Control method for information processing system, information processing system, and program

• US 8,423,162 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukuyama, Masayuki, Nakayama, Jun, Masuda, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US13/285,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 700/21, 700/79, 700/82, 714/3, 714/4, 714/11, 714/14, 711/162
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence

Abstract

An information processing system including a plurality of server apparatuses coupled to one another, wherein failover is executed. A management server is coupled to the server apparatuses, and is configured to, when detecting occurrence of a failure in an active server apparatus, execute failover from the active server apparatus to a standby server apparatus after turning on a power supply of the standby server apparatus. The management server is enabled to acquire information on the standby server apparatus after turning on the power supply of the standby server apparatus, turn off the power supply of the standby server apparatus after acquiring the information, and, based on the acquired information, judge whether failover to the standby server apparatus can be executed.

Claims

1. A management method of an information processing system including an active server apparatus and a standby server apparatus coupled to one another, and a management server coupled to the active server apparatus and to the standby server apparatus, which after turning on a power supply to the standby server apparatus, performs a failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus when detecting an occurrence of a failure in the active server apparatus, the standby server apparatus being provided with a checking part that checks the standby server apparatus when the standby server apparatus is turned on, the management method comprising the steps of:

selecting, by the management server, the standby server apparatus based on configuration management information, the configuration management information being held in the management server and including information indicating whether or not each server apparatus coupled to the management server is the standby server apparatus, and information indicating a status of a power supply of each server apparatus coupled to the management server;

turning on the power supply to the standby server apparatus;

checking the standby server apparatus by the checking part;

requesting, by the management server, the standby server apparatus to acquire check result information by the checking part;

receiving, by the standby server apparatus, the acquired check result information;

acquiring, by the management server, the received check result information;

turning off the power supply to the standby server apparatus; and

judging, based on the acquired information, whether or not the failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus is possible.

2. The management method of an information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the management server stores therein specifications required for the standby server apparatus that is set on standby to replace the active server apparatus, and

wherein the management server judges that failover to the standby server is impossible in the step of judging whether or not failover to the standby server apparatus is possible, in a case where the specifications of the standby apparatus which are specified by the information acquired from the standby server apparatus do not satisfy the specifications required for the active server apparatus which the standby apparatus is on standby to replace.

3. The management method of an information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the management server stores therein time when the power supply to the standby server apparatus is turned off, and

wherein the management server executes the step of:

acquiring the information, and the step of judging whether or not the failover is possible in a case where a predetermined time period has passed since the stored time.

4. The management method of an information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the management server executes the step of acquiring the information and the step of judging whether or not the failover is possible, when detecting a configuration change in the standby server apparatus.

5. The management method of an information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the management server executes the step of acquiring the information and the step of judging whether or not the failover is possible, on the active server apparatus to which the standby server apparatus configuration of which is changed is set on standby to replace, and on a different standby server apparatus that is set on standby to replace the active server apparatus.

6. The management method of an information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the management server judges whether or not a different standby server apparatus exists in the information processing system and the different standby server apparatus is further set on standby to replace the active server apparatus, and with a result of the judgment, executes the step of acquiring the information and the step of judging whether or not the failover is possible, if the judgment indicates that the different standby server apparatus exists and is set on standby.

7. An information processing system comprising:

a standby server apparatus coupled to an active server apparatus; and

a management server coupled to the active server apparatus and to the standby server apparatus, the management server after turning on a power supply to the standby server apparatus, performing a failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus when detecting an occurrence of a failure in the active server apparatus,

wherein the management server includes;

a selecting part to select the standby server apparatus based on configuration management information, the configuration management information being held in the management server and including information indicating whether or not each server apparatus coupled to the management server is the standby server apparatus, and information indicating a status of a power supply of each server apparatus coupled to the management server;

an information acquisition part to start operation of the standby server apparatus, when an operation of the same is at a stop, transmit a check program to the standby server apparatus, cause the check program to check the standby server apparatus, requests the standby server apparatus to return check result information by the check program, and acquire the check result information from the standby server apparatus;

a server control part to turn off the power supply to the standby server apparatus after acquiring the check result information; and

a status judgment part to judge, based on the acquired information, whether or not the failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus is possible.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing a program executed by a management server in an information processing system including an active server apparatus and a standby server apparatus coupled to one another, and a management server coupled to the active server apparatus and to the standby server apparatus, which after turning on a power supply to the standby server apparatus, performs a failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus when detecting an occurrence of a failure in the active server apparatus,

the program causing the management server to perform the steps of:

selecting the standby server apparatus based on configuration management information, the configuration management information being held in the management server and including information indicating whether or not each server apparatus coupled to the management server is the standby server apparatus, and information indicating a status of a power supply of each server apparatus coupled to the management server;

turning on the power supply, of the standby server apparatus, whose operation is at a stop, transmitting a check program to the standby server apparatus, causing the check program to check the standby apparatus, requesting the standby server apparatus to return check result information by the check program, and acquiring the check result information from the standby server apparatus;

turning off the power supply of the standby server apparatus; and

judging, based on the acquired information, whether or not the failover from the active server apparatus to the standby server apparatus is possible.