Server decision method and device thereof

• US 7,127,484 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Fumio, Kambara, Junichi, Kanaoka, Ei
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Widhalm, Angela M.
• Application Number:
  US10/117,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/229, 709/230, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/505 Clust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

Each server of a cluster system is classified into a main server candidate server group capable of operating a specific task, a sub-server candidate server group capable of operating the specific task and a back up task, and an out of candidate server group which is excluded from operating the specific task and the back up task. Each server in the main candidate server group presents public relations information necessary for an election judgment of the main server to all servers and runs as a candidate at a boot time and, at the same time, compares this public relations information to that of other servers. When a server is determined to not be an adequate candidate, the server'"'"'s presentation of public relations is stopped and the server'"'"'s candidacy is withdrawn.

Claims

1. A server decision method which decides the existence of an only server to operate a specific task within a plurality of servers connected via a network, the method comprising:

classifying a plurality of servers into a main server candidate group capable of operating the specific task, a sub-server candidate group capable of operating a back-up operation of the specific task, and an out-of-candidate server group that is excluded from operating the specific task and the back-up operation,

wherein each server in said main server candidate group presents public relations information necessary for an election judgment of a main server to all other servers and runs for a candidate at a boot time and, at the same time, compares said main server public relations information to that of other servers and, when it is determined that a particular server is not a desirable candidate, presentation of said particular server'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn,

wherein each server in said sub-server candidate group presents public relations information necessary for an election judgment of a sub-server to other servers and runs for a candidate at a boot time and, at the same time, compares said sub-server public relations information to that of other servers and, when it is determined that a particular sub-server is not a desirable candidate, presentation of said particular sub-server'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn, and

wherein, after said boot time, a main server or a sub-server periodically reports an operation of the specific task to other servers and asserts a right of said main server or sub-server and, when a same report is received from other servers asserting the right of said main server or sub-server, a duplicate-starting of a plurality of main servers or a plurality of sub-servers is recognized, and public relations information from the asserted server or sub-server is presented to all servers and said asserted server or sub-server runs as a candidate and, at the same time, compares its public relations information to that of other servers, and when it is determined that the asserted server or sub-server is not a desirable candidate, presentation of its public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn.

2. The server decision method according to claim 1, wherein said main server or sub-server periodically reports the operation of the specific task to other servers and asserts the right of said main server or sub-server and, when a same report is received from other servers asserting the right of said main server or sub-server, the existence of a plurality of main servers or sub-servers is recognized and public relations information from said asserted server or sub-server is presented to all other servers and the asserted server or sub-server runs as a candidate and, when it is determined that other servers are desirable for said main server or sub-server by comparing said asserted server'"'"'s public relations information to that from other servers, the specific task is stopped and the right of said asserted main server or sub-server is handed to another server.

3. The server decision method according to claim 1, wherein said main server candidate group either has resources necessary to operate the specific task, or is desired to positively operate the specific task,

wherein said sub-server candidate group either does not have enough resources to operate the specific task, or is desired to passively operate the specific task, and

wherein the out-of candidate server group either does not have enough resources to operate the specific task, or is not desired to operate the specific task.

4. The server decision method according to claim 1, wherein said public relations information is a duty cycle of resources, and an allowance rate of distributable resources is obtained from a requirement volume of the specific task and said public relations information as an election probability and, when an election probability of a particular server candidate is smaller than an election probability of other server candidates, presentation of said particular server candidate'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn.

5. The server decision method according to claim 4, wherein said allowance rate is obtained for each type of said distributable resources and a smallest allowable rate is used for said election probability.

6. The server decision method according to claim 1, wherein a specific task of said main server is a management task to perform setting and monitoring of each server and a specific task of said sub-server is to back up said management task of the main server.

7. A server decision device which decides the existence of an only server to operate a specific task within a plurality of servers connected via a network, comprising:

a classifying unit for classifying each of said plurality of servers into a main server candidate group capable of operating the specific task, a sub-server candidate group capable of operating a back-up task of the specific task, and an out-of-candidate server group which is excluded from operating the specific task and the back-up task;

a main server processing unit to which each of the servers in said main server candidate group presents public relations information necessary for the election judgment of a main server, each of said servers running as a candidate at a boot time and, at the same time, each of said servers compares its respective public relation information to that of other servers and, when it is determined that a particular server is not a desirable candidate, presentation of said particular server'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn; and

a sub-server processing unit to which each of the servers in said sub-server candidate node group presents public relations information necessary for the election judgment of a sub-server to all the servers, each of said sub-server servers running as a candidate at a boot time and, at the same time, each of said sub-server servers compares its respective public relations information to that of other servers and, when it is determined that a particular sub-server server is not a desirable candidate, presentation of said particular sub-server server'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn,

wherein a main server candidacy processing unit of said main server and a sub-server candidacy processing unit of said sub-server are selected at said boot time and periodically report an operation of the specific task to all other servers and assert a right of said main server or said sub-server at an operation starting time after boot and, when a same report asserting said right of said main server or said sub-server is received from other servers, said candidacy processing units recognize a duplicate starting of a plurality of said main servers or said sub-servers and present public relations information of said asserted main server or sub-server to all other servers and, at the same time, compare said main server or sub-server public relations information to that of other servers and, when a particular main server or sub-server is determined to not be desirable candidate, presentation of said particular main server or sub-server'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn.

8. The server decision device according to claim 7, wherein, during operation of the device, said main server candidacy processing unit or said sub-server candidacy processing unit periodically reports an operation of the specific task to other servers and asserts said right of said main server or sub-server and, when a same report asserting said right of said main server or sub-server is received from other servers, the existence of a plurality of main servers or a plurality of sub-servers is recognized, and public relations information from said asserted main server or sub-server is presented to all of the servers and said asserted main server or sub-server runs as a candidate and, at the same time, when it is determined that another server is a desirable candidate by comparing said asserted main server'"'"'s or sub-server'"'"'s public relations information to that of said another server, the specific task is stopped and said asserted right of said main server or said sub-server is handed over to said another server.

9. The server decision device according to claim 7, wherein said main server candidate group either has necessary resources to operate the specific task, or is desired to positively operate the specific task,

wherein said sub-server candidate group either has necessary resources to operate the specific task, or is desired to passively operate the specific task, and

wherein said out-of-candidate server group either has not the necessary resources to operate the specific task, or is not desired to operate the specific task.

10. The server decision device according to claim 7, wherein said public relations information is a duty cycle and said main server candidacy processing unit or sub-server candidacy processing unit obtains an allowance rate of distributable resources from a requirement volume of the specific task and said duty cycle of said public relations information as an election probability and, when an election probability of one server candidate is smaller than an election probability of another server candidate, presentation of said one server candidate'"'"'s public relations information is stopped and its candidacy is withdrawn.

11. The server decision device according to claim 10, wherein said main server candidacy processing unit or sub-server candidacy processing unit obtains said allowance rate for each type of said distributable resources and a smallest allowable rate for said election probability.

12. The server decision device according to claim 7, wherein a specific task of said main server is a management task to perform setting and monitoring of each server in a cluster system, and a specific task of said sub-server is to back up said management task.