing system

• US 20060200494A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sparks, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99946 Object-oriented database structure network

Abstract

A distributed computing system conforms to a multi-level, hierarchical organizational model. One or more control nodes provide for the efficient and automated allocation and management of computing functions and resources within the distributed computing system in accordance with the organization model. The model includes four distinct levels: fabric, domains, tiers and nodes that provide for the logical abstraction and containment of the physical components as well as system and service application software of the enterprise. A user, such as a system administrator, interacts with the control nodes to logically define the hierarchical organization of distributed computing system. The control node detects the addition of a node added to the network and automatically identifies attributes for the detected node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically detecting the addition of a node to a network;

automatically identifying attributes for the detected node;

updating a model to store the attributes for the detected node, wherein the model defines an organization of a distributed computing system having a plurality of computing nodes; and

automatically deploying the detected node within the distributed computing system in accordance with the model based on the attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a node comprises:

detecting automatic assignment of a temporary network address to the node; and

analyzing the assignment to determine whether the node is a candidate for deployment as one of the computing nodes within the distributed computing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the assignment comprises:

parsing the assignment of the temporary network address to extract an identifier; and

determining whether the identifier matches one of a set of known types of computing nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a node object within the model upon detecting the node; and

updating the node object to store the attributes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a node comprises:

determining a media access controller (MAC) address for a boot network interface of the detected node; and

storing the MAC address within the node object of the model.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a MAC address comprises:

remotely cycling power on the detected node;

remotely monitoring a console port of the detected node to capture textual configuration information while the detected node reboots; and

parsing the textual configuration to extract the MAC address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a node comprises:

determining whether the detected node is a control node for a plurality of nodes;

creating a respective node object within the model for each of the plurality of the nodes;

automatically identifying attributes for each of the plurality of nodes; and

updating the node objects to store the attributes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically updating the model to assign the detected node to a discovered pool upon detecting the node; and

automatically updating the model to assign the detected node to a free pool upon identifying the attributes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying attributes comprises:

network booting the detected node with a software image that includes an executable inventory process; and

executing the inventory process on the detected node to identify the attributes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein network booting comprises:

configuring a pre-boot execution environment to define the software image to include the inventory process, an operating system kernel, a random access memory (RAM) disk, and a network interface.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

executing the inventory process on the detected node to identify a plurality of network interfaces on the detected node;

determining which of the network interfaces can communicate with each other; and

updating the model to mark the interfaces that can communicate with each other as bonded interfaces.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

executing the inventory process on the detected node to generate inventory data that conforms to a data description language;

sending the inventory data from the detected node to a control node of the distributed computing system; and

updating the model with the control node to store the inventory data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input that defines the model in a hierarchical form that includes a fabric having a one or more domains, and wherein each domain has at least one tier that includes at least one node slot; and

automatically configuring the distributed computing system in accordance with the model.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

mapping software images associated with the computing functions to the node slots in accordance with the attributes;

assigning the computing nodes to the node slots of the tiers; and

deploying the software images on the assigned computing nodes.

15. A distributed computing system comprising:

a plurality of application nodes interconnected via a network; and

a control node that detects the addition of a node to the network and automatically identifies attributes for the detected node.

16. The distributed computing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a database that stores a model that defines an organization for the distributed computing system,

wherein the control unit automatically updates the model to store the attributes for the detected node and deploys the detected node within the distributed computing system in accordance with the model.

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

a dynamic host communication protocol (DHCP) server that assigns a temporary network address to the node,

wherein the control unit comprises a discovery service that detects the assignment of the temporary network address and analyzes the assignment to determine whether the node is a candidate for a computing node to be deployed within the distributed computing system.

18. The distributed computing system of claim 17, wherein the discovery service parses the assignment made by the DHCP server to extract an identifier and determines whether the identifier matches one of a set of known types of computing nodes.

19. The distributed computing system of claim 16, wherein the discovery service creates a node object within the model upon detecting the node, and updates the node object to store the attributes.

20. The distributed computing system of claim 17,

wherein the discovery service executing on the control node remotely cycles power on the detected node and monitors a console port of the detected node to capture textual configuration information when the detected node reboots, and

wherein the discovery service parses the textual configuration to extract a media access control (MAC) address and stores the MAC address within the node object of the model.

21. The distributed computing system of claim 17,

wherein the discovery service determines whether the detected node is a control node for a plurality of nodes and creates a respective node object within the model for each of the plurality of the nodes, and

wherein the discovery service automatically identifies attributes for each of the plurality of nodes and updates the node objects to store the attributes.

22. The distributed computing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a database that stores a model that defines an organization for the distributed computing system,

wherein the control unit comprises;

a discovery service that automatically detects the node and updates the model to add the node to a pool of discovered nodes; and

an inventory service that automatically identifies the attributes and updates the model to assign the node from the pool of discovered nodes to a pool of free nodes available for deployment within the distributed computing system.

23. The distributed computing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software image that includes an executable inventory process,

wherein the control unit comprises an inventory service that network boots the detected node with the software image to identify the attributes.

24. The distributed computing system of claim 23, wherein the inventory service configures a pre-boot execution environment to define the software image to include the inventory process, an operating system kernel, a random access memory (RAM) disk, and a network interface.

25. The distributed computing system of claim 23,

wherein the inventory process executes on the detected node to identify a plurality of network interfaces on the detected node, and

wherein the inventory process determines which of the network interfaces can communicate with each other and marks the interfaces that can communicate with each other as bonded interfaces.

26. The distributed computing system of claim 23,

wherein the inventory process executes on the detected node to generate inventory data that conforms to a data description language, and

wherein the inventory process sends the inventory data from the detected node to the control node for storage within the model.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

detect a node added to a network;

automatically identify attributes for the detected node;

update a model to store the attributes for the detected node, wherein the model defines an organization of a distributed computing system having a plurality of computing nodes; and

automatically deploy the detected node within the distributed computing system in accordance with the model based on the attributes.