Identification of critical web services and their dynamic optimal relocation

• US 8,990,388 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ebrahim, Nasser, Iyer, Sreekanth Ramakrishna, Punathil, Gireesh, Reghunath, Riju
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/620,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 920 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/226, 709/238, 709/239, 370/232, 370/230, 370/462
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A web service executing on a web server is monitored by detecting metadata generated for various performance characteristics of the web service. A relocation policy is consulted in response to detecting the performance characteristics exceeding a first predetermined threshold. The relocation policy specifies a target web server as a new location for the web, and instructions for relocating the web service to the target web server if the performance characteristics exceeding a second predetermined threshold. The web service is relocated to the target web server based on the relocation policy and without human intervention.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of relocating a web service, comprising:

defining and storing a relocation policy that includes instructions on moving the web service and defines parameters of the web service executing on a first server connected to a network, wherein said instructions specify a second server as a new location for the web service;

monitoring the parameters of the web service executing on the first server, wherein the web service is an application function configured to be a reusable component in a business process;

detecting a status change based on a change in the parameters;

consulting said relocation policy for the instructions on moving the web service in response to detecting the status change;

relocating the web service without human intervention to the second server which is connected to the network; and

rerouting requests for the web service;

wherein the first and second servers are both physical application servers configured to provide logic for executing the web service; and

wherein the requests are requests received over the network from a client computer program for the web service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said relocation policy indicates files to be copied to the second server as part of relocating the web service to the second server, and wherein said parameters are based on quality of service (QOS) parameters and service level agreements (SLA), the method further comprising:

identifying whether the web service is relocatable using a service analyzer component; and

determining resources to be relocated to the second server;

wherein the status change is based on a change in a usage level threshold being exceeded by a predefined amount, the usage level being defined by said parameters; and

wherein the detecting of said status change further comprises receiving metadata associated with the parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status change is a first status change from a normal status level to a first status level and the change in the parameters is a first change in the parameters, the method further comprising:

detecting a second status change from the first status level to a second status level based on a second change in the parameters; and

initiating activities for the relocating of the web service to said second server in response to the second status change to said second status level;

wherein the consulting of the relocation policy in performed in response to the first status change to said first status level.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting of the first status change is based on said parameters exceeding a first threshold, the method further comprising:

detecting of the second status change based on said parameters exceeding a second threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the web service executing on the second server; and

reverting to execution of the web service on the first server in response to detecting a failure of the web service executing on the second server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relocating of the web service to said second server is performed by an optimized composer and relocator unit, and wherein said relocation policy is included as part of said optimized composer and relocator unit, the method further comprising:

using the optimized composer and relocator unit to identify optimized relocation methods and a set of required resources including required classes associated with the web service; and

creating an optimized relocatable bundle that packages the required classes with said optimized relocation methods to run said web service upon being relocated to the second server.

7. A server system including a plurality of servers, comprising:

a network connecting the plurality of servers;

a first server of the plurality of servers on which is deployed a web service, wherein the web service is an application function configured to be a reusable component in a business process;

a second server of the plurality of servers suitable for executing the web service;

a memory configured to store a relocation policy with instructions on moving the web service without human intervention in response to detection of a status change, wherein said relocation policy is configured to accept inputs defining and storing parameters of the web service, said instructions, and a location of said second server, said relocation policy specifying the second server as a new source for the web service and indicating files to be copied to the second server as part of relocating the web service to the second server; and

an admin server of the plurality of servers connected to said memory and being configured to monitor said parameters of the web service executing on the first server;

wherein, in response to detecting the status change based on a change in the parameters the admin server is configured to consult the relocation policy for said instructions and relocate the web service to said second server which is connected to the network by storing the files of the web service on the second server, the admin server further being configured to redeploy the web service to the second server by rerouting requests from a client computer program for the web service to the second server;

wherein the first and second servers are both physical application servers configured to provide logic for executing the web service; and

wherein the requests are requests received over the network from the client computer program for the web service.

8. The server system of claim 7, the system further comprising:

a service analyzer component stored in a non-transitory machine readable medium and configured to identify whether the web service is relocatable;

wherein said parameters are based on quality of service (QoS) parameters and service level agreements (SLA);

wherein the status change is based on a change in the usage level threshold being exceeded by a predefined amount; and

wherein the detecting of said status change is based upon receiving metadata associated with the parameters.

9. The server system of claim 7, wherein the status change is a first status change from a normal status level to a first status level and the change in the parameters is a first change in the parameters;

and

wherein the admin server is configured to perform activities including detect a second status change from the first status level to a second status level based on a second change in the parameters, and initiate activities for the relocating of the web service to said second server in response to the second status change to said second status level, wherein the consulting of the relocation policy in performed in response to the first status change to said first status level.

10. A software product comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium including a program of instructions for relocating a web service, wherein the program of instructions upon being executed on a computer causes the computer to perform activities comprising:

define and storing a relocation policy that includes instructions on moving the web service and defines parameters of the web service executing on a first server connected to a network, wherein said instructions specify a second server as a new location for the web service

monitor the parameters of the web service executing on the first server, wherein the web service is an application function configured to be a reusable component in a business process;

detect a status change based on a change in the parameters;

consult the relocation policy for instructions on moving the web service in response to the status change, wherein said relocation policy specifies the second server as the new location for the web service and indicates files to be copied to the second server as part of relocating the web service to the second server;

relocate the web service without human intervention to the second server which is connected to the network; and

reroute requests for the web service to the second server;

wherein the first and second servers are both physical application servers configured to provide logic for executing the web service; and

wherein the requests are requests received over the network from a client computer program for the web service.

11. The software product of claim 10, wherein said relocation policy indicates files to be copied to the second server as part of relocating the web service to the second server, and wherein said parameters are based on quality of service (QOS) parameters and service level agreements (SLA), the activities further comprising:

identify whether the web service is relocatable using a service analyzer component; and

determine resources to be relocated to the second server;

wherein the status change is based on a change in a usage level threshold being exceeded by a predefined amount, the usage level being defined by said parameters; and

wherein the detecting of said status change further comprises receiving metadata associated with the parameters.

12. The software product of claim 10, wherein the status change is a first status change from a normal status level to a first status level and the change in the parameters is a first change in the parameters, the activities further comprising:

detect a second status change from the first status level to a second status level based on a second change in the parameters; and

initiate activities for the relocating of the web service to said second server in response to the second status change to said second status level;

wherein the consulting of the relocation policy in performed in response to the first status change to said first status level.

13. The software product of claim 10, the activities further comprising:

monitor the web service executing on the second server; and

revert to execution of the web service on the first server in response to detecting a failure of the web service executing on the second server.

14. The software product of claim 10, the activities further comprising:

use an optimized composer to identify optimized relocation methods and a set of required resources including required classes associated with the web service; and

create an optimized relocatable bundle that packages the required classes with said optimized relocation methods to run said web service upon being relocated to the second server.