Warm standby appliance

• US 7,844,686 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maxsp Corporation
• Inventors: Keith, Jr., Robert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Conaway, James E
• Application Number:
  US11/644,581
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 707/204, 707/619, 714 4- 16
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A warm standby appliance is described herein. The warm standby appliance is coupled to a storage server which is coupled to one or more servers. When a server fails, the storage server transfers a backed up image to the warm standby appliance, so that the warm standby appliance is able to replicate the failed server. While the failed server is inaccessible, the warm standby appliance is able to mimic the functionality of the failed server. When a new server or repaired server is available, the warm standby appliance is no longer needed. To incorporate the new server into the system quickly and easily, the server image of the warm standby appliance is sent to the new server. After transferring the image, the warm standby appliance is cleaned and returns back to a dormant state, waiting to be utilized again.

Claims

1. A system for providing network stability and data reliability, comprising:

a. one or more first servers;

b. a second server coupled to the first server where the second server stores applications and data received from the first server; and

c. one or more computing devices coupled to the second server, wherein if it is detected that the first server is going to fail the computing device performs functions of the first server upon receiving the applications and data from the second server such that the applications and data from the first server are uninterruptedly available;

wherein the computing devices perform functions of the first servers when one or more of the first servers fail, and wherein when the number of failed first servers exceeds the number of computing devices, the second server generates a number of virtual servers to perform functions of the additional failed first servers such that the applications and data from the failed first servers are uninterruptedly available.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second server is a storage server.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first server backs up the applications and data onto the second server using a continuous backup scheme.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second server stores a system image of the first server.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second server transfers the system image to the computing device when the first server fails.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the computing device transfers the system image to a replacement server for the first server.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the computing device clears the system image from the computing device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computing device mimics the first server.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first server is accessible by customers.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computing device is running and available to receive the applications and data from the second server before the first server fails.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computing device is remotely accessible.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second server generates a virtual server to perform functions of the first server if the computing device is unavailable.

13. A method of providing network stability and data reliability, comprising:

a. backing up applications and data from one or more first servers to a second server;

b. detecting when the first server is going to fail;

c. transferring the applications and data from the second server to a computing device when one of the first servers fails; and

d. serving applications and data utilizing the computing device until the first server is replaced such that the applications and data from the first server are uninterruptedly available;

wherein when the number of failed first servers exceeds the number of computing devices, the second server generates a number of virtual servers to perform functions of the additional failed first servers such that the applications and data from the failed first servers are uninterruptedly available.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising replacing the failed server.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second server is a storage server.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first server backs up the applications and data onto the second server using a continuous backup scheme.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising storing a system image of the first server on the second server.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising transferring the system image from the second server to the computing device when the first server fails, wherein the system image corresponds to the failed first server.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising transferring the system image from the computing device to a replacement server for the failed first server.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising clearing the system image from the computing device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein serving the applications and data utilizing the computing device includes mimicking the failed first server before the server failed.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first server is accessible by customers.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the computing device is running and available to receive the applications and data from the second server before the first server fails.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the computing device is remotely accessible.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising generating a virtual server with the second server to perform functions of the first server if the computing device is unavailable.

26. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first server is one of a set of first servers.

27. A network of devices for providing network stability and data reliability comprising:

a. a set of first servers;

b. a second server coupled to the set of first servers, wherein the second server stores applications and data received from the set of first servers;

c. one or more third servers coupled to the second server, wherein if it is detected that a server of the first set of servers is going to fail the third server performs functions of the server upon receiving the applications and data from the second server if a third server is available, and if the number of failed first servers exceeds the number of third servers, the second server generates a virtual server for the failed server in the set of first servers and further wherein the virtual server performs functions of the failed server such that the applications and data from the first set of servers are uninterruptedly available;

d. a regional data center coupled to the second server for backing up the applications and data regionally; and

e. a remote data center coupled to the regional data center for backing up the applications and data remotely;

wherein said first servers, said second server, and said third server further include a processor and a memory.

28. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the second server is a storage server.

29. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the set of first servers back up the applications and data onto the second server using a continuous backup scheme.

30. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the second server stores a system image of each server of the set of first servers.

31. The network of devices as claimed in claim 30 wherein the second server transfers the system image to the third server when the server of the first servers fails, wherein the system image corresponds to the failed server of the set of first servers.

32. The network of devices as claimed in claim 31 wherein the third server transfers the system image to a replacement server for the failed server.

33. The network of devices as claimed in claim 32 wherein the third server clears the system image from the third server.

34. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the third server mimics the failed server of the set of first servers before the server failed.

35. The network of devices as claimed in claim 30 wherein the second server transfers the system image to the virtual server when generating the virtual server, wherein the system image corresponds to the failed server of the set of first servers.

36. The network of devices as claimed in claim 35 wherein the virtual server transfers the system image to a replacement server for the failed server of the set of first servers.

37. The network of devices as claimed in claim 36 wherein the virtual server mimics the failed server of the set of first servers before the server failed.

38. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the virtual server is generated in real-time.

39. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the second server continues to back up the applications and data while running the virtual server.

40. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the set of first servers are accessible by customers.

41. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the third server is running and available to receive the applications and data from the second server before the server of the set of first servers fails.

42. The network of devices as claimed in claim 27 wherein the third server is remotely accessible.

43. An apparatus for providing network stability and data reliability, comprising:

a. a storage component;

b. a data backup application stored on the storage component for backing up applications and data received from one or more servers;

c. a data restore application stored on the storage component for restoring the applications and data received from the server by transferring the applications and data to one or more standby servers;

d. a server generating application stored on the storage component for temporarily replacing a failed server if it is detected that the server is going to fail until the failed server is permanently replaced such that the applications and data from the failed server are uninterruptedly available;

e. a processor; and

f. a memory;

wherein the server generating application generates a virtual server for the number of failed servers that exceeds the number of standby servers.

44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43 wherein the applications and data received comprises a server image.

45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43 wherein the apparatus is remotely accessible.

46. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43 wherein the applications and data are cleared from the storage component after the server is replaced.