Restarting processes in distributed applications on blade servers

• US 7,590,683 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Becker, Wolfgang, Sauermann, Volker, Zachmann, Guenter, Bergen, Axel Von, Schwarz, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whipple; Brian P
• Application Number:
  US10/418,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/203 using migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/85 Active fault masking without idle spares active fault masking without idle spare hardware where processing functionality is redundant G06F11/2035
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for restarting a process running on a first processor includes preparing a second processor, copying process context information to the second processor, starting a second process using the context information on the second processor, and terminating a first process running on the first processor. The second process performs an equivalent function to the first process.

Claims

1. A method for restarting a first process running on a first processor as a second process running on a second processor, the method comprising:

preparing the second processor by copying process context information from the first processor to the second processor, the process context information comprising database records, wherein the first processor is associated with a first blade in a first blade server and the second processor is associated with a second blade in a second blade server;

running the second process on the second processor using the context information;

running a monitor process on a third processor for detecting events, the events including whether or not a processor is available;

terminating, by the monitor process, the first process running on the first processor while the second process is running, wherein the monitor process terminates the first process periodically;

informing, by the monitor process, at least one controller that the second process is available and the first process is not available; and

receiving a client request at the at least one controller, and forwarding the client request to the second processor instead of the first processor such that the second process performs an equivalent function to the first process,

wherein the second process responds to the client request by returning the database records,

wherein the at least one controller comprises data indicating the availability of the first and second processors and control data loaded in the first and second processors, and

wherein the first processor, second processor, third processor and the controller comprise the same control data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing the second processor includes:

installing an operating system; and

installing application software.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein preparing the second processor further includes configuring the operating system and the application software.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing the second processor includes activating a cold reserve spare processor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein copying process context information to the second processor includes copying the control data to the second processor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein copying process context information to the second processor includes copying process data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the process data includes dynamic data and wherein copying the dynamic data includes:

creating a checkpoint of the dynamic data; and

copying the checkpoint to the second processor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides one or more functions in a distributed fast cache system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides one or more functions in a distributed data store system.

10. A blade system comprising:

a first blade executing a first process providing a service;

a second blade executing a second process using context information copied from the first process, the context information comprising database records;

a third blade executing a monitor process for detecting events, the events including whether or not a blade is available, wherein the monitor process terminates a process running on the first blade while the second process is running, wherein the monitor process terminates the process running on the first blade periodically;

a controller comprising data indicating an availability of the first and second blades and control data loaded in the first and second blades,

wherein the blade system receives a client request at the at least one controller, and forwards the client request to the second blade instead of the first blade so that the service is available while the first process is restarted,

wherein the second process responds to the client request by returning the database records,

wherein the first blade, second blade, third blade and the controller comprise the same control data, and

wherein the first blade and the second blade are on different blade servers.

11. The blade system of claim 10 wherein the controller manages multiple processes.

12. The blade system of claim 10 wherein the first process is restarted by starting the second process to provide the service and configuring the controller to forward the client request to the second process if the client request is for the service.