System and method for providing services for offline servers using the same network address

• US 8,078,717 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtuozzo International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Parallels Holdings Limited (HNA Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Protassov, Stanislav S., Tormasov, Alexander G., Beloussov, Serguei M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/100,506
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for controlling virtual servers includes a plurality of virtual servers running on a host computer. An address and a unique identifier can be associated with each virtual server. A control procedure(s) is within each corresponding virtual server, and can be used to control that virtual server in response to control commands. A control interface is outside the virtual servers and can be used for control of the virtual servers in response to control commands. The virtual server can be a Virtual server. The control command can be executable by both the control procedure(s) and the control interface, or can be executable by the control interface if the control procedure(s) is unreachable, or can be executable by the control interface if the virtual server has failed, or can be executable even if the virtual server is inaccessible. The control interface can be accessible by using multiple addresses and identifiers.

Claims

1. A system for controlling virtual servers comprising:

a plurality of virtual servers running on a clustered computer system having multiple hardware servers tied together, the virtual servers sharing an operating system handling the cluster;

each virtual server having an associated address and a unique system-wide identifier;

each virtual server responding to requests from clients;

each virtual server including an internal control procedure operable inside the virtual server for control of that virtual server using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier; and

an external control interface operable outside the virtual server for control of the virtual server in response to commands sent by a remote user using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier,

wherein, if a particular virtual server is non-responsive, the external control interface can be used to manage that virtual server using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier associated with that virtual server,

wherein the external control interface is executed on any of the hardware server of the cluster and is available to the remote user when a particular virtual server is unresponsive, or when the internal control procedure of that virtual server is unreachable, or when services provided by the internal control procedure are unreachable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the commands are executable by both the internal control procedure and the external control interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the commands are executed by the control interface when the internal control procedure is unreachable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control interface is accessible using multiple addresses.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the commands are used to control user applications running in at least one of the virtual servers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the address is a hostname.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the command comprises any of:

start/stop the virtual server;

change the virtual server passwords;

reinstall the virtual server;

repair the virtual server;

backup the virtual server;

update parameters of a level of the consumption of resources;

process control commands for the virtual server;

check status of the virtual server;

configure the virtual server;

installing user application;

uninstalling user application; and

configuring user application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual servers are supported by the same host OS kernel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control interface is activated upon failure of any of the virtual servers.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal control procedure is activated in response to commands sent by a remote user using the address and the unique system-wide identifier.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein substitution of connection to the internal control procedure for connection to the external control interface is transparent to the user.

12. A method of managing virtual servers, comprising:

launching a plurality of virtual servers running on a clustered computer system having multiple hardware servers tied together, the virtual servers sharing an operating system handling the cluster;

assigning an associated address and a unique system-wide identifier to each virtual server;

each virtual server responding to requests from clients;

starting, on each virtual server, an internal control procedure operable that is inside the virtual server for control of that virtual server using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier; and

starting an external control interface outside the virtual server for control of the virtual server in response to commands sent by a remote user using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier,

wherein, if a particular virtual server is non-responsive, the external control interface can be used to manage that virtual server using the associated address and the unique system-wide identifier associated with that virtual server, and

wherein the external control interface is executed on any of the hardware server of the cluster and is available to the remote user when a particular virtual server is unresponsive, or when the internal control procedure of that virtual server is unreachable, or when services provided by the internal control procedure are unreachable.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the command is executable when the virtual server is inaccessible.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the control interface is accessible using multiple addresses.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the control interface and the control program use the same unique system-wide identifiers, and the external control interface is available when any internal control program is unavailable.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the control command depends on a state of the virtual servers.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the control interface is activated upon failure of any of the virtual servers.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the external control program is activated upon a request from the user.

19. A computer program product for managing virtual servers, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for controlling at least one processor, the computer program logic comprising code for executing the method of claim 12.