Method for executing initialization code to configure connected devices and executing segments of configuration code from a failed segment

• US 7,428,602 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vageline, Michael P., Lovrien, Kurt Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Niketa I
• Application Number:
  US11/291,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 714/2, 709220-223
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1415 at system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for executing initialization code to configure connected devices. A plurality of segments are provided to configure at least one connected device, wherein each segment includes configuration code to configure the at least on connected device. The segments are executed according to a segment order by executing the configuration code in each segment to perform configuration operations with respect to the at least one connected device. Completion of the segment is indicated in a memory in response to completing execution of the configuration operations for the segment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of segments in a computer readable storage medium to configure at least one connected device, wherein each segment includes configuration code to configure the at least one connected device;

executing the segments according to a segment order by executing the configuration code in each segment to perform configuration operations with respect to the at least one connected device;

indicating completion of the segment in a memory in response to completing execution of the configuration operations for the segment;

determining from the memory a last completed segment in the segment order in response to recovery from a failure, wherein the failure occurred while executing a failed segment following the last completed segment in the segment ordering;

determining whether execution can continue from the failed segment; and

executing the configuration code in the failed segment in response to determining that execution can continue from the failed segment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether there is a clean-up routine associated with the failed segment; and

executing the determined clean-up routine in response to determining that there is the clean-up routine to return the configuration of the at least one connected device to a state prior to beginning execution of the failed segment, wherein the configuration code in the failed segment is executed in response to executing the clean-up routine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first and second clusters execute the segments and further perform:

signaling, by the first cluster, the second cluster in response to executing one segment, wherein indicating completion of one segment in the memory further comprises indicating the first or second cluster that executed the configuration code in the completed segment; and

executing, by the second cluster, the segment executed by the first cluster in response to receiving the signal to configure the at least one connected device for use by the second cluster.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

indicating, by the first and second clusters, completion of the segment in the memory in response to completing execution of the configuration operations for the segment; and

signaling, by the second cluster, the first cluster in response to executing one segment, wherein the first cluster executes a next segment in response to the signal.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting, by the first cluster, a failure during configuration;

determining, by the first cluster, from the memory a last completed segment in response to detecting the failure, wherein the failure occurred by the first or second cluster executing a failed segment following the last completed segment in the segment ordering;

determining, by the first cluster, whether execution can continue from the failed segment; and

executing, by the first and second cluster, the configuration code in the failed segment in response to determining that execution can continue from the failed segment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first cluster determines from the memory the last completed segment and determines whether execution can continue from the failed segment, and wherein the first cluster further performs:

determining whether there is a clean-up routine associated with the failed segment and all segments preceding the failed segment in response to determining that execution cannot continue from the failed segment;

executing each determined clean-up routine in an order reverse of the segment order to return the configuration of the at least one connected device to a state prior to execution of the configuration code; and

signaling the second cluster to cause the second cluster to execute each determined clean-up routine in the order reverse of the segment order to return the configuration of the at least one connected device to a state prior to execution of the configuration code.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

failing the configuration in response to determining that either the first or second cluster cannot access the memory before executing the segments.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a retry value exceeds a retry limit in response to determining that execution can continue from the failed segment;

incrementing a retry value before executing the configuration code in the failed segment in response to determining that the retry value does not exceed the retry limit; and

failing the recovery without retrying in response to determining that the retry value exceed the retry limit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether there is a clean-up routine associated with the failed segment and all segments preceding the failed segment in response to determining that execution cannot continue from the failed segment; and

executing each determined clean-up routine in an order reverse of the segment order to return the configuration of the at least one connected device to a state prior to execution of the configuration code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a different clean-up routine is associated with different segments to perform a clean-up specific to the segment configuration code.