Managing host computing devices with a host control component

• US 9,110,861 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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 HUY
• Application Number:
  US14/275,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 and associated with a power supply, the rack control component including;

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

a state monitoring component including;

a state monitoring component power supply independent of a power supply associated with the host computing devices;

a state processing component for determining power event information; and

a communication interface for establishing communication with other state monitoring components;

wherein the state monitoring component is configured to attempt to communicate with at least one other state monitoring component based on the occurrence of a determined power event, and

wherein, if communication is established, the state monitoring component determines reboot parameters based, at least in part, on the determined power event and an exchange of priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the state monitoring component is further configured to communicate with the at least one other state monitoring components via an alternate communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the host computing devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the state monitoring component is further configured to cause initiation of a reboot of the host computing devices in accordance with the reboot parameters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the host computing devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of power to the host computing devices below a threshold.

6. 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 having a state monitoring component power supply independent of a power supply associated with a grouping of host computing devices,

obtaining, by the state monitoring component, power event information, the power event information corresponding to a power event associated with the power supply of the grouping of host computing devices, the state monitoring component operating by using the state monitoring power supply after the occurrence of the power event;

communicating, by the state monitoring component, with at least one other state monitoring component of a different grouping of host computing devices based on the occurrence of a determined power event; and

determining, by the state monitoring component, reboot parameters for the grouping of host computing devices, the reboot parameters based, at least in part, on an exchange priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising causing instantiation of a communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the grouping of host computing devices in response to the power event information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein causing instantiation of a communication channel includes causing instantiation of at least one of a wired or a wireless communication channel.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the grouping of host computing devices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the power event information corresponds to a determination of power to the grouping of host computing devices below a threshold.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining reboot parameters for the grouping of host computing devices includes determining reboot parameters is based solely on the priority information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the reboot parameters correspond to a delay in initiating a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising causing initiation of a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices based on the determined reboot parameters.

14. A state monitoring component for managing a grouping of host computing devices associated with the state monitoring component, the grouping of host computing devices associated with a power supply, the state monitoring component comprising:

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

a state processing component configured to determine event information associated with a determined event associated with the grouping of host computing devices; and

a communication interface configured to communicate with other state monitoring components associated with the grouping of host computing devices;

wherein the state monitoring component is configured to attempt to communicate with at least one other state monitoring component based on the determined event;

wherein, if communication is established, the state monitoring component determines reboot parameters based, at least in part, on the determined event and an exchange of priority information with the at least one other state monitoring component.

15. The state monitoring component of claim 14 wherein the state monitoring component is further configured to communicate with the at least one other state monitoring components via an alternate communication channel independent of a communication channel associated with the host computing devices.

16. The state monitoring component of claim 14, wherein the control parameters correspond to a determined reboot order based on priority information.

17. The state monitoring component of claim 14, wherein the control parameters correspond to management of a power protocol.

18. The state monitoring component of claim 14, wherein the control parameters correspond to management of a security protocol.

19. The state monitoring component of claim 14, wherein the event information corresponds to a determination of no power to the grouping of host computing devices.

20. The state monitoring component of claim 14, wherein the event information corresponds to a determination of power to the grouping of host computing devices below a threshold.