Performing a changeover from a first virtual node to a second virtual node

• US 8,107,359 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beeken, Christopher Barry, Machleidt, Stephanie, Nicholson, Robert Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US12/303,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/203 using migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual

Abstract

Apparatus for non-disruptive error recovery in a clustered system, comprises a node instance configuration activity quiescing component for quiescing configuration activity at a first virtual node instance; a node instance creation component for creating a second virtual node instance with I/O access blocked; a configuration transfer component for transferring configuration data from the first to the second virtual node instance; a commit component for committing the changeover from the first to the second virtual node instance; a node instance communications blocking component for blocking inbound communications to a first virtual node instance; a node instance communications unblocking component for unblocking I/O access at the second virtual node instance; a communication control component for monitoring outbound communications from the first virtual node instance and signalling completion of all pending outbound communications; and a node instance deletion component for deleting the first virtual node instance.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium including;

a first virtual node comprising a first virtual machine;

a director in communication with the first virtual node, wherein the director is executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

quiescing configuration activity at the first virtual node;

creating a second virtual node with Input/Output (I/O) access to the second virtual node blocked;

transferring configuration data from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

committing a changeover from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

blocking inbound communications to the first virtual node;

unblocking Input/Output (I/O) access at the second virtual node;

monitoring outbound communications from the first virtual node and signaling completion of all pending outbound communications; and

deleting the first virtual node in response to the first virtual node completing the pending outbound communications.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

Input/Output (I/O) devices;

a virtual machine monitor coupled to the I/O devices, wherein the virtual machine monitor performs operations, the operations comprising;

virtualizing the I/O devices to make accessible to virtual nodes;

distributing Input/Output (I/O) requests to the virtual nodes;

receiving a request to refresh storage virtualization; and

initiating operations by the director to create the second virtual node.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first virtual hard disk connected to the first virtual node;

a second virtual hard disk connected to the second virtual node;

wherein the director transfers the configuration data by transferring the configuration data for the first virtual node to the second virtual hard disk.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtual node includes a first cache and the second virtual node includes a second cache wherein the director further performs:

flushing the first cache and change the first cache to cache disabled mode for virtual storage.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second virtual node inherits configuration data from the first virtual node, but not state data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the committing of the changeover is performed in response to configuring the second node instance with the configuration data transferred from the first virtual node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the director further performs:

receiving indication that the second virtual node completed setting-up, wherein the commit operation is initiated in response to receiving the indication that the second virtual node completed setting-up.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the creating of the second virtual node comprises creating a plurality of second virtual nodes, wherein the director further performs:

receiving, from the second virtual nodes, notification that the second virtual nodes have completed setting-up, wherein the director initiates the commit operation in response to receiving the set-up completed notification from all the second virtual nodes.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further includes:

a first filter coupled to the first virtual node; and

a second filter coupled to the second virtual node, wherein the first filter defines a set of events that the first virtual node can send and receive and wherein the second filter defines a set of events that the second virtual node can send and receive, wherein the director interacts with the first and second filters to perform the commit operation.

10. A method, comprising:

quiescing configuration activity at a first virtual node comprising a first virtual machine;

creating a second virtual node with Input/Output (I/O) access to the second virtual node blocked;

transferring configuration data from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

committing a changeover from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

blocking inbound communications to the first virtual node;

unblocking Input/Output (I/O) access at the second virtual node;

monitoring outbound communications from the first virtual node and signaling completion of all pending outbound communications; and

deleting the first virtual node in response to the first virtual node completing the pending outbound communications.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

virtualizing Input/Output (I/O) devices to make accessible to virtual nodes;

distributing Input/Output (I/O) requests to the virtual nodes;

receiving a request to refresh storage virtualization; and

initiating operations to create the second virtual node in response to receiving the request to refresh the storage virtualization.

12. The method of claim 10,

providing a first virtual hard disk connected to the first virtual node;

providing a second virtual hard disk connected to the second virtual node;

wherein transferring the configuration data comprising transferring the configuration data for the first virtual node to the second virtual hard disk.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the inbound communications to the first virtual node are blocked in response to the second virtual node becoming fully operational.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first virtual node includes a first cache and the second virtual node includes a second cache, further comprising:

flushing the first cache and change the first cache to cache disabled mode for virtual storage.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the second virtual node inherits configuration data from the first virtual node, but not state data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the committing of the changeover is performed in response to configuring the second node instance with the configuration data transferred from the first virtual node.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving indication that the second virtual node completed setting-up, wherein the commit operation is initiated in response to receiving the indication that the second virtual node completed setting-up.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the creating of the second virtual node comprises creating a plurality of second virtual nodes, further comprising:

receiving, from the second virtual node, notification that the second virtual nodes have completed setting-up, wherein the commit operation is initiated in response to receiving the set-up completed notification from all the second virtual nodes.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a first filter coupled to the first virtual node and a second filter coupled to the second virtual node, wherein the first filter defines a set of events that the first virtual node can send and receive and wherein the second filter defines a set of events that the second virtual node can send and receive; and

providing a director to perform or initiate the operations of the quiescing configuration activity, the creating the second virtual node, the transferring configuration data from the first virtual node to the second virtual node, the committing the changeover, the blocking inbound communications, the unblocking I/O access, the monitoring outbound communications, and the deleting the first virtual node in response to the first virtual node completing the pending outbound communications, wherein the director interacts with the first and second filters to perform the commit operation.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having software executed by a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

quiescing configuration activity at a first virtual node comprising a first virtual machine;

creating a second virtual node with Input/Output (I/O) access to the second virtual node blocked;

transferring configuration data from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

committing a changeover from the first virtual node to the second virtual node;

blocking inbound communications to the first virtual node;

unblocking Input/Output (I/O) access at the second virtual node;

monitoring outbound communications from the first virtual node and signaling completion of all pending outbound communications; and

deleting the first virtual node in response to the first virtual node completing the pending outbound communications.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

virtualizing Input/Output (I/O) devices to make accessible to virtual nodes;

distributing Input/Output (I/O) requests to the virtual nodes;

receiving a request to refresh storage virtualization; and

initiating operations to create the second virtual node in response to receiving the request to refresh the storage virtualization.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a first filter coupled to the first virtual node and a second filter coupled to the second virtual node, wherein the first filter defines a set of events that the first virtual node can send and receive and wherein the second filter defines a set of events that the second virtual node can send and receive; and

providing a director to perform or initiate the operations of the quiescing configuration activity, the creating the second virtual node, the transferring configuration data from the first virtual node to the second virtual node, the committing the changeover, the blocking inbound communications, the unblocking I/O access, the monitoring outbound communications, and the deleting the first virtual node in response to the first virtual node completing the pending outbound communications, wherein the director interacts with the first and second filters to perform the commit operation.