Method and system for determining application availability

• US 20070156889A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhrara, Raminder, Watkins, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

A method and system for determining an availability of an application. Pairs of processes utilized by the application are determined. Each pair includes consumer and provider processes. For each pair, a diagnostic transaction is initiated by the pair'"'"'s consumer process, utilizes an application programming interface (API) to open a connection between the consumer process and provider process and to request access to a resource managed by the provider process. Any communication between a pair'"'"'s consumer and provider processes uses the same API. The diagnostic transaction is completed by receiving or not receiving, at the consumer process, a response from the pair'"'"'s provider process where the response provides the requested access. Receipt of the response designates the provider process as available to the application, whereas non-receipt of the response designates the provider process as unavailable. If responses are received for all diagnostic transactions, the application is available.

Claims

1. A method of determining an availability of an application in a computing environment, comprising:

determining a plurality of pairs of processes utilized by said application, wherein each pair includes a first process designated as a consumer process and a second process designated as a provider process, wherein said consumer process accesses a resource provided by said provider process;

initiating, by one process (CP) designated as said consumer process and included in a pair of said plurality of pairs, a diagnostic transaction between said CP and another process (PP) designated as said provider process and included in said pair,

wherein said diagnostic transaction utilizes an application programming interface (API) of a plurality of APIs to open a connection between said CP and said PP and to request an access to a resource managed by said PP, said API utilized by said CP and said PP to perform any communication therebetween;

completing said diagnostic transaction via receiving, at said CP, a response from said PP providing said access, or via not receiving said response at said CP;

designating said PP as available to said application in response to said completing via said receiving said response, or as unavailable to said application in response to said completing via said not receiving said response;

repeating said initiating, said completing, and said designating until each pair of said plurality of pairs is utilized by said initiating, said completing, and said designating; and

determining an availability of said application based on no process of said plurality of pairs being designated unavailable via said designating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initiating comprises initiating, by a driver component of said CP, said diagnostic transaction,

wherein said completing comprises completing said diagnostic transaction via said receiving or said not receiving said response at said driver component from a test component of said PP,

wherein said CP includes a first set of one or more components other than said driver component,

wherein said PP includes a second set of one or more components other than said test component, said one or more components included in said first set associated with said one or more components included in said second set in a one-to-one correspondence,

wherein said designating said PP as available is based on said driver component receiving said response from said test component without being based on a communication between a first component of said first set of one or more components and a second component of said second set of one or more components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said designating said PP as unavailable indicates a failure of said application, wherein said PP is responsible for said failure, and wherein said method further comprises:

performing a corrective action in response to said failure of said application, said performing comprising at least one of;

re-routing communications associated with said application away from said PP;

starting one or more new processes to be utilized by said application instead of said PP; and

adding one or more servers to service said application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining a topology of said application, said topology including:

a plurality of processes utilized by said application, said plurality of processes grouped into said plurality of pairs of processes, wherein a process of said plurality of processes is capable of being in one or more pairs of said plurality of pairs;

said plurality of APIs, each API of said plurality of APIs associated with one or more pairs of said plurality of pairs;

a plurality of servers, wherein one or more processes of said plurality of processes are deployed and executed on each server of said plurality of servers; and

a plurality of sets of configuration data, each set of said plurality of sets of configuration data associated with a process of said plurality of processes,

wherein said topology is capable of being represented by a directed graph including a plurality of pairs of vertices and a plurality of edges, wherein each pair of said plurality of pairs of vertices represents a pair of processes of said plurality of pairs of processes, and each edge of said plurality of edges represents an API of said plurality of APIs that is utilized for any communication between said first process and said second process of said pair of processes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating an adjacency matrix based on said directed graph, said adjacency matrix including a plurality of elements, each element identified by a row of a plurality of rows and a column of a plurality of columns,

wherein an element of said plurality of elements having a pre-defined value indicates a connection between a first process and a second process of said plurality of processes that is not available, and having a value other than said pre-defined value indicates that said connection is available and indicates an API of said plurality of API that is utilized to communicate between said first process and said second process via said connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said topology includes redundancy, said redundancy including a first provider process of said plurality of processes and a second provider process of said plurality of processes having identical functionality,

wherein said designating designates said first provider process as unavailable, and

wherein said method further comprises:

performing a union of a first row of elements of said adjacency matrix and a second row of elements of said adjacency matrix, said first row being associated with said first provider process and said second row being associated with said second provider process; and

