Hardware and software failover services for a file server

• US 6,625,750 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ting, Dennis P. J., Kuczynski, Leslie E., Vahalia, Uresh K, Gupta, Uday, Forecast, John, Duso, Wayne W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOHN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US09/440,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4-5, 714/9-15
• US Class Current: 714/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A file server includes a plurality of stream server computers linking data storage to a data network, and at least two controller servers for controlling the stream server computers. The controller servers are programmed so that at a given time one of the controller servers is active in controlling the stream server computers, and another of the controller servers is inactive. The inactive controller server is programmed to respond automatically to a failure of the active controller server by becoming active. For example, each of the controller servers has a respective flag for indicating whether or not the controller server is active. Each controller server is programmed so that, upon booting, it will read the flag of the other stream server, and if the flag of the other controller server indicates that the other controller server is active, then the controller server becomes inactive. Otherwise, the stream server assumes an active or inactive state based on a predetermined arbitration method. The active controller server also reports failure conditions to a customer service center, monitors the inactive controller server to ensure that the inactive controller server is in a state of readiness, and monitors itself to determine whether it should become inactive.

Claims

1. A method of operating at least two controller server computers for controlling a file server including data storage and a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network, said method comprising:

one of the controller server computers becoming active for controlling the stream server computers and the other of the controller server computers being inactive for controlling the stream server computers, the inactive controller server computer responding automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein each controller server computer sets a respective flag for indicating whether or not said each controller server computer is active or inactive in controlling the stream server computers, and

upon booting, said each controller server computer reads the flag of the other controller server computer, and if the flag of the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is active in controlling the stream server computers, then said each controller server computer becomes inactive in controlling the steam server computers, and if the flag of the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is inactive in controlling the stream server computers, then said each controller server computer assumes active or inactive status based on a predetermined arbitration method.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined arbitration method includes said each controller server computer reading a slot number of a slot of said each controller server computer in a rack holding said each controller server computer, and assuming active or inactive status based on the slot number.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined arbitration method includes comparing the slot number of said each controller server computer to a slot number of the other controller server computer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said each controller server computer assumes either master status or slave status by setting its flag to indicate slave status, reading the flag for the other controller server computer, and if the flag for the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is active, then said each controller server computer assumes slave status, and if the flag for the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is inactive, then said each controller server computer assumes active or inactive status based on the predetermined arbitration method, and sets its flag to indicate active status if said each controller server computer assumes active status.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active controller server computer monitors the inactive controller server computer to ensure that the inactive controller server computer is kept in a state of readiness to assume active status.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the active controller server computer reports a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer to service personnel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inactive controller server computer detects an error condition of the inactive controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the inactive controller server computer reports the error condition to the active controller server computer, and the active controller server computer reports the error condition to service personnel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active controller server computer detects an error condition of the active controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the active controller server computer reports the error condition to the inactive controller server computer, and the inactive controller server computer then begins to assume active status and reboots the active controller server computer, which then assumes inactive status upon determining that the inactive controller server computer has begun to assume active status.

10. A method of operating at least two controller server computers for controlling a file server including data storage and a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network, said method comprising:

one of the controller server computers becoming active for controlling the stream server computers and the other of the controller server computers being inactive for controlling the stream server computers, the inactive controller server computer responding automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers; and

wherein the active controller server computer monitors the inactive controller server computer to ensure that the inactive controller server computer is kept in a state of readiness to assume active status, and

wherein the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the active controller server computer reports a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer to service personnel.

12. A method of operating at least two controller server computers for controlling a file server including data storage and a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network, said method comprising:

one of the controller server computers becoming active for controlling the stream server computers and the other of the controller server computers being inactive for controlling the stream server computers, the inactive controller server computer responding automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer; and

wherein the inactive controller server computer detects an error condition of the inactive controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the inactive controller server computer reports the error condition to the active controller server computer, and the active controller server computer reports the error condition to service personnel.

13. A file server comprising:

data storage;

a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network; and

at least two controller server computers for controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that one of the controller server computers becomes active in controlling the stream server computers when another of the controller server computers is inactive in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the inactive controller server computer is programmed to respond automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers; and

wherein each controller server computer has a respective flag for indicating whether or not said each controller server computer is active or inactive in controlling the stream server computers, such that each controller server computer can set or reset its own flag and can read the flag of the other controller server computer, and said each controller server computer is programmed so that upon booting, said each controller server computer reads the flag of the other controller server computer, and if the flag of the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is active in controlling the stream server computers, then said each controller server computer becomes inactive in controlling the steam server computers, and if the flag of the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is inactive, then said each controller server computer assumes active or inactive status based on a predetermined arbitration method.

14. The file server as claimed in claim 13, wherein the predetermined arbitration method includes said each controller server computer reading a slot number of a slot of said each controller server computer in a rack holding said each controller server computer, and assuming active or inactive status based on the slot number.

15. The file server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined arbitration method includes comparing the slot number of said each controller server computer to a slot number of the other controller server computer.

16. The file server as claimed in claim 13, wherein said each controller server computer is programmed to assume either master status or slave status by setting its flag to indicate slave status, reading the flag for the other controller server computer, and if the flag for the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is active, then said each controller server assumes slave status, and if the flag for the other controller server computer indicates that the other controller server computer is inactive, then said each controller server computer assumes active or inactive status based on the predetermined arbitration method, and sets its flag to indicate active status if said each controller server computer assumes active status.

17. The file server as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer monitors the inactive controller server computer to ensure that the inactive controller server computer is kept in a state of readiness to assume active status.

18. The file server as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reports a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer to service personnel.

19. The file server as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer.

20. The file server as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the inactive controller server computer detects an error condition of the inactive controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the inactive controller server computer reports the error condition to the active controller server computer, and the active controller server computer reports the error condition to service personnel.

21. The file server as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer detects an error condition of the active controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the active controller server computer reports the error condition to the inactive controller server computer, and the inactive controller server computer then begins to assume active status and reboots the active controller server computer, which then assumes inactive status upon determining that the inactive controller server computer has begun to assume active status.

22. A file server comprising:

data storage;

a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network; and

at least two controller server computers for controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that one of the controller server computers becomes active in controlling the stream server computers when another of the controller server computers is inactive in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the inactive controller server computer is programmed to respond automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer monitors the inactive controller server computer to ensure that the inactive controller server computer is kept in a state of readiness to assume active status; and

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer.

23. The file server as claimed in claim 22, wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reports a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer to service personnel.

24. A file server comprising:

data storage;

a plurality of stream server computers linking the data storage to a data network for transfer of data streams between the data storage and the data network; and

at least two controller server computers for controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that one of the controller server computers becomes active in controlling the stream server computers when another of the controller server computers is inactive in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the inactive controller server computer is programmed to respond automatically to a failure of the active controller server computer by becoming active in controlling the stream server computers;

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the active controller server computer reboots the inactive controller server computer upon detecting a failure condition of the inactive controller server computer; and

wherein the controller server computers are programmed so that the inactive controller server computer detects an error condition of the inactive controller server computer, and upon detecting the error condition, the inactive controller server computer reports the error condition to the active controller server computer, and the active controller server computer reports the error condition to service personnel.