Verifying resource functionality before use by a grid job submitted to a grid environment

• US 7,502,850 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Seaman, James W., Joseph, Joshy, Fellenstein, Craig William
• Primary Examiner(s): Won; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/031,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/205, 709/218, 709/220, 709/249, 709/251
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• 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 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• 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 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

When a new resource is allocated to a particular execution environment within a grid environment managed by a grid management system, then a grid verification service automatically selects and runs at least one functionality test on the new resource as controlled by the grid management system. Responsive to a result of the functionality test, the grid verification system verifies whether the result meets an expected result before enabling routing of the grid job to the new resource, such that the functionality of the new resource is automatically verified before access to the new resource is allowed to maintain quality of service in processing grid jobs.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying a resource within a particular execution environment for a grid job submitted in a grid environment, comprising:

enabling a grid environment comprising a plurality of computing systems each comprising at least one resource and communicatively connected over a network layer through a grid management system to share each said at least one resource through at least one web service layer atop at least one grid service layer implemented within an open grid services architecture, wherein said at least one grid service layer comprises a grid allocation service and a grid verification service;

managing, by said grid allocation service, allocation of a plurality of execution environments each comprising a separate selection of said at least one resource comprising a grouping of at least one hardware platform, at least one network adapter, and at least one type of operating system software;

distributing, by said grid allocation service, a grid job to a particular execution environment from among said plurality of execution environments comprising a particular grouping of said at least one resource for handling said grid job;

responsive to said grid allocation service allocating a new hardware platform to said particular execution environment from among said plurality of execution environments to replace a defective hardware platform within said particular execution environment, triggering a grid verification service of said grid management system to determine at least one functionality test for running on said new hardware platform from a plurality of functionality tests specified according to a type of resource, a class of resource, and at least one expected result;

running, by said grid verification service, said at least one functionality test on said new hardware platform as controlled by said grid management system by performing at least one of sending a test equation to said particular execution environment and calling a diagnostic tool of a particular operating system software running within said particular execution environment enabled to locally test said new hardware platform;

responsive to said grid verification service receiving a result comprising at least one of a result from said test equation and a log file from said diagnostic tool indicating at least one test result, analyzing by said grid verification service said result for a plurality of specified error conditions specified in a particular expected result;

responsive to said grid verification service detecting at least one error from among said plurality of specified error conditions, attempting by said grid verification service to resolve said at least one error;

responsive to said grid verification service resolving said error, verifying whether said result meets an expected result before enabling routing of said grid job to said new hardware platform, such that a functionality of said new hardware platform is automatically verified before access to said new hardware platform is allowed;

responsive to said error remaining unresolved, replacing, by said grid allocation service, said new hardware platform in said particular execution environment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein triggering a grid verification service of said grid management system to determine at least one functionality test for running on said new hardware platform from a plurality of functionality tests specified according to a type of resource, a class of resource, and at least one expected result, further comprises:

selecting, by said grid verification system, said at least one functionality test comprising a plurality of test equations specified for a particular type of processor within said particular execution environment from among a plurality of processor types and said particular expected result.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein triggering a grid verification service of said grid management system to determine at least one functionality test for running on said new hardware platform from a plurality of functionality tests specified according to a type of resource, a class of resource, and at least one expected result, further comprises:

selecting, by said grid verification system, said at least one functionality test comprising a command reference for a memory diagnostic tool specified for said particular operating system software from among a plurality of type of operating system software to locally run on a memory resource within said particular execution environment and a particular bit patterns for said particular expected result.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein triggering a grid verification service of said grid management system to determine at least one functionality test for running on said new hardware platform from a plurality of functionality tests specified according to a type of resource, a class of resource, and at least one expected result, further comprises:

selecting, by said grid verification system, said at least one functionality test comprising said test equation of a full pattern read and write test for verifying a functionality of a memory resource within said particular execution environment and said particular expected result.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein triggering a grid verification service of said grid management system to determine at least one functionality test for running on said new hardware platform from a plurality of functionality tests specified according to a type of resource, a class of resource, and at least one expected result, further comprises:

selecting, by said grid verification system, said at least one functionality test comprising said test equation of a plurality of instructions for verifying a plurality of paths and read and write capabilities of a storage resource within said particular execution environment and said particular expected result.