re-routing a communication initially designated to be sent from a first consumer process of said plurality of processes to said first consumer process, said re-routing designating said communication to be sent from said first consumer process to said second provider process, instead of to said first provider process, wherein said union provides a value that is not said pre-defined value and is associated with said first consumer process.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising defining said topology in an XML file.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating an adjacency matrix based on said directed graph, said adjacency matrix including a plurality of elements, each element identified by a row of a plurality of rows and a column of a plurality of columns,

wherein an element of said plurality of elements having a pre-defined value indicates a connection between a first process and a second process of said plurality of processes that is not available, and having a value other than said pre-defined value indicates that said connection is available and indicates an API of said plurality of API that is utilized to communicate between said first process and said second process via said connection.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said topology includes redundancy, said redundancy including a first provider process of said plurality of processes and a second provider process of said plurality of processes having identical functionality,

wherein said designating designates said first provider process as unavailable, and

wherein said system further comprises:

means for performing a union of a first row of elements of said adjacency matrix and a second row of elements of said adjacency matrix, said first row being associated with said first provider process and said second row being associated with said second provider process; and

means for re-routing a communication initially designated to be sent from a first consumer process of said plurality of processes to said first consumer process, said re-routing designating said communication to be sent from said first consumer process to said second provider process, instead of to said first provider process, wherein said union provides a value that is not said pre-defined value and is associated with said first consumer process.

8. A system for determining an availability of an application in a computing environment, comprising:

means for determining a plurality of pairs of processes utilized by said application, wherein each pair includes a first process designated as a consumer process and a second process designated as a provider process, wherein said consumer process accesses a resource provided by said provider process;

means for initiating, by one process (CP) designated as said consumer process and included in a pair of said plurality of pairs, a diagnostic transaction between said CP and another process (PP) designated as said provider process and included in said pair,

wherein said diagnostic transaction utilizes an application programming interface (API) of a plurality of APIs to open a connection between said CP and said PP and to request an access to a resource managed by said PP, said API utilized by said CP and said PP to perform any communication therebetween;

means for completing said diagnostic transaction via receiving, at said CP, a response from said PP providing said access, or via not receiving said response at said CP;

means for designating said PP as available to said application in response to said completing via said receiving said response, or as unavailable to said application in response to said completing via said not receiving said response;

means for repeating said initiating, said completing, and said designating until each pair of said plurality of pairs is utilized by said initiating, said completing, and said designating; and

means for determining an availability of said application based on no process of said plurality of pairs being designated unavailable via said designating.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for initiating comprises means for initiating, by a driver component of said CP, said diagnostic transaction,

wherein said completing comprises completing said diagnostic transaction via said receiving or said not receiving said response at said driver component from a test component of said PP,

wherein said CP includes a first set of one or more components other than said driver component,

wherein said PP includes a second set of one or more components other than said test component, said one or more components included in said first set associated with said one or more components included in said second set in a one-to-one correspondence,

wherein said designating said PP as available is based on said driver component receiving said response from said test component without being based on a communication between a first component of said first set of one or more components and a second component of said second set of one or more components.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said designating said PP as unavailable indicates a failure of said application, wherein said PP is responsible for said failure, and wherein said system further comprises:

means for performing a corrective action in response to said failure of said application, said means for performing comprising at least one of;

means for re-routing communications associated with said application away from said PP;

means for starting one or more new processes to be utilized by said application instead of said PP; and

means for adding one or more servers to service said application.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for automatically determining a topology of said application, said topology including:

a plurality of processes utilized by said application, said plurality of processes grouped into said plurality of pairs of processes, wherein a process of said plurality of processes is capable of being in one or more pairs of said plurality of pairs;

said plurality of APIs, each API of said plurality of APIs associated with one or more pairs of said plurality of pairs;

a plurality of servers, wherein one or more processes of said plurality of processes are deployed and executed on each server of said plurality of servers; and

a plurality of sets of configuration data, each set of said plurality of sets of configuration data associated with a process of said plurality of processes,

wherein said topology is capable of being represented by a directed graph including a plurality of pairs of vertices and a plurality of edges, wherein each pair of said plurality of pairs of vertices represents a pair of processes of said plurality of pairs of processes, and each edge of said plurality of edges represents an API of said plurality of APIs that is utilized for any communication between said first process and said second process of said pair of processes.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for defining said topology in an XML file.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium including computer-usable program code for determining an availability of an application in a computing environment, said computer program product including:

