Method and Apparatus for Cross-Tier Management in Multi-Tier Computing System Architecture

• US 20080215729A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Surendra, Maheswaran, Diao, Yixin, Shaikh, Hidayatullah Habeebullah
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing cross-tier management in a multi-tier computing system architecture. For example, a method for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system includes a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system, includes the steps of monitoring performance of the second tier from the first tier, and sending one or more management commands from the first tier to the second tier based on the monitored performance. In one embodiment, the first tier may be an application server tier of the computing system, and the second tier may be a database server tier of the computing system.

Claims

1. A method for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system comprises a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring performance of the second tier from the first tier; and

sending one or more management commands from the first tier to the second tier based on the monitored performance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier comprises an application server tier of the computing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second tier comprises a database server tier of the computing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second tier comprises a node agent for receiving the one or more management commands such that management control in the first tier extends to the second tier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second tier comprises an interface for abstracting the one or more management commands with respect to one or more provider-specific database management plug-in modules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier and the second tier implement a management model comprising a manageability extension layer, a manageability abstraction layer and a managed resource layer.

7. A method for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system comprises a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending performance data from the second tier to the first tier; and

receiving one or more management commands from the first tier at the second tier based on the monitored performance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first tier comprises an application server tier of the computing system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second tier comprises a database server tier of the computing system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the second tier comprises a node agent for receiving the one or more management commands such that management control in the first tier extends to the second tier.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the second tier comprises an interface for abstracting the one or more management commands with respect to one or more provider-specific database management plug-in modules.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first tier and the second tier implement a management model comprising a manageability extension layer, a manageability abstraction layer and a managed resource layer.

13. Apparatus for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system comprises a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system;

the apparatus comprising;

a node agent at the second tier configured to;

(i) send performance data from the second tier to the first tier; and

(ii) receive one or more management commands from the first tier at the second tier based on the monitored performance; and

an interface at the second tier configured to abstract the one or more management commands with respect to one or more provider-specific database management plug-in modules.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first tier comprises an application server tier of the computing system.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second tier comprises a database server tier of the computing system.

16. A method for managing one or more goals in a system that comprises two or more tiers, whereby work progressively flows from tier-to-tier of the system, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating one or more directives from a higher-level tier to a lower-level tier; and

converting the one or more directives at the lower-level tier into instructions executable by a management component specific to the lower-level tier so as to effect the one or more system goals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein work progressively flows from a first tier to a second tier and subsequently from the second tier to at least a third tier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communicating step and the converting step further comprise:

communicating one or more directives from the first tier to the second tier; and

converting the one or more directives at the second tier into instructions executable by a management component specific to the second tier.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communicating step and the converting step further comprise:

communicating one or more directives from the second tier to the third tier; and

converting the one or more directives at the third tier into instructions executable by a management component specific to the third tier.

20. A system for providing cross-tier management of resources in a computer system, comprising:

a manageability extension layer comprising node agent code on a managed resource tier for receiving one or more control and configuration commands for the managed resource from an application server tier;

a manageability abstraction layer comprising code for interacting with a management interface and thereby defining a service provider interface for abstracting the one or more control and configuration commands; and

a managed resource layer comprising resource-specific code for controlling a managed resource within the managed resource layer.