Apparatus and method for dynamically rerouting a network request based on shared predictive failure information

• US 6,802,020 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Gordon James
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASKULINSKI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/580,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/6, 714/47, 713/2, 713/300, 711/162, 370/216
• US Class Current: 714/4.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems

Abstract

An apparatus and method shares predictive failure information between computer system in a computer network. The shared predictive failure information allows dynamically rerouting a network request to avoid a computer system that may fail according to its predictive failure information. According to a first embodiment, if the requested resource on the network has predictive failure information that indicates the resource may soon fail, a message is returned to the requesting computer with information that includes possible alternative sites from which the information may be obtained. If there is an alternative site, the requesting computer system may access the alternative site, thereby avoiding the computer system that may soon fail. If there is no alternative site, the requesting computer system may return an error message, or may simply access the original resource on the chance that is has not yet failed. According to a second embodiment, a router in the network may indicate one or more alternative paths to a resource if the predictive failure information for the router indicates it may soon fail. The requesting computer system may then access the requested resource via the alternative path. In this manner, predictive failure information can be used in rerouting network traffic between computer systems on a network to minimize the effect of a failing, computer system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of computer systems coupled together via a network, wherein a first of the plurality of computer systems includes corresponding predictive failure information that indicates whether at least one component on the first computer system will likely fail within a specified time,

a predictive failure communication mechanism coupled to the network that communicates the predictive failure information to at least one other computer system on the network, wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism comprises a message in a network protocol for communication between computer systems on the network, wherein the message includes predictive failure information when a second computer system requests a resource on the first computer system; and

a predictive failure rerouting mechanism coupled to the network that reroutes a request for a resource on the first computer system according to the predictive failure information for the first computer system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive failure information includes performance information for at least one component on the first computer system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive failure information indicates whether a resource on the first computer system is capable of fulfilling a request from another computer system on the network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism accesses the predictive failure information in a common storage to determine whether the first computer system is able to service the request for a resource.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message specifies an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network, and submits a request for the equivalent resource to the different computer system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative path for accessing the requested resource, and submits a request for the resource via the alternative path.

8. A networked computer system comprising:

a plurality of computer systems that each includes corresponding predictive failure information that indicates when at least one component in the corresponding computer system will likely fail within a specified time;

a predictive failure communication mechanism communicating with the plurality of computer systems and communicating the predictive failure information of a selected computer system to at least one other computer system on the network wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism comprises a message in a network protocol for communication between computer systems on the network, wherein the message includes predictive failure information when a second computer system requests a resource on the first computer system and

a predictive failure rerouting mechanism coupled to the network that reroutes a request for a resource on a first computer system according to predictive failure information for the first computer system.

9. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure information indicates whether at least one component on the first computer system will likely fail within a specified time.

10. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure information includes performance information for at least one component on the first computer system.

11. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure information indicates whether a resource on the first computer system is capable of fulfilling a request from another computer system on the network.

12. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism accesses the predictive failure information in a common storage to determine whether the first computer system is able to service a request for a resource on that computer system.

13. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the message specifies an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network.

14. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network, and submits a request for the equivalent resource to the different computer system.

15. The networked computer system of claim 8 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative path for accessing the requested resource, and submits a request for the resource via the alternative path.

16. A computer-implemented method for rerouting a network request to a first computer system coupled to a network to a second computer system coupled to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining predictive failure information for at least one component on the first computer system;

communicating the predictive failure information to at least one other computer system on the network;

rerouting a request for a resource on the first computer system to the second computer system if the predictive failure information for the first computer system indicates that the requested resource may fail within a specified time, and if the second computer system includes a resource that is equivalent to the requested resource; and

the first computer system sending a message that includes predictive failure information to a computer system on the network that requested the resource on the first computer system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the predictive failure information includes performance information for at least one component on the first computer system.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the predictive failure information indicates whether a resource on the first computer system is capable of fulfilling a request from another computer system on the network.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of accessing the predictive failure information in a common storage to determine whether a resource on the first computer system is able to service a request from another computer system on the network.

20. A computer-implemented method for rerouting a network request to a first computer system coupled to a network to a second computer system coupled to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining predictive failure information for at least one resource on the first computer system;

a third computer system on the network requesting a resource on the first computer system;

the first computer system communicating the predictive failure information for the requested resource to the third computer system;

if the predictive failure information indicates that the requested resource may not be available to fill the request, performing the step of;

rerouting the request for the resource on the first computer system to the second computer system if the second computer system includes a resource that is equivalent to the requested resource.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of communicating at least one alternative site to the third computer system with the predictive failure information for the first computer system, the at least one alternative site including a resource that is equivalent to the requested resource.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

determining an alternative path for accessing the requested resource; and

submitting a request for the resource via the alternative path.

23. A program product comprising:

(A) a predictive failure communication mechanism that communicates predictive failure information for a first computer system to at least one other computer system on a computer network that is coupled to the first and to the at least one other computer system, wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism comprises a message in a network protocol for communication between computer systems on the network, wherein the message includes predictive failure information when a second computer system requests a resource on the first computer system, the predictive failure information indicating whether at least one component on the first computer system will likely fail within a specified time;

(B) a predictive failure rerouting mechanism that reroutes a request for a resource on a first computer system according to predictive failure information for the first computer system, and

(C) computer readable signal bearing media bearing the predictive failure communication mechanism and the predictive failure rerouting mechanism.

24. The program product of claim 23 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

25. The program product of claim 23 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

26. The program product of claim 23 wherein the predictive failure information includes performance information for at least one component on the first computer system.

27. The program product of claim 23 wherein the predictive failure information indicates whether a resource on the first computer system is capable of fulfilling a request from another computer system on the network.

28. The program product of claim 23 wherein the predictive failure communication mechanism accesses the predictive failure information in a common storage to determine whether the first computer system is able to service the request for a resource.

29. The program product of claim 23 wherein the message specifies an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network.

30. The program product of claim 23 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative site for accessing an equivalent resource on a different computer system on the network, and submits a request for the equivalent resource to the different computer system.

31. The program product of claim 23 wherein the predictive failure rerouting mechanism determines an alternative path for accessing the requested resource, and submits a request for the resource via the alternative path.