Method for controlling a management computer

• US 20060218279A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Atsushi, Yamaguchi, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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

Abstract

A method for controlling a management computer connected to a server for permitting communications therebetween, wherein the server transmits to a client the result of processing executed in response to each processing request sent from the client. The management computer stores an allowance for a value indicative of a load on the server, receives from the server a value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests from the client and the value indicative of the load on the server. The management computer calculates an allowance for the value calculated from the number of processing requests, based on the value calculated from the number of processing requests, the allowance for the value indicative of the load, and the value indicative of the load, and transmits to the server the calculated allowance for the value calculated from the number of processing requests.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a management computer connected to a server for permitting communication therebetween, wherein said server transmits to a client a result of processing for each processing request sent from said client, and said management computer stores an allowance for a value indicative of a load on said server, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said management computer a value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests received by said server from said client, and the value indicative of the load on said server from said server;

calculating in said management computer an allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests based on the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests, the allowance for the value indicative of the load, and the value indicative of the load; and

transmitting the calculated allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests from said management computer to said server.

2. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 1, wherein:

said management computer calculates the allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests by multiplying the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests by a ratio of the allowance for the value indicative of the load to the value indicative of the load.

3. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 1, wherein:

said value indicative of a load on said server is a utilization ratio for a CPU included in said server, and

said value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests is the number of processing requests received by said server from said client within a predetermined time period.

4. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

repeatedly receiving at said management computer the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests and the value indicative of the load from said server;

calculating in said management computer the allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests each time said management computer receives the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests and the value indicative of the load; and

transmitting the calculated allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests from said management computer to said server each time the allowance value is calculated in said management computer for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests.

5. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 1, wherein said management computer is connected to a plurality of servers for permitting communications therebetween, and stores an allowance for a value indicative of a load on each of said plurality of servers, said each server transmitting to a client a result of processing for each processing request sent from said client, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving at said management computer the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests, and the value indicative of the load from each of said servers;

calculating an allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests for each of said servers in said management computer; and

transmitting the allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests calculated for each of said servers from said management computer to each of said server.

6. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 5, wherein said management computer is connected to a load balancer for permitting communications therebetween, said load balancer provided for distributing processing requests sent from said client for transmission to each of said servers, said method further comprising the steps of:

calculating in said management computer a combination of values indicative of a distribution ratio in which said load balancer distributes processing requests received from said client to said respective servers, based on the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests and the value indicative of the load received from each of said servers; and

transmitting the combination of values indicative of the calculated distribution ratio from said management computer to said load balancer.

7. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 6, wherein:

said combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio indicates the ratio of the respective values, each of which is calculated by dividing each value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests received from each of said servers by each value indicative of the load.

8. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

repeatedly receiving at said management computer the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests and the value indicative of the load from each of said servers;

calculating in said management computer the combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio each time said management computer receives the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests and the value indicative of the load; and

transmitting the calculated combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio from said management computer to said load balancer each time the combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio is calculated.

9. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 4, wherein:

said allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests is calculated by said management computer which multiplies the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests by a ratio of the allowance for the value indicative of the load to the value indicative of the load.

10. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 9, wherein:

said management computer stores the allowance calculated at the previous time for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests as a previously calculated allowance, and

said management computer calculates the allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests, based on a value calculated by multiplying the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests by a ratio of the allowance for the value indicative of the load to the value indicative of the load, and the previously calculated allowance.

11. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 10, wherein:

said allowance for the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests is an average of a value calculated by multiplying the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests by the ratio of the allowance for the value indicative of the load to the value indicative of the load, and the previously calculated allowance.

12. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 8, wherein:

said combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio indicates a ratio of respective values, each of which is calculated by dividing the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests received from each of said servers by the value indicative of the load on said each server.

13. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 12, wherein:

said management computer stores each value calculated by dividing the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests calculated for each of said servers at the previous time by the value indicative of the load as a previously calculated allowance, and

said management computer calculates the combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio based on the values, each of which is calculated by dividing the value calculated on the basis of the number of processing requests calculated for each of said servers by the value indicative of the load, and the respective previously calculated values thereof.

14. A method for controlling a management computer according to claim 13, wherein:

said combination of values indicative of the distribution ratio indicates a ratio of averages of the respective values, each of which is derived by dividing the value calculated for each of said servers on the basis of the number of processing requests by the value indicative of the load, and the respective previously calculated values thereof.

15. In a computer system comprising a server for executing information processing in response to a processing request received from a client, and a management computer for executing information processing in response to a message received from said server, said server comprising an index value calculation unit for calculating an index value for use in determining whether or not a message should be sent to said management computer based on the number of processing requests received from said client, a criterion storage unit for storing a criterion for use in determining whether or not a message should be transmitted to said management computer, a transmission determination unit for comparing said index value with said criterion to determine whether or not the message should be transmitted to said management computer, and a load detection unit for detecting a value indicative of a load on said server, said management computer comprising a load allowance storage unit for storing an allowance for the value indicative of the load on said server, a method for controlling said management computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving the value indicative of the load on said server, and the index value from said server at said management computer;

calculating in said management computer the criterion based on the value indicative of the load on said server, the index value, and an allowance stored in said load allowance storage unit for the value indicative of the load on said server; and

transmitting the calculated criterion from said management computer to said server.

16. In a computer system comprising a server for executing information processing in response to a processing request received from a client, and a management computer for executing information processing in response to a message received from said server, a method for controlling said server, wherein said server comprises an information processing execution unit for executing the information processing in response to the processing request received from said client, a processing request count storage unit for storing the number of processing requests received from said client, and a criterion storage unit for storing a criterion for use in determining whether or not a message should be transmitted to said management computer, said method comprising the steps of:

calculating in said server an index value for use in determining whether or not a message should be transmitted to said management computer based on the number of processing requests stored in said processing request count storage unit;

comparing the calculated index value with the criterion stored in said criterion storage unit in said server to determine whether or not the message should be transmitted to said management computer; and

transmitting the message from said server to said management computer in accordance with a result of the determination.

17. A method for controlling a server according to claim 16, wherein:

said processing request count storage unit stores the number of processing requests received from said client within a predetermined time period,

said server repeatedly updates the number of processing requests stored in said processing request count storage unit,

said server calculates a new index value each time said server updates the number of processing requests, and said server makes the determination as to whether or not the message should be transmitted to said management computer each time said server calculates a new index value.

18. A method for controlling a server according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

repeatedly receiving at said server an information transmission request for calculating a new criterion from said management computer;

transmitting a value indicative of a load on said server and the calculated index value from said server to said management computer each time said server receives the transmission request;

receiving at said server a new criterion calculated by said management computer based on the transmitted value indicative of the load on said server, the transmitted index value, and an allowance for the value indicative of the load on said server stored in said management computer from said management computer; and

updating the criterion stored in said criterion storage unit to the new criterion in said server each time said server receives the new criterion.

19. A method for controlling a server according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

incrementing in said server the number of processing requests stored in said processing request count storage unit each time said server receives a processing request from said client; and

calculating in said server an index value for use in determining whether or not the message should be transmitted to said management computer, each time said server increments the number of processing requests stored in said processing request count storage unit, to make the determination as to whether or not the message should be transmitted to said management computer.

20. A method for controlling a server according to claim 19, wherein:

said server comprises a message transmission storage unit for storing information indicating that a message has been transmitted to said management computer,

said server erases the information stored in said message transmission storage unit when the calculated index value is smaller than the criterion, and

said server does not transmit a message to said management computer irrespective of the result of the determination as to whether or not the message should be transmitted management computer when said message transmission storage unit stores the information indicating that the message has been transmitted to said management computer.