computer-usable code for determining a plurality of pairs of processes utilized by said application, wherein each pair includes a first process designated as a consumer process and a second process designated as a provider process, wherein said consumer process accesses a resource provided by said provider process;

computer-usable code for initiating, by one process (CP) designated as said consumer process and included in a pair of said plurality of pairs, a diagnostic transaction between said CP and another process (PP) designated as said provider process and included in said pair,

wherein said diagnostic transaction utilizes an application programming interface (API) of a plurality of APIs to open a connection between said CP and said PP and to request an access to a resource managed by said PP, said API utilized by said CP and said PP to perform any communication therebetween;

computer-usable code for completing said diagnostic transaction via receiving, at said CP, a response from said PP providing said access, or via not receiving said response at said CP;

computer-usable code for designating said PP as available to said application in response to said completing via said receiving said response, or as unavailable to said application in response to said completing via said not receiving said response;

computer-usable code for repeating said initiating, said completing, and said designating until each pair of said plurality of pairs is utilized by said initiating, said completing, and said designating; and

computer-usable code for determining an availability of said application based on no process of said plurality of pairs being designated unavailable via said designating.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein said computer-usable code for initiating comprises computer-usable code for initiating, by a driver component of said CP, said diagnostic transaction,

wherein said completing comprises completing said diagnostic transaction via said receiving or said not receiving said response at said driver component from a test component of said PP,

wherein said CP includes a first set of one or more components other than said driver component,

wherein said PP includes a second set of one or more components other than said test component, said one or more components included in said first set associated with said one or more components included in said second set in a one-to-one correspondence,

wherein said designating said PP as available is based on said driver component receiving said response from said test component without being based on a communication between a first component of said first set of one or more components and a second component of said second set of one or more components.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein said designating said PP as unavailable indicates a failure of said application, wherein said PP is responsible for said failure, and wherein said program product further comprises:

computer-usable code for performing a corrective action in response to said failure of said application, said computer-usable code for performing comprising at least one of;

computer-usable code for re-routing communications associated with said application away from said PP;

computer-usable code for starting one or more new processes to be utilized by said application instead of said PP; and

computer-usable code for adding one or more servers to service said application.

18. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a process of determining an availability of an application in a computing environment, said process comprising:

determining a plurality of pairs of processes utilized by said application, wherein each pair includes a first process designated as a consumer process and a second process designated as a provider process, wherein said consumer process accesses a resource provided by said provider process;

initiating, by one process (CP) designated as said consumer process and included in a pair of said plurality of pairs, a diagnostic transaction between said CP and another process (PP) designated as said provider process and included in said pair,

wherein said diagnostic transaction utilizes an application programming interface (API) of a plurality of APIs to open a connection between said CP and said PP and to request an access to a resource managed by said PP, said API utilized by said CP and said PP to perform any communication therebetween;

completing said diagnostic transaction via receiving, at said CP, a response from said PP providing said access, or via not receiving said response at said CP;

designating said PP as available to said application in response to said completing via said receiving said response, or as unavailable to said application in response to said completing via said not receiving said response;

repeating said initiating, said completing, and said designating until each pair of said plurality of pairs is utilized by said initiating, said completing, and said designating; and

determining an availability of said application based on no process of said plurality of pairs being designated unavailable via said designating.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said initiating comprises initiating, by a driver component of said CP, said diagnostic transaction,

wherein said completing comprises completing said diagnostic transaction via said receiving or said not receiving said response at said driver component from a test component of said PP,

wherein said CP includes a first set of one or more components other than said driver component,

wherein said PP includes a second set of one or more components other than said test component, said one or more components included in said first set associated with said one or more components included in said second set in a one-to-one correspondence,

wherein said designating said PP as available is based on said driver component receiving said response from said test component without being based on a communication between a first component of said first set of one or more components and a second component of said second set of one or more components.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said designating said PP as unavailable indicates a failure of said application, wherein said PP is responsible for said failure, and wherein said process further comprises:

performing a corrective action in response to said failure of said application, said performing comprising at least one of;

re-routing communications associated with said application away from said PP;

starting one or more new processes to be utilized by said application instead of said PP; and

adding one or more servers to service said application.