COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DETERMINATION OF REMOTE ADAPTER AND/OR NODE LIVENESS

• US 20080291837A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schmuck, Frank B., Chang, Chun-Shi, Knop, Felipe, Lin, Tseng-Hui
• Application Number:
  US12/182,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291837A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The determination of node and/or adapter liveness in a distributed network data processing system is carried out via one messaging protocol that can be assisted by a second messaging protocol which is significantly less susceptible to delay, especially memory blocking delays encountered by daemons running on other nodes. The switching of protocols is accompanied by controlled grace periods for needed responses. This messaging protocol flexibility is also adapted for use as a mechanism for controlling the deliberate activities of node addition (birth) and node deletion (death).

Claims

1. An apparatus for data processing comprising:

a connected network of data processing nodes having operating systems for controlling said nodes together with programs at each node for controlling the interconnection of said nodes into groups of nodes;

first program means within one of said nodes for periodically sending from said one node, to at least one other node in said network, a first message which is also expected to be periodically received at said at least one other node, said first message being sent by a daemon program running on said one node; and

second program means within said at least one other node for sending a second message to said one node after having failed to receive said first message within a certain number of said periods, said second message being directed to an other program running on said one node, said other program being less susceptible than said first program means to being delayed.