PERFORMANCE NEUTRAL HEARTBEAT FOR A MULTI-TASKING MULTI-PROCESSOR ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090217291A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Helmer, Leornard W. JR., Errickson, Richard K., Houston, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• 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

A computer program product, apparatus and method for providing a performance neutral heartbeat in a computer communication system, the computer program product including a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method including maintaining a send flag, maintaining a receive flag, determining that a heartbeat timer has activated, checking a state of the send flag to determine if packets have been sent since a prior heartbeat timer activation and checking a state of the receive flag to determine if packets have been received since a prior heartbeat timer activation.

Claims

1. A computer program product for providing a performance neutral heartbeat in a computer communication system, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

maintaining a send flag;

maintaining a receive flag;

determining that a heartbeat timer has activated;

checking a state of the send flag to determine if packets have been sent since a prior heartbeat timer activation; and

checking a state of the receive flag to determine if packets have been received since a prior heartbeat timer activation.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises in response to the send flag being set, clearing the send flag.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises in response to the send flag not being set, building a heartbeat message and sending the heartbeat message.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises in response to the receive flag being set clearing the receive flag.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 4 wherein the method further comprises setting a heartbeat state to an idle state.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises in response to the receive flag not being set setting a heartbeat state to a timeout condition state.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises counting heartbeat intervals.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the method further comprises in response to a passage of a predetermined number of heartbeat intervals, determining that a communications link is not viable.

9. A performance neutral heartbeat apparatus for a computer communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a communication handler;

a send operation residing on the communication handler and configured to set a data sent flag;

a receive operation residing on the communication handler and configured to set a data received flag; and

a timer handler function coupled to the data sent flag and the data receive flag.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the send operation is configured to set the data sent flag in response to the communication handler sending a data packet on a communication link.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the receive operation is configured to set the data received flag in response to the communication handler receiving a data packet on a communication link.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the timer handler function is configured to check the data sent flag and the data receive flag in response to a pop of a heartbeat timer.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the communication handler is configured to send a heartbeat message over a communication link in response to the data sent flag and the data receive flag not being set.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the data sent flag and the data receive flag are configured to be re-set in response to the heartbeat message being sent.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a heartbeat state indicator coupled to the communication handler and configured to record a state of a heartbeat associated with the communication system.

16. A method for providing a performance neutral heartbeat in a computer communication system, the method comprising:

maintaining a send flag;

maintaining a receive flag;

determining that a heartbeat timer has activated;

checking a state of the send flag to determine if packets have been sent since a prior heartbeat timer activation; and

checking a state of the receive flag to determine if packets have been received since a prior heartbeat timer activation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising in response to the send flag being set, clearing the send flag.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising in response to the send flag not being set, building a heartbeat message and sending the heartbeat message.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising in response to the receive flag being set clearing the receive flag and setting a heartbeat state to an idle state.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising in response to the receive flag not being set setting a heartbeat state to a timeout condition state.