Computer system to support failover in an event stream processing system

• US 9,122,651 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Baulier, Gerald Donald, Deters, Vincent L., Kolodzieski, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US14/662,528
• Time in Patent Office: 166 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4.1, 714/4.11, 714/4.12, 714/4.13, 714 10- 13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/85 Active fault masking without idle spares active fault masking without idle spare hardware where processing functionality is redundant G06F11/2035
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

In a computing device supporting a failover in an event stream processing (ESP) system, an event block object is received. A first status of the computing device as active or standby is determined. When the first status is active, a second status of the computing device as newly active or not newly active is determined. Newly active is determined when the computing device is switched from a standby to an active status. When the second status is newly active, a last published event block object identifier that uniquely identifies a last published event block object is determined. A next event block object is selected from a non-transitory computer-readable medium accessible by the computing device. The next event block object has an event block object identifier that is greater than the determined last published event block object identifier. The selected next event block object is published to an out-messaging network device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to:

receive an event block object from an event stream processing engine (ESPE), wherein the received event block object includes a unique identifier of the received event block object;

determine a first status of the computing device as active or standby;

when the first status of the computing device is determined to be active, determine a second status of the computing device as newly active or not newly active, wherein newly active is determined when the computing device is switched from a standby status to an active status;

when the second status of the computing device is determined to be newly active,

determine a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last published event block object;

select a next event block object having an event block object identifier that is greater than the determined last published event block object identifier from the non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

publish the selected next event block object to an out-messaging network device;

when the second status of the computing device is determined to be not newly active, publish the received event block object to the out-messaging network device; and

when the first status of the computing device is determined to be standby, store the received event block object in the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a plurality of next event block objects is selected and published to the out-messaging network device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to establish a connection to the out-messaging network device using connection information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the connection information is received from the ESPE.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the connection information includes a host name of the out-messaging network device and a port number for publishing the received event block object to the out-messaging network device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the connection information includes an Internet protocol address of the out-messaging network device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein, after establishing the connection, the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to receive, from the out-messaging network device, a published event block object previously published to the out-messaging network device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the event block object previously published to the out-messaging network device was published by another computing device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein, after establishing the connection, the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to receive, from the out-messaging network device, a plurality of published event block objects previously published to the out-messaging network device during a predefined time period.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein establishing the connection comprises:

publishing a message to a topic that includes a host name and a port number of the computing device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the published message further includes an engine name of the ESPE.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein establishing the connection further comprises:

creating an inbox with a name that includes an engine name of the ESPE.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes at least a first non-transitory computer-readable medium and a second non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the first non-transitory computer-readable medium is configured to store the computer-readable instructions, and the second non-transitory computer-readable medium is configured to store the received event block object.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the received event block object is published to a topic that includes a host name and a port number of the computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the received event block object is published to a topic that includes an engine name of the ESPE.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the received event block object is published to a topic that includes a project name, a continuous query name, and a source window name of the ESPE.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first status of the computing device comprises:

attempting to bind to an exclusive messaging queue established at the out-messaging network device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the first status of the computing device further comprises:

receiving an active indicator from the out-messaging network device when the attempt to bind is successful; and

receiving a standby indicator from the out-messaging network device when the attempt to bind is unsuccessful.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the second status of the computing device comprises:

receiving the active indicator from the out-messaging network device after receiving the standby indicator from the out-messaging network device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first status of the computing device comprises:

attempting to create an inbox using an engine name of the ESPE.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the first status of the computing device further comprises:

receiving an active indicator from the out-messaging network device when the attempt to create the inbox is successful; and

receiving a standby indicator from the out-messaging network device when the attempt to create the inbox is unsuccessful.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein, after receiving the standby indicator, the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to send an empty message to the created inbox.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein, after receiving the active indicator, the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to receive an empty message in the created inbox from another computing device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein determining the second status of the computing device comprises:

receiving the active indicator from the out-messaging network device after receiving the standby indicator from the out-messaging network device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the last published event block object identifier comprises:

binding to a last value queue established at the out-messaging network device; and

retrieving a last successfully published event block object published from the last value queue.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the last published event block object identifier comprises:

querying the out-messaging network device for the last published event block object identifier.

27. A system comprising:

an out-messaging network device; and

a computing device comprising

a processor configured to execute an event stream processing engine (ESPE); and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium operably coupled to the first processor, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to

receive an event block object from the ESPE, wherein the received event block object includes a unique identifier of the received event block object;

determine a first status of the computing device as active or standby;

when the first status of the computing device is determined to be active, determine a second status of the computing device as newly active or not newly active, wherein newly active is determined when the computing device is switched from a standby status to an active status;

when the second status of the computing device is determined to be newly active,

determine a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last published event block object;

select a next event block object having an event block object identifier that is greater than the determined last published event block object identifier from the non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

publish the selected next event block object to the out-messaging network device;

when the second status of the computing device is determined to be not newly active, publish the received event block object to the out-messaging network device; and

when the first status of the computing device is determined to be standby, store the received event block object in the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein a plurality of next event block objects is selected and published to the out-messaging network device.

29. A method of supporting failover in an event stream processing system, the method comprising:

receiving an event block object from an event stream processing engine (ESPE) executing at a computing device, wherein the received event block object includes a unique identifier of the received event block object;

determining, by the computing device, a first status of the computing device as active or standby;

when the first status of the computing device is determined to be active, determining, by the computing device, a second status of the computing device as newly active or not newly active, wherein newly active is determined when the computing device is switched from a standby status to an active status;

when the second status of the computing device is determined to be newly active,

determining, by the computing device, a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last published event block object;

selecting a next event block object from a non-transitory computer-readable medium accessible by the computing device, wherein the next event block object has an event block object identifier that is greater than the determined last published event block object identifier; and

publishing, by the computing device, the selected next event block object to an out-messaging network device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a plurality of next event block objects is selected and published to the out-messaging network device.