PROVIDING RESILIENT SERVICES

• US 20120159234A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mehta, Bimal Kumar, Hampapur Parthasarathy, Vijay Kishen, Narayanan, Sankaran, Basci, Erdinc
• Application Number:
  US12/969,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• 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

Described are embodiments directed at providing resilient services using architectures that have a number of failover features including the ability to handle failover of an entire data center. Embodiments include a first server pool at a first data center that provides client communication services. The first server pool is backed up by a second server pool that is located in a different data center. Additionally, the first server pool serves as a backup for the second server pool. The two server pools thus engage in replication of user information that allows each of them to serve as a backup for the other. In the event that one of the data centers fails, requests are rerouted to the backup server pool.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of providing a transparent failover for client services, the method comprising:

identifying that a first server pool that provides client communication services to a plurality of clients is inoperable, wherein the first server pool is located at a first data center;

in response to identifying that the first server pool is inoperable, rerouting requests directed to the first server pool to a second server pool located at a second data center different from the first data center; and

providing the client communication services to the plurality of clients using the second server pool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server cluster accesses client information from a first a database located at the first data center.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a second database provides a backup for the first database and is located within the first data center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the identifying that the first server pool has failed, replicating information from the first server pool to the second server pool.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the replicating comprises:

the first server pool receiving a token from the second server pool, the token indicating a last change received by the second server pool; and

the first server pool sending any information to the second server pool that has changed since the last change received by the second server pool.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the replicating further comprises:

the second sending a second token to the first server pool, the second token indicating a last change received by the first server pool; and

receiving any information that has changed since the last change received by the first server pool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second server pool provides client communication services to a second plurality of clients different from the first plurality of clients.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying, rerouting, and providing are performed automatically.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server pool is inoperable as a result of an administrative action.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server pool is inoperable as a result of a failure of the first data center.

11. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method of providing backup client communication services, the method comprising:

providing client communication services to a plurality of clients with a first plurality of servers in a first server pool located at a first data center;

identifying that a first server of the first plurality of servers has failed;

providing services previously provided by the first server of the first plurality of servers with a different one of the first plurality of servers;

identifying that the first server pool has failed;

in response to identifying that the first server pool has failed, rerouting requests directed to the first server pool to a second plurality of servers in a second server pool located at a second data center different from the first data center; and

providing the client communication services to the plurality of clients with the second plurality of servers in a second server pool.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises establishing a session with a client using a session initiation protocol (SIP) for providing the client services.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the client communications services comprise one or more of presence services, conferencing services instant messaging, and voice services.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises, prior to the identifying that the first server pool has failed, replicating information from the first server pool to the second server pool.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein failure of the first server pool is caused by a failure of the first data center.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second server pool provides client communication services to a second plurality of clients different from the first plurality of clients.

17. A computer system for providing client communication services, the system comprising:

a first plurality of servers in a first server pool providing client communication services to a first plurality of clients and located a first data center, wherein the first plurality of servers are configured to;

in response to an identification of a first server in the first plurality of servers having failed, provide services previously provided by the first server of the first plurality of servers with a different one of the first plurality of servers;

send a token indicating a last change received by the first server pool from a second server pool located at a second data center;

receive any information from the second server pool that has changed since the last change received by the first server pool; and

provide the client communication services to a second plurality of clients when the second server pool fails, the second plurality of clients different from the first plurality of clients.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a first database located at the first data center and used by the first plurality of servers to store information associated with users of the first plurality of clients.

19. The system of claim 18, a second database provides a backup for the first database and is located within the first data center.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein failure of the second server pool is caused by a failure of the second data center.