Method and apparatus for performing site failover

• US 6,587,970 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Yao, Vu, Quang, Chehadeh, Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Assistant Examiner(s): BONURA, TIMOTHY M
• Application Number:
  US09/533,395
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/6, 714/10, 714/15, 714/13, 714/12, 714/14, 714/22
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/162 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting a change in the operational status of a first host computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to provide additional computing resources that replace or complement the first host computer. In one embodiment, a controller is provided that is capable of detecting a malfunction or failure of the first computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to replace the first host computer. In another embodiment, the controller is capable of detecting changes in the performance of the first host computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to provide additional computing resources for the first host computer. In a further embodiment, both of these techniques can be used to support an electronic commerce site and provide the electronic commerce site with failsafe operation and virtually unlimited computational resources.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a first host computer, a second host computer, and a computer resource external to the first and second host computers, a method, comprising acts of:

monitoring, on the computer resource, information indicative of a change in operation of a first host computer, the information being sufficient to determine at least one of a failure of the first host computer, a malfunction of the first host computer, or a change in performance of the first host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer; and

automatically configuring a second host computer to provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the first host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resources provided by the first host computer in response to the determination of the failure, the malfunction, or the change in performance of the first host computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring includes an act of querying the first host computer for the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of shutting down the first host computer in response to the determination of the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of shutting down the first host computer is performed automatically.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first host computer is coupled to at least one first storage device that is accessible to the first host computer and in which data of the first host computer is stored, and wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer includes an act of:

replicating the data of the first host computer from the at least one first storage device to at least one second storage device that is accessible to the second host computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer further includes an act of:

bringing the second host computer on line using the replicated data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of replicating the data is performed without the first host computer copying the data from the at least one first storage device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of replicating the data is performed without the second host computer copying the data to the at least one second storage device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of replicating the data is performed without the second host computer copying the data to the at least one second storage device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of replicating the data includes an act of replicating the data from the at least one first storage device that is located in a first storage system to the at least one second storage device that is located in a second storage system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of replicating the data includes an act of replicating the data across a network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer further includes an act of:

modifying a network address of the second host computer to be different than a network address of the first host computer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising an act of:

modifying a network director to redirect communications addressed to the network address of the first host computer to the network address of the second host computer.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of replicating the data includes an act of replicating an operating system of the first host computer.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer further includes an act of:

shutting down the second host computer prior to the act of replicating.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

mirroring data of the first host computer that is stored on at least one first storage device that is accessible to the first host computer to at least one second storage device that is accessible to the second host computer;

wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer includes an act of discontinuing the mirroring of the data to the at least one second storage device in response to the step of detecting.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer further includes an act of bringing the second host computer on line using the mirrored data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first host computer is coupled to a storage system in which data of the first host computer is stored, and wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer includes an act of:

replicating the data of the first host computer for use by the second host computer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of replicating the data includes an act of:

replicating the data of the first host computer from a backup copy of the data of the first host computer.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer further includes an act of:

transforming at least a portion of the replicated data of the first host computer for use with the second host computer when the second host computer is not identical to the first host computer.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer includes an act of automatically configuring the second host computer to provide the additional computational resources that complement the computational resources provided by the first host computer in response to the determination of the change in performance of the first host computer.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

communicating the information from the first host computer to the computer resource, the computer resource being operatively coupled to a storage system and the first host computer;

wherein the act of automatically configuring the second host computer is performed by the computer resource in response to the acts of monitoring and communicating.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is first information, the method further comprising acts of:

monitoring, on the computer resource, second information indicative of a change in operation of a third host computer, the information being sufficient to determine at least one of a failure of the third host computer, a malfunction of the third host computer, or a change in performance of the third host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the third host computer; and

automatically configuring the second host computer to provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the third host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resources provided by the third host computer in response to the determination of the failure, the malfunction, or the change in performance of the third host computer.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is first information, the method further comprising acts of:

monitoring, on the computer resource, second information indicative of a change in operation of a third host computer, the information being sufficient to determine at least one of a failure of the third host computer, a malfunction of the third host computer, or a change in performance of the third host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the third host computer; and

automatically configuring a fourth host computer to provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the third host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resources provided by the third host computer in response to the determination of the failure, the malfunction, or the change in performance of the third host computer.

25. A computer system, comprising:

a first host computer;

a second host computer; and

a controller, operatively coupled to the first host computer and the second host computer and external to the first and second host computers, that automatically configures the second host computer to provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the first host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resources provided by the first host computer in response to a change in operation of the first host.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the controller automatically configures the second host computer to provide the at least one of replacement computational resources and the additional computational resources in response to a detection of at least one of a failure of the first host computer, a malfunction of the first host computer, and a change in performance of the first host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer.

27. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

a relay that is operatively coupled to a power source, the first host computer, and the controller, the relay switching, in response to an instruction from the controller, between a first position in which power from the power source is provided to the first host computer and a second position in which power from the power source is not provided to the first host computer.

28. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

a relay that is operatively coupled to a power source, the second host computer, and the controller, the relay switching, in response to an instruction from the controller, between a first position in which power from the power source is not provided to the second host computer and a second position in which power from the power source is provided to the second host computer.

29. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

a storage system that is operatively coupled to the first host computer and the controller, the storage system mirroring data of the first host computer from a first storage device that is accessible to the first host computer to a second storage device that is accessible to the second host computer.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the storage system is a first storage system, the computer system further comprising:

a second storage system that is operatively coupled to the second host computer and the controller;

wherein the first storage device is located in the first storage system and the second storage device is located in the second storage system.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the first host computer is coupled to a first network having a first subnet address and the second host computer is coupled to a second network having a second subnet address that is different than the first subnet address.

