System for hosting customized computing clusters

• US 8,352,584 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Light Refracture Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Franklin, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/894,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 713/153, 719/311, 726/12, 726/11
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures

Abstract

A computer system for hosting computing clusters for clients. The system includes clusters each including a set of computing resources and each implemented in custom or differing configurations. Each of the configurations provides a customized computing environment for performing particular client tasks. The configurations may differ due to configuration of the processing nodes, the data storage, or the private cluster network or its connections. The system includes a monitoring system that monitors the clusters for operational problems on a cluster level and also on a per-node basis such as with monitors provided for each node. The system controls client access to the clusters via a public communications by only allowing clients to access their assigned cluster or the cluster configured per their specifications and performing their computing task. Gateway mechanisms isolate each cluster such that communications within a cluster or on a private cluster communications network are maintained separate.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a private communications network linked to a public communications network;

a first cluster comprising a set of computing resources, including at least one hardware processor, in a first configuration, wherein the first cluster is communicatively linked to the private communications network;

a second cluster comprising a set of computing resources, including at least one hardware processor, in a second configuration, wherein the second cluster is communicatively linked to the private communications network; and

a monitoring system to monitor operations of the first cluster and the second cluster for communications problems;

wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration;

wherein the first configuration provides a first computing environment to perform a first client task and the second configuration provides a second computing environment to perform a second client task; and

wherein the computing resources comprise processing nodes, data storage shared by the processing nodes, and at least one communications network to link the processing nodes to each other and to the data storage;

wherein the first cluster establishes communications between the set of computing resources of the first cluster and a first gateway communicatively linked between the first cluster and the private communications network;

wherein the second cluster establishes communications among the set of computing resources of the second cluster and a second gateway communicatively linked between the second cluster and the private communications network;

wherein communications between the first cluster and the second cluster are isolated;

wherein the first cluster is a high performance cluster; and

wherein the second cluster is a high performance cluster.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the processing nodes in the first cluster or the second cluster.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the data storage in the first cluster or the second cluster.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the at least one communications network provided in the first cluster or the second cluster.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system:

identifies operational or connectivity problems based on the monitoring; and

issues an alert in response to the identified operational or connectivity problems indicating a corresponding one of the first cluster or the second cluster or a combination thereof associated with the identified operational or connectivity problems.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring system:

monitors the first and second clusters to identify the operational and connectivity problems; and

monitors for each node of the first cluster and for each node of the second cluster to check for hardware or software problems within a particular node and to report the hardware or software problems to the main monitor.

7. The system of claim 6,

wherein each of the first cluster and the second cluster comprise a corresponding main monitor;

and

wherein the monitoring system further comprises a central monitoring system in communication with the main monitors corresponding to the first cluster or the second cluster.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means, positioned between the public communications network and the first cluster and the second cluster, to:

limit access to the first cluster to communication access from a first client associated with the first client task; and

limit access to the second cluster to communication access from a second client associated with the second client task.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the public communications network is configured to be accessible by clients accessing the first cluster or the second cluster;

and

wherein the system further comprises a monitoring system linked to the private communications network and configured to monitor operation of the first cluster or the second cluster.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a firewall communicatively linked to a public network and a private network;

a first private cluster network comprising;

a first high performance computing (HPC) cluster comprising a set of computing resources comprising at least one processing device in a first configuration; and

a first gateway communicatively linked between the first HPC cluster and the private network;

a second private cluster network comprising;

a second HPC cluster comprising a set of computing resources in a second configuration; and

a second gateway communicatively linked between the second HPC cluster and the private network; and

a monitoring system to monitor operation of the first private cluster network and the second private cluster network;

wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration;

wherein the first configuration provides a first computing environment to perform a first client task;

wherein the second configuration provides a second computing environment to perform a second client task;

wherein the firewall limits communications from a first client associated with the first client task to connections with the first cluster;

wherein the firewall limits communications from a second client associated with the second client task to connections with the second cluster; and

wherein communications between the first HPC cluster and the second HPC cluster are isolated.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the computing resources of each of the first HPC cluster or the second HPC cluster comprise processing nodes, data storage shared by the processing nodes, and at least one communications network linking the processing nodes to each other and to the data storage;

and

wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the processing nodes in the first HPC cluster or the second HPC cluster.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the data storage in the first HPC cluster or the second HPC cluster.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration based on configuration of the at least one communications network provided in the first HPC cluster or the second HPC cluster.