Resolving conflicts between multiple automation managers in the management of software resources using intention flags

• US 7,493,528 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reichert, Wolfgang, Schoelles, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US12/121,055
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38, 714/47, 714/48, 714/15, 718/104, 709/223
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

The present invention can include an automated solution for resolving conflicts between multiple automation managers in the management of a software resource. In this solution, an automation manager can detect a change in the operating state of a software resource within a computing system. A state change indication can be automatically analyzed. The state change indication can be automatically set by the software resource in response to the change in the operating state. Based upon the analysis of the state change indication, the automation manager can determine if the change in the operating state is deliberate. When the change is determined to be deliberate, the automation manager can accept the change in the operating state as the desired state of the software resource.

Claims

1. A method for resolving conflicts between multiple automation managers comprising:

maintaining a value of an intention indicator for an associated software resource, wherein the maintained value for the intention indicator indicates whether a last successfully performed deliberate programmatic action involving the software resource intentionally disabled the software resource;

determining that an intrinsic state of the software resource indicates that the software resource is disabled;

checking a value of the intention indicator associated with the software resource;

when the checked value indicates that the software resource was not intentionally disabled, assuming an occurrence of a fault condition involving the software resource and performing at least one corrective action to re-enable the software resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software resource a resource able to be utilized by a plurality of automation managers running in a computing environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the automation managers is configured to perform recovery actions for failed software objects, and wherein at least one other automation manager is configured to intentionally and temporarily disable the software object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the intention indicator is configured to prevent conflicts between said automated software managers without utilizing communications between the automated software managers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatic actions involving the software resource are performed independently and concurrently by a plurality of automation managers, wherein each automation manager is configured to alter the operating state of the software resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software resource comprises at least one of a software application, a network component, an operating system, a database, a file system, a network service, and a peripheral device of a component of the computing system.

7. A computer program product for resolving conflicts between multiple automation managers, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to maintain a value of an intention indicator for an associated software resource, wherein the maintained value for the intention indicator indicates whether a last successfully performed deliberate programmatic action involving the software resource intentionally disabled the software resource;

computer usable program code configured to determine that an intrinsic state of the software resource indicates that the software resource is disabled;

computer usable program code configured to check a value of the intention indicator associated with the software resource;

computer usable program code configured to assume an occurrence of a fault condition involving the software resource and performing at least one corrective action to re-enable the software resource when the checked value indicates that the software resource was not intentionally disabled.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the software resource a resource able to be utilized by a plurality of automation managers running in a computing environment.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein at least one of the automation managers is configured to perform recovery actions for failed software objects, and wherein at least one other automation manager is configured to intentionally and temporarily disable the software object.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the intention indicator is configured to prevent conflicts between said automated software managers without utilizing communications between the automated software managers.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein programmatic actions involving the software resource are performed independently and concurrently by a plurality of automation managers, wherein each automation manager is configured to alter the operating state of the software resource.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the software resource comprises at least one of a software application, a network component, an operating system, a database, a file system, a network service, and a peripheral device of a component of the computing system.