Coordinating use of independent external resources within requesting grid environments

• US 7,584,274 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tallam, Sambasiva R., McCulloch, Douglas J., Richards, Patrick J. Jr., Trevathan, Matthew B., Bond, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): FABBRI, ANTHONY E
• Application Number:
  US10/868,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/227, 709/249, 709/229, 364/550, 702/188, 370/245
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5011 Pool
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/503 Resource availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method, system, and program for coordinating use of independent external resources within requesting grid environments. A external resource dispatcher receives requests for use of external resources. The external resource dispatcher controls the dispatch of a pool of external resources hidden from the grid management systems of requesting grid clients. In particular, the external resource dispatcher coordinates dispatch of a selection of the external resources for temporary registration with a requesting grid client management system. The requesting grid client management system registers the external resources for use within the grid client and monitors whether the external resources are still needed. When a requesting grid client no longer needs a dispatched external resource, the external resource dispatcher controls detachment of the dispatched external resource and returns the external resource to the available pool of external resources.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating use of independent external resources within 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 through a grid management system to share each said at least one resource through a plurality of web services comprising simple object access protocol, web services description language, and extensible mark-up language interfaces implemented within a web service layer extended by an open grid services infrastructure atop a grid service layer implemented within an open grid services architecture;

self-registering, by an external resource dispatcher, with said grid management system and at least one additional grid management system;

receiving, at said external resource dispatcher, a request for resources from said grid management system, wherein said grid management system registers each said at least one resource for use within said grid environment, wherein a plurality of external resources are managed by said external resource dispatcher independent from each said at least one resource registered by said grid management system;

coordinating dispatch by said external resource dispatcher of a selection of external resources from among said plurality of external resources for temporary registration with said grid management system by said external resource dispatcher sending a request to said selection of external resources to join said grid environment and sending at least one network address and permission for said selection of external resources to said grid management system, such that use of said selection of external resources is coordinated when said plurality of grid resources already registered for use within said a grid environment are insufficient;

responsive to said grid management system receiving said at least one network address and permission for said selection of external resources, sending by said grid management system an acknowledgement to said selection of external resources to invite said selection of external resources to join said grid environment;

responsive to said selection of external resources receiving said acknowledgement from said grid management system, attaching by said external resources to said grid management system and directing by said external resources said external resource dispatcher to monitor a connectivity heartbeat between said selection of external resources and said grid management system;

responsive to said external resource dispatcher detecting said direction to monitor said connectivity heartbeat from said external resources attached to said grid management system, metering the use of said selection of external resources by said grid management system and monitoring said connectivity heartbeat between said grid management system and said selection of external resources; and

responsive to said external resource dispatcher detecting a failed network connectivity heartbeat from said grid management system or said selection of external resources, retrieving said selection of external resources from said grid environment and stopping said metering of said user of said selection of external resources.

2. The method according to claim 1 for coordinating use of independent external resources within a grid environment, said method further comprising:

authenticating, by said external resource dispatcher, said grid management system as an authorized recipient of said plurality of external resources.

3. The method according to claim 1 for coordinating use of independent external resources within a grid environment, said method further comprising:

tracking, by said external resource dispatcher, an availability of each of said plurality of external resources.

4. The method according to claim 1 for coordinating use of independent external resources within a grid environment, said method further comprising:

independently registering with an external resource dispatcher directory comprising a plurality of external resource dispatchers.

5. The method according to claim 1 for coordinating use of independent external resources within a grid environment, said method further comprising:

enabling said external resource dispatcher to receive requests for external resources from a plurality of diverse grid management systems.