Management of computing devices processing workflow stages of a resource dependent workflow

• US 9,158,583 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adogla, Eden G., Collins, Jamin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, James J
• Application Number:
  US13/332,130
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

Systems and method for the management of resource dependent workflows are provided. One or more resource control devices monitor usage of a computing resource by server computing devices. Each resource control device may direct a server computing device to proceed with a workflow or to pause processing a workflow. A resource control device may further direct a server computing device to take resource conserving actions. When a computing resource is determined to be available, a resource control device may direct a paused server computing device to resume a workflow.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to implement a resource dependent workflow for configuring a computing device in response to initialization of a network interface of the computing device, the computer-implemented method comprising:

on initialization of the network interface of the computing device;

transmitting, from the computing device, a request to receive a network address from a network address server, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address indicates that the computing device is initializing;

in response to the request to receive a network address, receiving the resource dependent workflow from a workflow control device in communication with the network address server, wherein the resource dependent workflow comprises at least one workflow stage, and wherein the workflow control device instructs a plurality of computing devices, including the computing device, to attempt to implement the resource dependent workflow for configuring the computing device without guaranteeing access to at least one computing resource on which the at least one workflow stage of the resource dependent workflow depends;

determining the at least one computing resource on which implementation of the at least one workflow stage is dependent;

requesting, from a resource control computing device associated with the at least one computing resource, authorization to access the at least one computing resource, wherein the resource control computing device is configured to allocate access by the computing device to the at least one computing resource during attempted implementation of the at least one workflow stage by the computing device, and wherein the at least one computing resource comprises a storage device storing a target operating system, a portion of the target operating system, one or more applications, one or more updates, or one or more device drivers;

receiving from the resource control computing device an indication of whether access to the at least one computing resource is granted;

if access to the at least one computing resource is indicated to be granted, processing the at least one workflow stage at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource and installing the targeting operating system, the portion of the target operating system, the one or more applications, the one or more updates, or the one or more device drivers; and

if access to the at least one computing resource is indicated not to be granted, at least temporarily pausing processing of the at least one workflow stage.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address from a network address server comprises transmitting a request via dynamic host configuration protocol.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network address server and the workflow control device are the same computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address from a network address server occurs within a preboot execution environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address from a network address server occurs within an operating system of the computing device implementing the method.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address from a network address server comprises transmitting a status identifier, and wherein the status identifier is reflective of the status of the computing device implementing the method.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address from a network address server comprises transmitting a media access control identifier.

8. A computer-implemented method for instructing a plurality of computing devices to implement a resource-dependent workflow in response to initialization of the plurality of computing devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from each of the plurality of computing devices, a request for a network address, wherein each request indicates that the individual computing device associated with the request is initializing;

transmitting an assignment of a resource dependent workflow to the plurality of computing devices based at least in part on the received requests, wherein the resource dependent workflow corresponds to a routine for configuring the plurality of computing devices, and wherein assignment of the resource dependent workflow instructs the plurality of computing devices to attempt to implement the resource dependent workflow without guaranteeing access to at least one computing resource on which implementation of the resource dependent workflow depends;

receiving, from a first computing device of the plurality of computing device, a request for authorization to access the at least one computing resource on which implementation of the resource dependent workflow is dependent, wherein the at least one computing resource comprises a storage device storing an operating system, a portion of the operating system, one or more applications, one or more updates, or one or more device drivers;

determining whether to grant the first computing device authorization to access the at least one computing resource based at least in part on an allocation of the at least one computing resource to the plurality of computing devices;

if it is determined that the first computing device is granted authorization to access the at least one computing resource, transmitting to the first computing device an instruction to begin processing the resource dependent workflow at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource, wherein processing the at least one workflow stage comprises installing the target operating system, the portion of the target operating system, the one or more applications, the one or more updates, or the one or more device drivers; and

if it is determined that the first computing device is denied authorization to access the at least one computing resource, transmitting to the first computing device an instruction to at least temporarily pause initialization.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein transmitting an assignment of a resource dependent workflow to the plurality of computing devices includes determining software required by the plurality of computing devices for processing the resource dependent workflow.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising causing the determined software to be created prior to transmitting to the first computing device an instruction to begin processing the resource dependent workflow.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the software comprises the target operating system, the portion of the target operating system, the one or more applications, the one or more updates, or the one or more device drivers.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein receiving an individual request for a network address comprises receiving the individual request via dynamic host configuration protocol.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein receiving an individual request for a network address comprises receiving a media access control address of the computing device making the individual request.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising determining the resource dependent workflow to be assigned to the plurality of computing devices based at least in part on a configuration of the plurality of computing devices.

