Distributable multi-daemon configuration for multi-system management

• US 7,188,343 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Scheetz, Michael, Lister, Terence E., Kumpf, Roger William, Wang, Miha, Robb, Mary Thomas, Krug-Graves, Carol Ann, Drees, Douglas P., Harrah, Richard Dale, Yu, Jenny, Sanchez, Humberto A II, Otsuka, Warren I
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US09/859,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 709/105, 709/106, 709/202, 709/205, 709/248, 709/201, 709/223, 718/105, 718/106, 718/1, 718/100, 718/101
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1482 by means of middleware or OS functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5066 Algorithms for mapping a plurality of inter-dependent sub-tasks onto a plurality of physical CPUs mappping at compile time, see G06F8/451

Abstract

A system and method for managing multiple server computer systems on a computer network. The functions of a central management server are distributed to multiple daemons executing independently of each other on one or more computer systems. Distributing the functions of the central management server to separate multiple daemons substantially improves the reliability of a multi-server management application.

Claims

1. A system for distributing the functions of managing multiple computer systems on a computer network to multiple daemons executing on one or more host computer systems, the system comprising:

a plurality of multi-server management daemons each performing discrete and separable functions of multiple computer system management, wherein the plurality of multi-server management daemons are hosted by one or more host computer systems; and

multiple remote nodes managed by the plurality of multi-server management daemons, wherein the multiple remote nodes are separate from the host computer systems and a distributed task facility daemon, from the plurality of multi-server management daemons, providing a communication interface between the plurality of multi-server management daemons, hosted by the one or more host computer systems, and the multiple remote nodes, and one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons managing tasks performed on the one or more remote nodes.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a service control manager agent executing on each of the remote nodes, wherein the service control manager agent performs server management tasks and communicates with one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the service control manager agent is a daemon running on each of the remote nodes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one host computer system hosts all of the plurality of multi-server management daemons.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of multi-server management daemons is hosted by a different host computer system.

2. A system for distributing the functions of managing multiple computer systems on a computer network to multiple daemons executing on one or more host computer systems, the system comprising:

a plurality of multi-server management daemons each performing discrete and separable functions of multiple computer system management, wherein the plurality of multi-server management daemons are hosted by one or more host computer systems; and

multiple remote nodes managed by the plurality of multi-server management daemons, wherein each of the plurality of multi-server management daemons is coupled to each of the multiple remote nodes and wherein the plurality of multi-server management daemons comprise;

a distributed task facility daemon that operates on a host computer system remote from the multiple remote nodes;

a domain manager daemon;

a log manager daemon; and

a service control manager repository, wherein the distributed task facility daemon providing a communication interface between the plurality of multi-server management daemons, hosted by the one or more host computer systems, and the multiple remote nodes, and one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons managing tasks performed on the one or more remote nodes.

7. A method for managing multiple computer systems connected in a computer network using multiple daemons, the method comprising the steps of:

separating all multi-server management functions into groups of related functions;

creating the multiple daemons to perform each of the groups of separated multi-server management functions;

distributing the multiple daemons to one or more host computer systems; and

the distributed multiple daemons managing multiple remote nodes, wherein the multiple remote nodes are separate from the host computer systems and a distributed task facility daemon, from the distributed multiple daemons, providing a communication interface between the distributed multiple daemons and the multiple remote nodes, and one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons managing tasks performed on the one or more remote nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

executing the multiple daemons on the one or more host computer systems;

providing a communications interface enabling the multiple daemons to interact with each other across the computer network; and

coordinating the multi-server management functions of the multiple daemons.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the creating step includes:

creating a log manager daemon for performing multi-server management event and task reporting logging functions;

creating a domain manager daemon for performing network domain and user management functions; and

creating a distributed task facility daemon for performing multi-server management task assignment and monitoring functions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the coordinating step further comprises the steps of:

determining the multi-server management function; and

passing the multi-server management function on to the appropriate daemon.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the passing step comprises:

passing the multi-server management function to the log manager daemon when creating a log entry;

passing the multi-server management function to the domain manager daemon when the function involves network domain and user management; and

passing the multi-server management function to the distributed task facility daemon when the function involves executing and monitoring a task on a managed computer system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the executing step comprises

running a created daemon on a host computer system connected to other host computer systems and remote managed nodes by the computer network;

and

performing the multi-server management functions created in connection with other host computer systems and remote managed nodes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing the following steps when the created daemon has stopped running:

blocking performance of the daemon'"'"'s functions;

logging the lack of the daemon'"'"'s functionality; and

returning to the running step to restart the daemon.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the separating step further comprises collecting related multi-server management event and task reporting logging functions into a single and separable log manager daemon.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the separating step further comprises collecting related multi-server management task assignment and monitoring functions into a single and separable distributed task facility daemon.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the separating step further comprises collecting related network domain and user management functions into a single and separable domain manager daemon.

17. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded a program, the program comprising modules that execute a method for managing multiple computer systems connected in a computer network using multiple daemons, the method comprising the steps of:

separating all multi-server management functions into groups of related functions;

creating the multiple daemons to perform each of the groups of separated multi-server management functions;

distributing the multiple daemons to one or more host computer systems; and

the distributed multiple daemons managing multiple remote nodes, wherein the multiple remote nodes are separate from the host computer systems and a distributed task facility daemon, from the distributed multiple daemons, providing a communication interface between the distributed multiple daemons and the multiple remote nodes, and one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons managing tasks performed on the one or more remote nodes.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

executing the multiple daemons on the one or more host computer systems;

providing a communications interface enabling the multiple daemons to interact with each other across the computer network; and

coordinating the multi-server management functions of the multiple daemons.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the creating step includes:

creating a log manager daemon for performing multi-server management event and task reporting logging functions;

creating a domain manager daemon for performing network domain and user management functions; and

creating a distributed task facility daemon for performing multi-server management task assignment and monitoring functions.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the coordinating step further comprises the steps of:

determining the multi-server management function; and

passing the multi-server management function on to the appropriate daemon.

21. A system for distributing the functions of managing multiple computer systems on a computer network to multiple daemons executing on one or more host computer systems, the system comprising:

a plurality of multi-server management daemons each performing discrete and separable functions of multiple computer system management, wherein the plurality of multi-server management daemons are hosted by one or more host computer systems and the multiple computer system management functions operate above operating system level; and

multiple remote nodes managed by the plurality of multi-server management daemons, wherein a distributed task facility daemon, from the plurality of multi-server management daemons, providing a communication interface between the plurality of multi-server management daemons, hosted by the one or more host computer systems, and the multiple remote nodes, and one or more of the plurality of multi-server management daemons managing tasks performed on the one or more remote nodes.