Method and system for initiating execution of software in response to a state

• US 20070061418A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noatak Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Berg, Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing

Abstract

An information processing system comprises a first computing device configured to receive state information through a first port and selectively initiate execution of a software application by the first computing device when a state of at least one of the first computing device and a second computing device is a first state, and the second computing device through a second port when the state is a second state, the software application being associable with one or more software objects.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to;

receive state information through a first port; and

selectively initiate execution of a software application by;

the first computing device when a state of at least one of the first computing device or a second computing device is a first state; and

the second computing device through a second port when the state is a second state, the software application being associable with one or more software objects.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the software application is a socket-based application.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the state is a synchronized state of at least the first and second computing devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the state includes information for identifying a group of software applications executed by the first and second computing devices.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the state indicates whether the software application has an associated listening socket.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the software application is a first software application, and wherein the first computing device is configured to, in response to execution of the first software application and the state, selectively initiate execution of a second software application by the second computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to selectively initiate execution of the software application by the second computing device by transmitting a data packet to the second computing device through the second port.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are servers in a server farm.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the state is maintained in a state table.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device comprises an intelligent network interface controller.

11. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving state information through a first port; and

selectively initiating execution of a software application by;

the first computing device when a state of at least one of the first computing device or a second computing device is a first state; and

the second computing device through a second port when the state is a second state, the software application being associable with one or more software objects.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the software application is a socket-based application.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the state is a synchronized state of at least the first and second computing devices.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the state includes information for identifying a group of software applications executed by the first and second computing devices.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the state indicates whether the software application has an associated listening socket.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the software application is a first software application, and further comprising:

in response to execution of the first software application and the state, selectively initiating execution of a second software application by the second computing device.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein selectively initiating execution of the software application by the second computing device comprises transmitting a data packet to the second computing device through the second port.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are servers in a server farm.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining a state table based on the received state information.

28. The method of claim 11 wherein the first computing device comprises an intelligent network interface controller.

20. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device comprising;

means for receiving state information from a second computing device through a first port; and

means for selectively initiating execution of a software application by;

the first computing device when a state of at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device is a first state; and

the second computing device through a second port when the state is a second state, the software application being associable with one or more software objects.

21. The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are servers in a server farm.

29. The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the software application is a socket-based application.

30. The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the state of at least one of the first computing device and the second computing device is a synchronized state of at least the first and second computing devices.

31. The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the state includes information for identifying a group of software applications executed by the first and second computing devices.

32. The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the state indicates whether the software application has an associated listening socket.

33. The information processing system of claim 20 further comprising means for maintaining a state table based on the received state information.

22. A computer-readable memory medium containing instructions that, when executed by a first computing device, cause the first computing device to process information by performing a method comprising:

receiving state information through a first port; and

selectively initiating execution of a software application by;

the first computing device when a state of at least one of the first computing device or a second computing device is a first state; and

the second computing device through a second port when the state is a second state, the software application being associable with one or more software objects.

23. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 22 wherein the state is a synchronized state of at least the first and second computing devices.

24. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 22 wherein the state includes information for identifying a group of software applications executed by the first and second computing devices.

25. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 22 wherein the state indicates whether the software application has an associated listening socket.

26. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 22 wherein the software application is a first software application, and the method further comprises:

in response to execution of the first software application and the state, selectively initiating execution of a second software application by the second computing device.

27. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 22 further comprising a data structure for maintaining the received state information.