15. A system for implementing a resource dependent workflow, the system comprising:

a computing device comprising at least one network interface device and configured to implement a resource dependent workflow for configuring the computing device in response to initialization of the at least one network interface, wherein the computing device, on initialization of the network interface device;

transmits, from the computing device, a request to receive a network address from a network address server, wherein transmitting a request to receive a network address indicates that the computing device is initializing;

in response to the request to receive a network address, receives the resource dependent workflow from a workflow control device in communication with the network address server, wherein the resource dependent workflow comprises at least one workflow stage, and wherein the workflow control device instructs a plurality of computing devices, including the computing device, to attempt to implement the resource dependent workflow for configuring the computing device without guaranteeing access to at least one computing resource on which the at least one workflow stage of the resource dependent workflow depends;

determines the at least one computing resource on which implementation of the at least one workflow stage is dependent;

requests, from a resource control computing device associated with the at least one computing resource, authorization to access the at least one computing resource, wherein the resource control computing device is configured to allocate access by the computing device to the at least one computing resource during attempted implementation of the at least one workflow stage by the computing device, and wherein the at least one computing resource comprises a storage device storing the target operating system, a portion of the target operating system, one or more applications, one or more updates, or one or more device drivers;

receives from the resource control computing device an indication of whether access to the at least one computing resource is granted;

if access to the at least one computing resource is indicated to be granted, processes the at least one workflow stage at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource and installs the targeting operating system, the portion of the target operating system, the one or more applications, the one or more updates, or the one or more device drivers; and

if access to the at least one computing resource is indicated not to be granted, at least temporarily pause processing of the at least one workflow stage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the request to receive a network address from a network address server is transmitted via dynamic host configuration protocol.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the request to receive a network address from a network address server is transmitted within a preboot execution environment.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the request to receive a network address from a network address server is transmitted by an operating system of the computing device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the request to receive a network address from a network address server comprises a status identifier, and wherein the status identifier is reflective of the status of the computing device.

20. A system for instructing a plurality of computing devices to implement a resource-dependent workflow in response to initialization of the plurality of computing devices, the system comprising:

at least one network address provisioning device configured to;

receive, from at least one of a plurality of computing devices, a request for a network address, wherein the request indicates that the at least one computing device is initializing; and

transmit to a workflow control device an indication that a request from the at least one computing device for a network address was received; and

the workflow control device, wherein the control device is configured to;

transmit an assignment of a resource dependent workflow for configuring the at least one computing devices to the at least one computing device based at least in part on the transmitted indication that a request from the computing device for a network address was received, wherein assignment of the resource dependent workflow instructs the at least one computing device to attempt to implement the resource dependent workflow without guaranteeing access to a computing resource on which implementation of the resource dependent workflow depends;

receive, from the at least one computing device, a request for authorization to access the at least one computing resource on which implementation of the resource dependent workflow is dependent, wherein the at least one computing resource comprises a storage device storing an operating system, a portion of the operating system, one or more applications, one or more updates, or one or more device drivers;

determine whether to grant the at least one computing device authorization to access the at least one computing resource based at least in part on an allocation of the at least one computing resource to the plurality of computing devices;

if it is determined that the at least one computing device is granted authorization to access the at least one computing resource, transmit to the computing device an instruction to begin processing the workflow at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource, wherein processing the at least one workflow stage comprises installing the target operating system, the portion of the target operating system, the one or more applications, the one or more updates, or the one or more device drivers; and

if it is determined that the at least one computing device is denied authorization to access the at least one computing resource, transmit to the computing device an instruction to at least temporarily pause an initialization.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the workflow control device is further configured to determine software required by the at least one computing device for processing the resource dependent workflow, and cause the determined software to be created prior to transmitting to the at least one computing device an instruction to begin processing the workflow.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the receive requests for a network address is received via dynamic host configuration protocol.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the resource dependent workflow is determined based at least in part on a configuration of the at least one computing device, and wherein the configuration of the computing device is determined based at least in part on the received request for a network address associated with the at least one computing device.