Method and system for managing network resources based on a dynamic quorum

• US 8,285,825 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagaraj, Shishir, Madhusudhana, Honnuduke S., Sirisilla, Nataraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/293,827
• Time in Patent Office: 3,618 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709/219, 709223-229, 709/241, 705 7- 11, 726 27- 30, 370/233, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.41, 370/395.42
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for dynamically administering a quorum of multiple members based on their involvements in using at least one network resource in a computer network. At least one system administrator responsible for managing a particular network resource will divest his power to the members of the quorum so that his own involvement can be minimized. After identifying one or more stakeholders out of a group of users of the network resource, a weight for each user is updated in one or more rounds of evaluation based on his use of the network resource. The quorum membership is then modified accordingly based on the updated weights of the users so that the network resource is managed appropriated by relevant users.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically determining a quorum having one or more members based on their involvements in using at least one network resource in a computer network, the method comprising:

identifying one or more stakeholders having a primary interest in the network resource;

periodically conducting rounds of evaluation to determine for each stakeholder an amount that the stakeholder has participated in use of the network resource since an immediately preceding evaluation round;

for each evaluation round, a computer updating a weight by an incremental amount for each stakeholder, wherein the incremental amount is based on the determined amount of participation in use of the network resource for the stakeholder and a predetermined configuration parameter; and

after each evaluation round, modifying a membership of the quorum based on the updated weights of the stakeholders, wherein for each of the stakeholders, the stakeholder is included in the quorum membership if the updated weight of the stakeholder has a first relationship to a threshold weight and the stakeholder is excluded from the quorum membership if the updated weight of the stakeholder has a second relationship to the threshold weight,

wherein changing the value of the predetermined configuration parameter controls the rate of a progress of the weight between different rounds.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising collectively managing the network resource by the quorum membership.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying further comprises analyzing usage patterns of the network resource pertaining to each stakeholder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the updating further comprises calculating the weight mathematically by Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e⁻

(τ

/Δ

)+A(1−

e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup>) for the i^th stakeholder participating in the n-th round and Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup> for the i^th stakeholder not participating in the n-th round, wherein A is the maximum attainable weight, τ

is the predetermined configuration parameter, and Δ

is the time difference between successive rounds.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying further comprising setting up a required threshold for the weights for qualifying a member to the quorum.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying further comprising setting up a minimum number of members for administering the membership of the quorum.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein the managing the network resource includes managing administration of file systems volumes and managing administration of web resources.

7. A method for managing at least one network resource in a computer network by a dynamic user quorum, the quorum admitting one or more members based on their minimum involvements in using the network resource, the method comprising:

identifying one or more stakeholders having a primary interest in using the network resource;

determining an expected quorum membership requirement over a period of time based on usage patterns of the network resource pertaining to the members;

periodically conducting rounds of evaluation to determine for each stakeholder an amount that the stakeholder has participated in use of the network resource since an immediately preceding evaluation round;

for each round of evaluation, a computer updating a weight by an incremental amount for each member, wherein the incremental amount is based on the determined amount of participation in use of the network resource for the member and a predetermined configuration parameter; and

modifying a membership of the quorum after each round of evaluation based on the updated weights of the stakeholders, wherein for each of the stakeholders, the stakeholder is included in the quorum membership if the updated weight of the stakeholder has a first relationship to a threshold weight and the stakeholder is excluded from the quorum membership if the updated weight of the stakeholder has a second relationship to the threshold weight,

wherein changing the value of the predetermined configuration parameter controls the rate of a progress of the weight between different rounds.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the updating further comprises calculating the weight mathematically by Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e⁻

(τ

/Δ

)+A(1−

e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup>) for the i^th stakeholder participating in the n-th round and Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup>) for the i^th stakeholder not participating in the n-th round, wherein A is the maximum attainable weight, τ

is the predetermined configuration parameter, and Δ

is the time difference between successive rounds.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the membership requirement is a required threshold for the weights to qualify a member of the quorum.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the modifying further comprising modifying the quorum by considering a required minimum number of members to be included in the quorum.

11. A computer program product for dynamically determining a quorum having one or more members based on their involvements in using at least one network resource in a computer network, the computer program product comprising:

non-volatile computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for;

identifying one or more stakeholders having a primary interest in the network resource;

periodically conducting rounds of evaluation to determine for each stakeholder an amount that the stakeholder has participated in use of the network resource since an immediately preceding evaluation round;

for each of the evaluation rounds, updating a weight by an incremental amount for each stakeholder, wherein the incremental amount is based on the determined amount of participation in use of the network resource for the stakeholder and a predetermined configuration parameter; and

after each evaluation round, modifying a membership of the quorum based on the updated weights of the stakeholders by considering at least one predetermined requirement,

wherein changing the value of the predetermined configuration parameter controls the rate of a progress of the weight between different rounds.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable medium further has stored thereon instructions for collectively managing the network resource by the quorum membership.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for identifying further comprise instructions for analyzing usage pattern of the network resource pertaining to each stakeholder.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for updating further includes instructions for calculating the weight mathematically by Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e⁻

(τ

/Δ

)+A(1−

e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup>) for the i^th stakeholder participating in the n-th round and Sⁱ_n=Sⁱ_n-1e<sup>−

(τ

/Δ

)</sup> for the i^th stakeholder not participating in the n-th round, wherein A is the maximum attainable weight, τ

is the predetermined configuration parameter, and Δ

is the time difference between successive rounds.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for modifying further comprising instructions for setting up a required threshold for the weights for qualifying a member to the quorum.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for modifying further comprising instructions for setting up a minimum number of members for administering the membership of the quorum.