SCALABLE FAULT TOLERANT SUPPORT IN A CONTAINERIZED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20180113770A1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HASANOV, Khalid, LEMARINIER, Pierre, RAFIQUE, Muhammad M., VENUGOPAL, Srikumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,216,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1482 by means of middleware or OS functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Embodiments for providing failure tolerance to containerized applications by one or more processors. A layered filesystem is initialized to maintain checkpoint information of stateful processes in separate and exclusive layers on individual containers. A most recent checkpoint layer is transferred from a main container exclusively to an additional node to maintain an additional, shadow container.

Claims

1. A method for providing failure tolerance to containerized applications by one or more processors, comprising:

initializing a layered filesystem to maintain checkpoint information of stateful processes in separate and exclusive layers on individual containers; and

transferring a most recent checkpoint layer from a main container exclusively to an additional node to maintain an additional, shadow container.

2. The method of claim 1, further including implementing a maintenance schedule for the main and shadow containers, including transferring additional checkpoint layers at regular intervals.

3. The method of claim 2, further including organizing the most recent checkpoint layer and additional layers such that the most recent checkpoint layer is a topmost layer.

4. The method of claim 1, further including starting a failed process from the most recent checkpoint layer on the shadow container.

5. The method of claim 2, further including upon starting one of the containerized applications, determining whether one of the most recent checkpoint layer or additional checkpoint layers exists locally on the main container, otherwise loading the most recent checkpoint layer from the shadow container on the additional node.

6. The method of claim 1, further including initializing a filesystem layer service (FLS) that:

determines, following a failure of the main container, which node to execute the shadow container, or

signals the availability of a new checkpoint layer to the additional node.

7. The method of claim 6, further including, subsequent to executing the shadow container, orchestrating a local copy of the most recent checkpoint layer on the node in which the shadow container is executed.

8. A system for providing failure tolerance to containerized applications, comprising:

one or more processors, that;

initialize a layered filesystem to maintain checkpoint information of stateful processes in separate and exclusive layers on individual containers, and

transfer a most recent checkpoint layer from a main container exclusively to an additional node to maintain an additional, shadow container.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors implement a maintenance schedule for the main and shadow containers, including transferring additional checkpoint layers at regular intervals.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors organize the checkpoint layer and additional layers such that the most recent checkpoint layer is a topmost layer.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors start a failed process from the most recent checkpoint layer on the shadow container.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors, upon starting one of the containerized applications, determining whether one of the most recent checkpoint layer or additional checkpoint layers exists locally on the main container, otherwise loading the most recent checkpoint layer from the shadow container on the additional node.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors initialize a filesystem layer service (FLS) that:

determines, following a failure of the main container, which node to execute the shadow container, or

signals the availability of a new checkpoint layer to the additional node.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, subsequent to executing the shadow container, orchestrate a local copy of the most recent checkpoint layer on the node in which the shadow container is executed.

15. A computer program product for providing failure tolerance to containerized applications by one or more processors, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion that initializes a layered filesystem to maintain checkpoint information of stateful processes in separate and exclusive layers on individual containers; and

an executable portion that transfers a most recent checkpoint layer from a main container exclusively to an additional node to maintain an additional, shadow container.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that implements a maintenance schedule for the main and shadow containers, including transferring additional checkpoint layers at regular intervals.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further including an executable portion that organizes the most recent checkpoint layer and additional layers such that the most recent checkpoint layer is a topmost layer.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that starts a failed process from the stored checkpoint layer on the shadow container.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that, upon starting one of the containerized applications, determines whether one of the most recent checkpoint layer or the additional checkpoint layers exists locally on the main container, otherwise loading the checkpoint layer from the shadow container on the additional node.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that initializes a filesystem layer service (FLS) that:

determines, following a failure of the main container, which node to execute the shadow container, or

signals the availability of a new checkpoint layer to the additional node.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further including an executable portion that, subsequent to executing the shadow container, orchestrates a local copy of the most recent checkpoint layer on the node in which the shadow container is executed.