SERVER CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• US 20070299906A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vong, Ky Tong, Bose, Patrick Glen
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In one embodiment, methods and systems for change management are described. A server system may include a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server. A server change group may include one or more server change objects. Each server change object may represent a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server. A change manager may receive a request for a change to the server system, select transitioning change objects from among the server change objects to transition the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, and execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

a server change group comprising one or more server change objects, each server change object represents a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server; and

a change manager, the change manager to receive a request for a change to the server system, to select transitioning change objects from among the server change objects to transition the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, and to execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system.

2. The system of claim 1, where each server change object of the one or more server change objects comprises at least one of:

a get state process to obtain a current state of the server change associated with the server change object to the server system,

an execute process to run the server change associated with the server change object,

a reserve process to ready the server system for the execute process, or

a get/set message process to convey messages during execution of the server change associated with the server change object.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a task manager, the task manager to receive the transitioning change objects from the change manager, to schedule execution of the transitioning change objects, and to implement the change associated with the transitioning change objects to the server system as a change task.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the change task implements a change listener object, the change listener object configured to provide a message regarding execution of the change to an associated transitioning change object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the change is assigning the physical server to the virtual server in the server system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server change group further comprises:

a completion status criterion to indicate a state of a completed change; and

a continue-on-failure state to indicate whether the server change group should continue to be executed when a requested change associated with a server change object of the server change group has failed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the change manager further comprises:

a release process to unlock a resource of the server system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the change manager further comprises:

an execute process to run the server change associated with the transitioning change object.

9. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

means for accessing one or more server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

means for selecting from among the server change objects one or more transitioning change objects for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more server change objects including a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server; and

means for executing the transitioning change objects within the server system to implement the change to the server system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein means for executing the transitioning change objects within the server system to implement the change to the server system comprises:

means for executing at least one of the transitioning change objects within the server system;

means for determining whether the at least one of the transitioning change objects was successfully executed; and

means for halting execution of a remaining number of the transitioning change objects when execution of the at least one of the transitioning change objects does not satisfy at least one of a completion status criterion or a continue-on-failure state.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

accessing one or more server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

selecting from among the server change objects one or more transitioning change objects for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more server change objects including a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server; and

executing the transitioning change objects within the server system to implement the change to the server system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the transitioning change objects within the server system comprises:

executing at least one of the transitioning change objects within the server system;

determining whether the at least one of the transitioning change objects was successfully executed; and

halting execution of a remaining number of the transitioning change objects when execution of the at least one of the transitioning change objects does not satisfy at least one of a completion status criterion or a continue-on-failure state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein “

finish none”

is the completion status criterion.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

reserving the change to the server system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein reserving the change to the server system comprises locking one or more resources of the server system.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

preparing the server change objects to be executed in parallel.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extracting a state of the change of the transitioning change objects during execution; and

recording the extracted state of the change.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the change is assigning a physical server to a virtual server in the server system.

19. Logic encoded in one or more tangible medium for execution and when executed operable to:

receive a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

access one or more server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

select from among the server change objects one or more transitioning change objects for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more server change objects including a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server; and

execute the transitioning change objects within the server system to implement the change to the server system.

20. The logic encoded in one or more tangible medium of claim 19, further comprising logic operable to:

extract a state of the change of the transitioning change objects during execution; and

record the extracted state of the change.