Consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment

• US 7,761,431 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shackelford, David Michael, McBride, Gregory Edward, Crockett, Robert Nelson, McClure, Alan George, Blea, Donald Reynold
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, HUAWEN A
• Application Number:
  US11/356,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 709/223
• US Class Current: 707/690
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing in a memory of a first processor session information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster, wherein each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system;

processing the session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions to determine a most recent update time for each session indicated in the memory;

generating first consolidated session information for the cluster comprising a minimum of the determined most recent update times based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster; and

writing the first consolidated session information for the cluster to a master data set maintaining information for sessions, wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from coupled sessions associating at least one primary storage and at least one secondary storage that are managed by additional processors;

reading, by the additional processors, the first consolidated session information in the master data set to determine the minimum of the most recent update times across all the coupled sessions indicated in the master data set to maintain data consistency across coupled sessions;

determining a value of a state flag for each session indicated in the memory, wherein the state flag indicates whether the session is consistent with all other sessions represented in the master data set;

performing an OR operation on the determined values to determine second consolidated session information for a first operation; and

performing an AND operation on the determined values to determine third consolidated session information for a second operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

writing information on a session not included in the cluster to the master data set, wherein the session not included in the cluster associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system such that updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the session not included in the cluster is managed by a second processor, wherein the first processor manages the copying of updates for the sessions in the cluster.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cluster comprises a first cluster and wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from additional clusters including sessions managed by the additional processors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a value of an error flag for each session indicated in the memory; and

generating fourth consolidated session information by performing an OR operation on all the determined error flags to produce a consolidated error flag, wherein the additional processors managing additional sessions fail an update in response to determining that the consolidated error flag indicates an error.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, by one processor managing at least one session, the information for each cluster or session not included in a cluster indicated in the master data set to obtain a value providing information on all sessions indicated in the master data set; and

processing the value to determine whether to perform write updates from the primary system to the secondary system.

7. A system in communication with primary systems, secondary systems, and a master data set, comprising:

a first processor

a memory coupled to the first processor;

a computer readable medium including code executed by the first processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

storing in the memory session information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster, wherein each session associates at least one of the primary systems and at least one of the secondary systems, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system associated with the session;

processing the session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions to determine a most recent update time for each session indicated in the memory;

generating first consolidated session information for the cluster comprising a minimum of the determined most recent update times based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster; and

writing the first consolidated session information for the cluster to the master data set maintaining information for sessions;

determining a value of a state flag for each session indicated in the memory, wherein the state flag indicates whether the session is consistent with all other sessions represented in the master data set;

performing an OR operation on the determined values to determine second consolidated session information for a first operation; and

performing an AND operation on the determined values to determine third consolidated session information for a second operation; and

additional processors enabled to perform reading the first consolidated session information in the master data set to determine the minimum of the most recent update times across all the coupled sessions indicated in the master data set to maintain data consistency across coupled sessions, wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from coupled sessions associating at least one primary storage and at least one secondary storage that are managed by the additional processors.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

writing information on a session not included in the cluster to the master data set, wherein the session not included in the cluster associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system such that updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second processor, wherein the session not included in the cluster is managed by the second processor, and wherein the first processor manages the copying of updates for the sessions in the cluster.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the cluster comprises a first cluster and wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from additional clusters including sessions managed by the additional processors.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein processing the information comprises:

determining a value of an error flag for each session indicated in the memory; and

generating fourth consolidated session information by performing an OR operation on all the determined error flags to produce a consolidated error flag, wherein the additional processors managing additional sessions fail an update in response to determining that the consolidated error flag indicates an error.

12. The system of claim 7,

wherein one processor managing at least one session is enabled to perform:

processing the information for each cluster or session not included in a cluster indicated in the master data set to obtain a value providing information on all sessions indicated in the master data set; and

processing the value to determine whether to perform write updates from the primary system to the secondary system.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium including code executed by a first processor having a memory and by additional processors, wherein the code is enabled to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

generating a master data set;

storing in the memory session information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster, wherein each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system;

processing the session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions to determine a most recent update time for each session indicated in the memory;

generating first consolidated session information for the cluster comprising a minimum of the determined most recent update times based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster;

writing the first consolidated session information for the cluster to the master data set maintaining information for sessions, wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from coupled sessions associating at least one primary storage and at least one secondary storage that are managed by the additional processors;

reading, by the additional processors, the first consolidated session information in the master data set to determine the minimum of the most recent update times across all the coupled sessions indicated in the master data set to maintain data consistency across coupled sessions;

determining a value of a state flag for each session indicated in the memory, wherein the state flag indicates whether the session is consistent with all other sessions represented in the master data set;

performing an OR operation on the determined values to determine second consolidated session information for a first operation; and

performing an AND operation on the determined values to determine third consolidated session information for a second operation.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

writing information on a session not included in the cluster to the master data set, wherein the session not included in the cluster associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system such that updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the article of manufacture further includes code executed by a second processor managing the session not included in the cluster, wherein the first processor manages the copying of updates for the sessions in the cluster.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the cluster comprises a first cluster and wherein the master data set is adapted to include information from additional clusters including sessions managed by the additional processors.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein processing the information comprises:

determining a value of an error flag for each session indicated in the memory; and

generating fourth consolidated session information by performing an OR operation on all the determined error flags to produce a consolidated error flag, wherein the additional processors managing additional sessions fail an update in response to determining that the consolidated error flag indicates an error.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the article of manufacture further includes code executed by one processor managing at least one session to perform operations comprising:

processing the information for each cluster or session not included in a cluster indicated in the master data set to obtain a value providing information on all sessions indicated in the master data set; and

processing the value to determine whether to perform write updates from the primary system to the secondary system.