Managing host computing devices with a host control component

• US 8,725,998 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gabrielson, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US13/223,137
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/325 by lamps or LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/24 Loading of the microprogram
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4408 Boot device selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which facilitate the management of host computing devices through the utilization of a host computing device control component. The host computing device control component includes a state monitoring component that monitors operating states of the control component and a group of associated host computing devices. Based on a determination of a power event, the state monitoring component causes the initiation of a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices based on exchange priority information and additional reboot parameters.

Claims

1. A system for managing host computing devices, the host computing devices organized into a physical rack, the system comprising:

a rack control component in communication with the host computing devices, the rack control component including;

a management component for monitoring and controlling one or more aspects of the operation of the grouping of host computing devices; and

a state monitoring component, the state monitoring component having a power supply independent of a power supply associated with the rack control component, a state processing component for determining power event information, and a communication interface for establishing communication with other state monitoring components via a communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the grouping of host computing devices;

wherein the state monitoring component attempts exchange communications via a communication channel with at least one other state monitoring component based on a determined power event,

wherein the state monitoring component exchanges priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component if a communication channel is successfully established, and wherein the state monitoring component determines reboot parameters based on the determined power event.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reboot parameters correspond to a determined reboot order based on priority information.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reboot parameters correspond to a delay in initiating a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the delay in initiating the reboot of the grouping of host computing devices is based, at least in part, on at least one of a random delay, a pseudo-random delay and a fixed delay.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the delay in initiating the reboot of the grouping of host computing devices is based, at least in part, on evaluation of additional criteria.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the additional criteria include receipt of a confirmation of a reboot of another host computing device.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the state monitoring component causes initiation of a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices in accordance with the reboot parameters.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the state monitoring component further includes at least one visual indicator interface, wherein the state monitoring component causes the generation of a visual indication based on the power event information.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the grouping of host computing devices.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of power to the grouping of host computing devices below a threshold.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the state monitoring component can initiate the establishment of the communication channel.

12. A computer-implemented method for managing host computing devices, the method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with specific executable instructions for implementing a state monitoring component and an independent power supply,

obtaining event information, the event information corresponding to one or more resources utilized by a grouping of host computing devices associated with the state monitoring component;

causing communications via a communication channel with at least one other state monitoring component, wherein the at least one other state monitoring component is associated with a different grouping of host computing devices;

if a communication channel is successfully established, exchanging priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component;

determining reboot parameters for the grouping of host computing devices, the reboot parameters based on at least one of priority information associated with the grouping of host computing devices and priority information associated with the different grouping of host computing devices; and

causing the processing of the determined reboot parameters.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein causing the instantiation of a communication channel with at least one other state monitoring component includes causing the instantiation of a communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the grouping of host computing devices.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein causing the instantiation of a communication channel with at least one other state monitoring component includes causing the instantiation of at least one of a wired and a wireless communication channel.

15. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein obtaining event information corresponds to obtaining event information corresponding to power event information.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the grouping of host computing devices.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of power to the grouping of host computing devices below a threshold.

18. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein determining reboot parameters for the grouping of host computing devices includes determining reboot parameters based solely on priority information associated with the grouping of host computing devices if the instantiation of a communication channel is not successful.

19. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the reboot parameters correspond to a determined reboot order based on priority information.

20. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the reboot parameters correspond to a delay in initiating a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices.

21. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 20, wherein the delay in initiating the reboot of the grouping of host computing devices is based, at least in part, on at least one of a random delay, a pseudo-random delay and a fixed delay.

22. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 20, wherein the delay in initiating the reboot of the grouping of host computing devices is based, at least in part, on evaluation of additional criteria.

23. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12 further comprising causing the instantiation of the communication channel in response to the event information.

24. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein causing the processing of the determined reboot parameters includes causing the initiation of a reboot based on the determined reboot parameters.

25. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein causing the processing the determined reboot parameters includes determining whether a sufficient number of host computing devices are associated with the event information prior to initiating a reboot of the host computing device.

26. A state monitoring component for managing a grouping of host computing devices associated with the state monitoring component, the control state monitoring component including one or more processors and a power supply, the state monitoring component comprising:

a power supply independent of a power supply associated with the grouping of host computing devices;

a state processing component for determining event information; and

a communication interface for communicating with other state monitoring components via a communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the grouping of host computing devices;

wherein the state monitoring component attempts to access a communication channel including at least one other state monitoring component based on a determined event,

wherein the state monitoring component exchanges priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component if a communication channel is successfully established, and wherein the state monitoring component determines control parameters for the grouping of host computing devices based on the determined event.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the control parameters correspond to a determined reboot order based on priority information.

28. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the control parameters correspond to the limitation of communications.

29. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the control parameters correspond to management of a power protocol.

30. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the control parameters correspond to management of a security protocol.

31. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the event information corresponds to power event information.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the grouping of host computing devices.

33. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of power to the grouping of host computing devices below a threshold.