Server pool management method

• US 20070094396A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takashige, Soichi, Takano, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• 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 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources

Abstract

Standby computers are dynamically divided into groups according to the difference between the software thereof and the software required of a business system. When a computer is made available, the standby computers divided into groups by software structure are searched and an appropriate one is extracted to quickly complete the construction of the software environment. An active computer, if to be transferred to standby mode, is associated with the group having the same software structure as the business system with which the active computer has thus far operated. The active/standby states of the computers are monitored, and the standby computers are changed thereby to widen the possible range of application to other business systems, removing copy operation of disk images from the active computer to the standby computers.

Claims

1. An information system comprising a plurality of interconnected computers, a plurality of business systems operated by the computers, and a load balancer through which the plurality of the business systems are accessible;

wherein the computers include;

at least one of the computers (hereinafter referred to as first active computers) to operate a first one of the business systems;

at least one of the computers (hereinafter referred to as second active computers) to operate a second one of the business systems different from the first business system;

at least one of the computers (hereinafter referred to as first standby computers) configured of the same software as the whole or part of the software of the first active computer and standing by to operate the first business system; and

at least one of the computers (hereinafter referred to as second standby computers) configured of the same software as the whole or part of the software of the second active computer and standing by to operate the second business system.

2. An information system according to claim 1, having the function of removing the whole or part of the software of one of the first standby computers.

3. An information system according to claim 1, having the function whereby at least one of the computers having the software shared by the first business system and the second business system is rendered to stand by.

4. An information system according to claim 2, having the function whereby the same environment as the software of the second standby computer is constructed for the one of the first standby computers with the whole or part of the software thereof removed.

5. An information system according to claim 3,

wherein the function, whereby at least one of the computers is rendered to stand by, is exhibited after the lapse of a predetermined length of unbusy time.

6. An information system according to claim 4,

wherein the same environment as the software of the second standby computer is constructed by selecting the total time including the time required to copy the disk image collectively and the time to construct new software or the total time including the time required to remove the whole or part of the software and the time required to construct new software, whichever is shorter.