Method and system for coordinated multiple cluster failover

• US 20080250267A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precisely Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vision Solutions Incorporated (Precisely Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Simpson, Scott, Brown, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1482 by means of middleware or OS functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence

Abstract

Hyperclusters are a cluster of clusters. Each cluster has associated with it one or more resource groups, and independent node failures within the clusters are handled by platform specific clustering software. The management of coordinated failovers across dependent or independent resources running on heterogeneous platforms is contemplated. A hypercluster manager running on all of the nodes in a cluster communicates with platform specific clustering software regarding any failure conditions, and utilizing a rule-based decision making system, determines actions to take on the node. A plug-in extends exit points definable in non-hypercluster clustering technologies. The failure notification is passed to other affected resource groups in the hypercluster.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating availability of data processing resources between first and second clusters of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a disruption event associated with the first cluster;

deriving a local action code from a hypercluster rules list, the local action code corresponding to the disruption event and containing a cluster activation sequence; and

transmitting the local action code to an active cluster manager for execution of the cluster activation sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing views of the first and second clusters of nodes amongst each of the first and second clusters of nodes, view synchrony being determined by a token.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving the local action code includes:

translating the disruption event to a universal event code with a translation table, the translation table including a first sequence of disruption events and a second sequence of universal event codes correlated thereto.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the universal event code is referenced to derive the local action code from the hypercluster rules list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cluster activation sequence includes dependencies therebtween, the dependencies establishing the timing and order of the cluster activation sequence.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the local action code to the active cluster manager is in response to receiving a confirmation code representative of completion of one step in the cluster activation sequence as defined by the dependencies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the disruption event is received in response to one or more of the nodes of the first cluster being deactivated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an inactive cluster manager generates the disruption event, the inactive cluster manager running on the one or more of the nodes of the first cluster being deactivated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the disruption event is generated on the first cluster becoming unavailable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the nodes of the first cluster run a first operating system; and

the nodes of the second cluster run a second operating system different from the first operating system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cluster manager is running on one of the nodes of the first cluster, the cluster activation sequence being executed thereon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising relaying the disruption event to the second cluster.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cluster manager is running on one of the nodes of the second cluster, the cluster activation sequence being executed thereon.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updates to the hypercluster rules list from a hypercluster configuration module; and

applying the updates to the hypercluster rules list.

15. An apparatus for coordinating availability of data processing resources between a local node in a first cluster and a remote node, the apparatus comprising:

a local event receiver for capturing local disruption events;

an event translator for translating the local disruption event to a universal event code;

a hypercluster event receiver for capturing remote disruption events from one of the nodes of the second cluster; and

a router for correlating the universal event code to a cluster activation sequence in accordance with a set of hypercluster rules.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the nodes each run a cluster manager specific to the respective platform of the node.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the local disruption events are generated by the cluster manager running on the local node.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the remote disruption event is generated by a router connected to the cluster manager on the remote node.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the cluster activation sequence includes a local action code representative of modifying the operational state of the local node.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a local action handler in communication with the cluster manager of the local node for transmitting the local action code from the router thereto.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a hypercluster event dispatcher in communication with the router for relaying the universal event code to the remote node.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the remote node is associated with the first cluster.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the remote node is associated with a second cluster.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the hypercluster rules list defines dependencies within the cluster activation sequence.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a rule propagation module for receiving changes to the hypercluster rules list from the remote node, the rule propagation module further verifying the changes and applying the changes to the hypercluster rules list.

26. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for coordinating availability of data processing resources between first and second clusters of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a disruption event associated with the first cluster;

deriving a local action code from a hypercluster rules list, the local action code corresponding to the disruption event and containing a cluster activation sequence; and

transmitting the local action code to an active cluster manager for execution of the cluster activation sequence.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein deriving the local action code includes:

translating the disruption event to a universal event code with a translation table, the translation table including a first sequence of disruption events and a second sequence of universal event codes correlated thereto.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the local action code includes dependencies between the nodes of the second cluster, the dependencies establishing the timing and order of the cluster activation sequence.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the disruption event is received in response to one or more of the nodes of the first cluster being deactivated.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the disruption event is generated on the first cluster becoming unavailable.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the active cluster manager is running on one of the nodes of the first cluster, the cluster activation sequence being executed thereon.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the active cluster manager is running on one of the nodes of the second cluster, the cluster activation sequence being executed thereon.