System and method for designing a logical model of a distributed computer system and deploying physical resources according to the logical model

• US 7,155,380 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Hunt, Galen C., Welland, Robert V., Hydrie, Aamer, Rehof, Jakob, Levi, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US11/008,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 703/21, 709/201, 709/203, 709/226
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests

Abstract

A system facilitates the design and implementation of large-scale applications, such as Internet Services and Websites, for distributed computer systems, such as server data centers, Internet data centers (IDCs), Web farms, and the like. The system has a modeling system and a deployment system. The modeling system permits developers to architect the hardware and software used to implement the applications in an abstract manner. The modeling system defines a set of components used to describe the functionality of an application. The model components are arranged and interconnected to form a scale-independent logical model of the application. Once a logical model is created, the deployment system uses the logical model to automatically deploy various computer/software resources to implement the application. The deployment system converts each of the model components into one or more instances that correspond to physical resources.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

service running state means configured to maintain a logical model of a service application to be implemented by software as instances derived from the logical model and distributed across a plurality of computer nodes, the logical model having multiple components representing logical functions of the application;

resource manager means configured to allocate computer nodes for the instances; and

loader means configured to load various software onto the computer nodes allocated by the resource manager, the software being executable on the computer nodes to implement the logical functions represented by the model components from which the instances are derived.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service running state means is configured to track the instances.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resource manager means is configured to track whether the computer nodes are allocated or unallocated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising management policy means configured to monitor operation of the application and to specify when new instances of the model components are to be created or removed based on the operation of the application.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the management policy means is configured to listen to events generated by the computer nodes as a way to monitor operation of the application.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising node loader means resident at each of the computer nodes to install the software onto the computer nodes.

7. A process comprising:

maintaining a scale-independent logical model of a service application to be implemented by software distributed across a plurality of computer nodes, the logical model having multiple components representing logical functions of the application;

creating one or more instances of the model components according to a desired scale of the service application; and

allocating the computer nodes to associated instances of the model components, the computer nodes being configured to perform the logical functions represented by the components from which the instances are created.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising tracking the instances.

9. The process of claim 7, further comprising tracking the allocated computer nodes.

10. The process of claim 7, further comprising facilitating policy that specifies when and what instance of a particular model component is created.

11. The process of claim 7, further comprising loading software onto the computer nodes following allocation, the software being executed on the computer nodes to perform the logical functions represented by the components from which the instances are created.

12. A process comprising:

maintaining a logical model of an application to be implemented by software distributed across a plurality of computer nodes, the logical model having multiple components representing logical functions of the application; and

converting the model components into one or more instances representative of physical resources used to implement the logical functions.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising directing one or more computing devices to allocate the physical resources for each of the instances.

14. The process of claim 12, further comprising directing one or more computing devices to track the instances in a database.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for logical modeling of an application for a distributed computer system, the logical modeling means having at least one module that represents a functional behavior of the application, at least one port that represents a communication access point for the module, and at least one wire that represents a logical connection between the port of the module and a port of another module;

a first structure to store module information pertaining to one or more module instances of the module that correspond to physical resources used to implement the functional behavior represented by the module;

a second structure to store port information pertaining to one or more port instances of the port; and

a third structure to store wire information pertaining to one or more wire instances of the wire.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the module information in the first structure is correlated with the port information in the second structure to associate certain ports with certain modules.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the port information in the second structure is correlated with the wire information in the third structure to associate certain wires with certain ports.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the module information includes data fields selected from a group of fields including an identity of the module instance, an identity of the module in the logical model from which the module instance is created, an identity of a physical computer node on which the module instance is instantiated, an identity of a port for the module, and a protocol supported by the module.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the port information includes data fields selected from a group of fields including an identity of the port instance, an identity of the port in the logical model from which the port instance is created, a network address of a physical computer node on which the port instance is instantiated, an identity of a module with which the port is the communication access point, and a protocol supported by the port.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wire information includes data fields selected from a group of fields including an identity of the wire instance, an identity of the wire in the logical model from which the wire instance is created, an identity of a port with which the wire is coupled, and a protocol supported by the wire.

21. An apparatus having a plurality of computer nodes and configured to deploy an application adapted to a scale-independent model for a distributed computer system, the distributed computer system including:

logical modeling means configured to provide a logical model of the application, the logical model having multiple components representing logical functions of the application; and

core conversion means configured to create one or more instances of the model components and to allocate computer nodes of the distributed computer system for the instances to implement the logical functions represented by the model components from which the instances are created.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the core conversion means comprises:

service running determination means configured to state to track the instances created for the model components; and

resource manager means configured to track the computer nodes available to be allocated.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the core conversion means comprises a loader to load software on the computers nodes to implement the logical functions.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the core conversion means comprises:

service running state means configured to track the instances created for the model components;

resource manager means configured to track the computer nodes available to be allocated; and

loader means configured to load software onto the new computer node, the software being executable on the computer node to implement the logical functions represented by the particular model component.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a management policy to monitor operation of the application and to specify when new instances of the model components are to be created or removed based on the operation of the application.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a management policy to monitor operation of the application and to specify when new instances of the model components are to be created or removed based on the operation of the application, wherein the management policy listens to events generated by the computer nodes as a way to monitor operation of the application.