System and method for clustered failover without network support
First Claim
1. A method for a first file server to provide file service operations normally performed by a second file server after the second file server suffers an error condition, the first and second file servers operatively interconnected with a set of clients using a network protocol, the network protocol being free of support for moving a transport address from the second file server to the first file server, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting, by the first file server, that the second file server has suffered an error condition;
asserting ownership, by the first file server, of a set of storage devices normally owned by the second file server;
activating, on the first file server, a secondary data access port for receiving connections over a network; and
processing, by the first file server, file service operations directed to the secondary data access port from a set of failover clients, the failover clients accessing the first file server by computing a network address associated with the first file server from a first symbolic name, the first symbolic name generated by the failover client from a second symbolic name associated with the second file server, whereby failover operation is achieved by the client.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for clustered failover over transport media that does not support moving of transport addressed between network interface controllers is provided. This reviving file server of a cluster, upon detection of the failure of its partner, assumes ownership of the disks owned by the failed file server. The surviving file server activates a secondary discriminator or port for access by clients who normally utilized the failed file server. Clients generate the name of the surviving or failover file server by appending at set item to the name of the failed file server.
116 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for a first file server to provide file service operations normally performed by a second file server after the second file server suffers an error condition, the first and second file servers operatively interconnected with a set of clients using a network protocol, the network protocol being free of support for moving a transport address from the second file server to the first file server, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting, by the first file server, that the second file server has suffered an error condition; asserting ownership, by the first file server, of a set of storage devices normally owned by the second file server; activating, on the first file server, a secondary data access port for receiving connections over a network; and processing, by the first file server, file service operations directed to the secondary data access port from a set of failover clients, the failover clients accessing the first file server by computing a network address associated with the first file server from a first symbolic name, the first symbolic name generated by the failover client from a second symbolic name associated with the second file server, whereby failover operation is achieved by the client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for a client to continue to access file service operations after a first file server has suffered an error condition, the method comprising the steps of:
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computing a failover name by appending a set text string to a name of the first file server; resolving the failover name to a network address; connecting to a failover file server using the network address and a predetermined alternate data access port. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A computer-readable medium, including program instructions executing on a client, for the client to continue to access file service operations after a first file server has suffered an error condition, the instructions including steps for:
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computing a failover name by appending a set text string to a name of the first file server; resolving the failover name to a network address; and connecting to a failover file server using the network address and a predetermined alternate data access port.
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8. A method for operating a computer failover system, comprising:
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executing a client computer program on a client computer, the client computer program communicating with a first file server, the first file server associated with a file server name; computing from the file server name, by a file system process on the client computer, a failover name associated with a failover file server; resolving the failover name to a network address; detecting an error condition; and connecting, in response to detecting the error condition, to a failover file server port having the network address. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer failover system, comprising:
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means for executing a client computer program on a client computer, the client computer program communicating with a first file server, the first file server associated with a file server name; means for computing from the file server name, by a file system process on the client computer, a failover name associated with a failover file server; means for resolving the failover name to a network address; means for detecting an error condition; and means for connecting, in response to detecting the error condition, to a failover file server port having the network address. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer failover system, comprising:
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a client computer having a client computer program executing thereon, the client computer program communicating with a first file server, the first file server associated with a file server name; a file system process on the client computer, the file system process computing from the file server name a failover name associated with a failover file server; a port to transmit the failover name to a distributed name server to resolve the failover name to a network address; a port to receive a message reporting an error condition in the first file server; and a file system process to use the failover name and network address to connect, in response to the error condition, to a failover file server port having the network address. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer readable media, comprising:
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said computer readable media containing instructions for execution on a processor for the practice of a method for operating a computer failover system, the method having the steps of, executing a client computer program on a client computer, the client computer program communicating with a first file server, the first file server associated with a file server name; computing from the file server name, by a file system process on the client computer, a failover name associated with a failover file server; resolving the failover name to a network address; detecting an error condition; and connecting, in response to detecting the error condition, to a failover file server port having the network address.
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32. A client interconnected to a first file server and to a second file server, the client comprising:
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means for detecting the first file server has suffered an error condition; means for computing a failover name by appending a set text string to a name of the first file server; means for resolving the failover name to a network address; means connecting to a failover file server using the network address and a predetermined alternate data access port. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method for a first file server to provide file service operations normally performed by a second file server after the second file server suffers an error condition, the method comprising:
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detecting, by the first file server, that the second file server has suffered an error condition; and processing, by the first file server, file service operations from a set of failover clients, the failover clients accessing the first file server by computing a network address associated with the first file server from a first symbolic name, the first symbolic name generated by appending a set text string to a second symbolic name of the second file server. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A computer failover system allowing a first file server to provide file service operations normally performed by a second file server after the second file server suffers an error condition, the system comprising:
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means for detecting, by the first file server, that the second file server has suffered an error condition; and means for processing, by the first file server, file service operations from a set of failover clients, the failover clients accessing the first file server by computing a network address associated with the first file server from a first symbolic name, the first symbolic name generated by appending a set text string to a second symbolic name of the second file server.
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41. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions executing for execution on a processor for the practice of a method for operating a computer failover system, the method having the steps of:
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detecting, by a first file server, that a second file server has suffered an error condition; and processing, by the first file server, file service operations from a set of failover clients, the failover clients accessing the first file server by computing a network address associated with the first file server from a first symbolic name, the first symbolic name generated by appending a set text string to a second symbolic name of the second file server.
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Specification