Self-updating node controller for an endpoint in a cloud computing environment

• US 8,595,328 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murakami, Shaun T., Reif, John
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/938,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a self-updating node controller (e.g., for an endpoint/node such as a cloud node). In general, the node controller will autonomously and automatically obtain program code (e.g., scripts) from a central repository. Among other things, the program code enables the node controller to: receive a request message from a cloud node queue associated with the endpoint; process a request corresponding to the request message; automatically update the program code as needed (e.g., when requests cannot be processed/fulfilled); place a state message indicating a state of fulfillment of the request in a cloud manager queue associated with a cloud manager from which the request message was received; update an audit database to reflect the state of fulfillment; and/or place a failure message in a triage queue if the request cannot be processed by the node controller.

Claims

1. A method for automatically updating a node controller of an endpoint in a cloud computing environment, comprising:

receiving a request message in a cloud manager queue;

determining, by the cloud manager, a node controller for processing the request message;

placing the request message in a cloud node queue for the determined node controller;

obtaining program code for the node controller from a central repository, the program code enabling the determined node controller to receive the request message from the cloud node queue associated with the endpoint, process a request corresponding to the request message, and place a state message indicating a state of fulfillment of the request in the cloud manager queue; and

automatically updating the program code,

wherein the node controller resides within a hypervisor on the endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, the program code being obtained by the node controller from the central repository.

3. The method of claim 1, the automatically updating being performed autonomously by the node controller.

4. The method of claim 1, the automatically updating being performed in response to an inability of the node controller to process the request.

5. The method of claim 1, the program code comprising executable scripts.

6. The method of claim 1, the endpoint comprising at least one cloud node.

7. The method of claim 1, the program code further enabling the node controller to update a database to reflect the state of fulfillment.

8. The method of claim 1, the program code further enabling the node controller to place a failure message in a triage queue if the request cannot be processed by the node controller.

9. A self-updating node controller system for an endpoint in a cloud computing environment, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus; and

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

receive a request message in a cloud manager queue;

determine, by the cloud manager, a node controller for processing the request message;

place the request message in a cloud node queue for the determined node controller;

obtain program code for the node controller from a central repository, the node controller residing within a hypervisor on the endpoint, the program code enabling the determined node controller to receive the request message from the cloud node queue associated with the endpoint, process a request corresponding to the request message, and place a state message indicating a state of fulfillment of the request in the cloud manager queue; and

automatically update the program code.

10. The self-updating node controller system of claim 9, the program code being obtained by the node controller from the central repository.

11. The self-updating node controller system of claim 9, the automatic update being performed autonomously by the node controller.

12. The self-updating node controller system of claim 9, the automatic update being performed in response to an inability of the node controller to process the request.

13. The self-updating node controller system of claim 9, the program code further enabling the node controller to:

update a database to reflect the state of fulfillment; and

place a failure message in a triage queue if the request cannot be processed by the node controller.

14. A computer program product for a self-updating node controller system for an endpoint in a cloud computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media, to:

receive a request message in a cloud manager queue;

determine, by the cloud manager, a node controller for processing the request message;

place the request message in a cloud node queue for the determined node controller;

obtain program code for the node controller from a central repository, the program code enabling the determined node controller to receive the request message from the cloud node queue associated with the endpoint, process a request corresponding to the request message, and place a state message indicating a state of fulfillment of the request in the cloud manager queue; and

automatically update the program code,

wherein the node controller is located within a hypervisor on the endpoint.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the program code being obtained by the node controller from the central repository.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, the automatic update being performed autonomously by the node controller.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, the automatic update being performed in response to an inability of the node controller to process the request.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, the program code further enabling the node controller to:

update a database to reflect the state of fulfillment; and

place a failure message in a triage queue if the request cannot be processed by the node controller.

19. A method for deploying a system for automatically updating a node controller of an endpoint in a cloud computing environment, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receiving a request message in a cloud manager queue;

determining, by the cloud manager, a node controller for processing the request message;

placing the request message in a cloud node queue for the determined node controller;

obtaining program code for the node controller from a central repository, the node controller being located within a hypervisor on the endpoint, the program code enabling the determined node controller to receive the request message from the cloud node queue associated with the endpoint, process a request corresponding to the request message, and place a state message indicating a state of fulfillment of the request in the cloud manager queue; and

automatically updating the program code.