Server change management

• US 8,442,958 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bose, Patrick Glen, Vong, Ky Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US11/692,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In one embodiment, methods and systems for change management are described. A server system may include a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server. A server change group may include one or more server change objects. Each server change object may represent a server change to be made to at least one of the physical server or the virtual server. A change manager may receive a request for a change to the server system, select transitioning change objects from among the server change objects to transition the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, and execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

a server change group comprising a set of server change objects, each server change object represents a server change for m least one of the physical server or the virtual server;

a change manager operable to receive a request for a change to the server system, and to select only those transitioning change objects from among the larger set of set of server change objects necessary to transition the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change; and

a task manager operable to receive the transitioning change objects from the change manager, to cause the execution of the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and to generate and provide information regarding the execution of the change, wherein the change manager determines whether the change is implemented as a complex job by the task manager, based on a number of the transitioning change objects,

wherein the change manager is further operable to execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and wherein the change manager determines that the change is implemented by the change manager and not the task manager, when the number of the transitioning change objects corresponding to the change is below a specific threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, where each server change object of the one or more settler change objects comprises at least one of:

a get state process to obtain a current state of the server change associated with the server change object to the server system,

an execute process to run the server change associated with the server change object, a reserve process to ready the server system for the execute process, or

a get/set message process to convey messages during execution of the server change associated with the server change object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the task manager is further operable to schedule execution of the transitioning change objects to implement the change associated with the transitioning change objects to the server system as a change task.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the change task implements a change listener object, the change listener object configured to provide a message regarding execution of the change to an associated transitioning change object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server change group further comprises:

a completion status criterion to indicate a state of a completed change; and

a continue-on-failure state to indicate whether the server change group should continue execution when a requested change associated with a server change object of the server change group has failed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the change manager further comprises:

a release process to unlock a resource of the server system; and

an execute process to run the server change associated with the transitioning change object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the change manager further determines that the change is to be implemented as a complex job by the task manager, based at least in part on an execution time corresponding to the change.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein when the change is implemented as the complex job by the task manager, the task manager generates and provides the information regarding the execution of the change to the user, the information including:

a nature of the change;

an execution start time of the change;

a running state of the change;

an estimated completion time for the change; and

one or more operation objects affected by the change.

9. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

means for accessing a plurality of server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

a change manager for selecting from among the plurality of server change objects only one or more transitioning change objects necessary for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more server change objects including a server change for at least one of the physical server or the virtual server; and

a task manager operable for receiving the transitioning change objects from the change manager, to cause the execution of the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and to generate and provide information regarding the execution of the change, wherein the change manager determines whether the change is implemented as a complex job by the task manager, based on a number of the transitioning change objects,

wherein the change manager is further operable to execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and wherein the change manager determines that the change is implemented by the change manager and not the task manager, when the number of the transitioning change objects corresponding to the change is below a specific threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein means for executing the transitioning change objects within the server system to implement the change to the server system comprises:

means for executing at least one of the transitioning change objects within the server system;

means for determining whether the at least one of the transitioning change objects was successfully executed; and

means for halting execution of a remaining number of the transitioning change objects when execution of the at least one of the transitioning change objects does not satisfy at least one of a completion status criterion or a continue-on-failure state.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

accessing a plurality of server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

selecting, by a change manager, from among the plurality of server change objects only one or more transitioning change objects necessary for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more seltzer change objects including a server change for at least one of the physical server or the virtual server;

determining, by the change manager, whether the change is implemented as a complex job by a task manager, based on a number of the transitioning change objects; and

receiving, by the task manager, the transitioning change objects from the change manager, causing the execution of the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and generating and providing information regarding the execution of the change,

wherein the change manager is further operable to execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and wherein the change manager determines that the change is implemented by the change manager and not the task manager, when the number of the transitioning change objects corresponding to the change is below a specific threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the transitioning change objects within the server system comprises:

executing at least one of the transitioning change objects within the server system;

determining whether the at least one of the transitioning change objects was successfully executed; and

halting execution of a remaining number of the transitioning change objects when execution of the at least one of the transitioning change objects does not satisfy at least one of a completion status criterion or a continue-on-failure state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein “

finish none”

is the completion status criterion.

14. The method of claim 11, farther comprising:

reserving the change to the server system, wherein reserving the change to the server system comprises locking one or more resources of the server system.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

preparing the server change objects for execution in parallel.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extracting a state of the change of the transitioning change objects during execution; and

recording the extracted state of the change.

17. Logic encoded in one or more tangible medium for execution and when executed operable to:

receive a request for a change to a server system, the server system including a physical server and a virtual server capable of being deployed on the physical server;

access a plurality of server change objects associated with implementing the change to the server system;

select, using a change manager, from among the plurality of server change objects only one or more transitioning change objects necessary for transitioning the server system from a current state to an expected state after implementation of the change, each of the one or more server change objects including a server change for at least one of the physical server or the virtual server;

determine, using the change manager, whether the change is implemented as a complex job by a task manager, based on a number of the transitioning change objects; and

receive, using tile task manager, the transitioning change objects from the change manager, cause the execution of the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and generate and provide information regarding tile execution of the change,

wherein the change manager is further operable to execute the transitioning change objects to implement the change to the server system, and wherein the change manager determines that the change is implemented by the change manager and not the task manager, when the number of the transitioning change objects corresponding to the change is below a specific threshold.

18. The logic encoded in one or more tangible medium of claim 17, further comprising logic operable to:

extract a state of tile change of the transitioning change objects during execution; and

record the extracted state of the change.