32. The computer system of claim 31 further comprising:

a network director, coupled to the first host computer and the controller, that redirects, in response to an instruction from the controller, communications sent to a network address of the first host computer to a network address of the second host computer.

33. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

a storage system that is operatively coupled to the first host computer and the controller, the storage system including a first storage device that stores data of the first host computer;

wherein the controller includes means for replicating the data of the first computer from the first storage device to a second storage device that is accessible to the second host computer.

34. The computer system of claim 33, wherein the storage system is a first storage system, the computer system further comprising:

a second storage system that is operatively coupled to the second host computer and the controller;

wherein the first storage device is located in the first storage system and the second storage device is located in the second storage system.

35. The computer system of claim 34, wherein the first host computer is coupled to a first network having a first subnet address and the second host computer is coupled to a second network having a second subnet address that is different than the first subnet address.

36. The computer system of claim 35, further comprising:

a network director, coupled to the first host computer and the controller, that redirects, in response to an instruction from the controller, communications sent to a network address of the first host computer to a network address of the second host computer.

37. The computer system of claim 33, wherein the controller further includes a transformation engine that transforms at least a portion of the replicated data for use by the second host computer.

38. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

an agent that executes on a processor of the first host computer and monitors the first host computer for at least one of a failure, a malfunction, and a change in performance of the first host computer.

39. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

an agent that executes on a processor of the first host computer and notifies the controller of at least one of a failure of the first host computer, a malfunction of the first host computer, and a change in performance of the first host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer.

40. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising:

a storage system that is operatively coupled to the first host computer and includes a storage processor;

wherein the controller executes on the storage processor of the storage system.

41. A computer system, comprising:

a first host computer;

a second host computer; and

configuration means, coupled to the first host computer and the second host computer and external to the first and second host computers, for automatically configuring the second host computer to provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the first host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resources provided by the first host computer in response to a change in operation of the first host computer.

42. The computer system of claim 41, further comprising:

means, coupled to the first host computer and the configuration means, for detecting at least one of a failure of the first host computer, a malfunction of the first host computer, and a change in performance of the first host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer.

43. The computer system of claim 41 further comprising:

a first storage device that is coupled to the first host computer and the configuration means, the first storage device storing data of the first host computer;

wherein the configuration means includes means for modifying access to the first storage device so that the data of the first host computer that is stored on the first storage device can be accessed by the second host computer.

44. The computer system of claim 41, further comprising:

a first storage device that is coupled to the first host computer and the configuration means, the first storage device storing data of the first host computer; and

a second storage device that is coupled to the second host computer and the configuration means;

wherein the configuration means includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer from the first storage device to the second storage device.

45. The computer system of claim 44, wherein the means for replicating includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer without either of the first host computer and the second host computer copying the data of the first host computer from the first storage device or to the second storage device.

46. The computer system of claim 44, further comprising:

a backup storage device that stores a backup copy of the data of the first host computer;

wherein the means for replicating includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer from the backup storage device to the second storage device when the data of the first host computer that is stored on the first storage device is corrupted or unavailable.

47. The computer system of claim 44, further comprising:

means for transforming at least a portion of the data replicated to the second storage device when the second host computer is different from the first host computer.

48. The computer system of claim 44, wherein the first host computer is located in a first network having a first subnet address and the second host computer is located in a second network having a second subnet address that is different than the first subnet address, and wherein the configuration means further includes:

means for modifying a network address of the second host computer to be different than a network address of the first host computer.

49. The computer system of claim 48, further comprising:

a network director that is coupled to the first host computer and the configuration means;

wherein the configuration means further includes means for modifying the network director to redirect communications addressed to the network address of the first host computer to the network address of the second host computer.

50. A storage system for use with a first host computer and a second host computer, the storage system comprising:

a first storage device to store data of the first host computer; and

a controller that is coupled to the first storage device and external to the first and second host computers;

wherein the controller, when operatively coupled to the first host computer and the second host computer, automatically configures the second host computer to use the data of the first host computer and provide at least one of replacement computational resources for the first host computer and additional computational resources that complement computational resource provided by the first host computer in response to a change in operation of the first host computer.

51. The storage system of claim 50, wherein the controller includes means for detecting at least one of a failure of the first host computer, a malfunction of the first host computer, and a change in performance of the first host computer that does not amount to the failure or the malfunction of the first host computer.

52. The storage system of claim 50, further comprising a storage processor;

wherein the controller executes on the storage processor of the storage system.

53. The storage system of claim 50, wherein the controller includes means for modifying access to the first storage device so that the data of the first host computer that is stored on the first storage device can be accessed by the second host computer.

54. The storage system of claim 50, further comprising:

a second storage device that is coupled to the second host computer and the controller;

wherein the controller includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer from the first storage device to the second storage device.

55. The storage system of claim 54, wherein the means for replicating includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer without either of the first host computer and the second host computer copying the data from the first storage device or to the second storage device.

56. The storage system of claim 54, wherein the storage system is a networked storage system that includes a first storage system and a second storage system, each coupled to a network, and wherein the first storage device is located in the first storage system and the second storage device is located in the second storage system.

57. The storage system of claim 54, further comprising:

a backup storage device that stores a backup copy of the data of the first host computer;

wherein the means for replicating includes means for replicating the data of the first host computer from the backup storage device to the second storage device when the data of the first host computer that is stored on the first storage device is corrupted or unavailable.

58. The storage system of claim 54, further comprising:

means for transforming at least a portion of the data replicated to the second storage device when the second host computer is not identical to the first host computer.

59. The storage system of claim 54, wherein the controller further includes:

means for modifying a network address of the second host computer to be different than a network address of the first host computer.