Controlling the state of duplexing of coupling facility structures

• US 9,253,046 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elko, David A., Goss, Steven N., Jordan, Michael J., Kurdt, Georgette L., Nick, Jeffrey M., Pushong, Kelly B., Surman, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US13/724,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 707/792, 707/802, 707/803, 370/276, 370251-253, 370/395
• 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 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A coupling facility is coupled to one or more other coupling facilities via one or more peer links. The coupling of the facilities enables various functions to be supported, including the duplexing of structures of the coupling facilities. Duplexing is performed on a structure basis, and thus, a coupling facility may include duplexed structures, as well as non-duplexed or simplexed structures.

Claims

1. A method of managing duplexing of coupling facility structures, said method comprising:

initiating activation of duplexing of a coupling facility structure, wherein an instance of the coupling facility structure is located within one coupling facility and wherein the coupling facility structure is a coupling facility cache structure or a coupling facility list structure;

determining whether another coupling facility in which another instance of the coupling facility structure is to reside is connected to the one coupling facility; and

activating duplexing of the coupling facility structure, based on the determining indicating that the another coupling facility is connected to the one coupling facility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said activating comprises setting in at least one data structure a duplexing indicator associated with the coupling facility structure, the duplexing indicator to indicate duplexing is activated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instance of the coupling facility structure and the another instance of the coupling facility structure are concurrently updated to provide high availability of the coupling facility structure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating duplexing of the coupling facility structure, wherein the deactivating duplexing comprises resetting within at least one data structure a duplexing indicator associated with the coupling facility structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the resetting causes a duplexed command issued after duplexing is deactivated to be suspended.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of instances of the coupling facility structure are updated by a command split into a plurality of commands, each of the plurality of commands updating a respective instance of the plurality of instances in parallel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein command processing for the duplexed structure is synchronized, in which the plurality of commands of the split command complete successfully or the plurality of commands are backed out, if at least one of the commands is unsuccessful.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling facility is a shareable facility having storage and processing capabilities.