High availability cluster server for enterprise data management

• US 7,890,626 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omar M.A. Gadir
• Original Assignee: Omar M.A. Gadir
• Inventors: Gadir, Omar M. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/283,586
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 9217-228, 924/6
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484

Abstract

A high availability, scalable cluster server system for enterprise data management. The server is a cluster of two or more nodes. Each node runs one or more virtual servers. A virtual server consists of network resources and resources for enterprise data management. Failover is based on moving virtual servers from a failed node to a healthy node. The invention provides for network failover within the same node. Enterprise data management consists of data discovery, data categorization and applying enterprise policies on categorized data. One of the problems of data management is the diversity of policies and in some cases their conflicting requirements. According to one aspect of the invention, enterprise policies are broking into policy entities. Policy entities represent the simplest policy unit. Some of the policy entities are shared between the diversified enterprise policies. Identifying a data management policy with the highest priority and applying the policy entity that belongs to it resolve conflict in policy requirements.

Claims

1. An enterprise data management system, comprising:

two or more nodes connected to a network, each of said nodes including;

at least one processor;

one or more network ports; and

Directly Attached Storage (DAS) storing computer programs for operating such systems, and for storing intermediate and final results of enterprise data management;

wherein each of said nodes;

connects to data sources over said network;

is configured to;

run one or more virtual servers, each said virtual server including;

a virtual interface to said data sources, wherein said virtual interface includes one or more virtual IP addresses, and wherein each said virtual IP address is mapped to a physical IP address;

means to discover said data sources and retrieve content of said data sources;

means to extract metadata from the content of said data sources;

means to create a search index of the content of said data sources;

means to perform text search using said search index;

means to use said metadata and said text search to classify the content of said data sources into different categories;

means to create high level data management policies, each said high level management policy including policy entities, wherein each said policy entity includes one or more actions to be performed on data, wherein said actions;

 

modify data read/write and access permissions;

 

ensure data security;

 

ensure data protection; and

 

ensure data availability; and

means to apply said high level data management policies to said categories;

is configured to;

detect a failed network port in a first node said failed network port has no network connectivity;

determine whether there is a good network port on said first node, said good network port has network connectivity;

move virtual servers attached to said failed network port to a good network port on said first node if there is such a good network port;

move virtual servers attached to said failed network port to a second node if there is no such good network port on said first node; and

detect failure of a first node and move all virtual servers owned by said first node to a second healthy node in the system.

2. The system of claim of 1, further comprising:

a master node, wherein the master node includes;

a database for storing results of data management;

a metadata repository; and

a search index repository; and

slave nodes, wherein each of said slave nodes includes;

a metadata repository; and

a search index repository.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for auditing the content of said data sources.