Configuration tests for computer system

• US 9,274,905 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Curtis, James R, Dinkel, William Joseph, DeFranco, John, Maram, Vijayanand, Carlino, Charles J
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Sarai
• Application Number:
  US12/688,547
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 714/37, 714/2, 714/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2289 by configuration test
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer system has a managing server for managing one or more managed nodes. The managed nodes have media encoded with test executables executable on their respective nodes. The test executables can check configuration data for the node and/or check whether external resources are accessible from the node. The managing server issues commands to run the test executables and collects test results returned by the test executables.

Claims

1. A managing server system comprising:

at least one communication device to communicate with plural managed nodes that comprise non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with plural test executables for running on the respective plural managed nodes for checking configuration data of the respective managed nodes, the configuration data indicating for each respective managed node of the plural managed nodes,

a hardware configuration for the respective managed node,

an external storage unit accessible by the respective managed node, and

software installed on or software accessible by the respective managed node; and

at least one processor to;

command the test executables to execute concurrently on the plural managed nodes,

collect test results returned by the test executables in response to the commanding, the test results including the configuration data of the plural managed nodes,

determine based on the test results whether a first managed node of the plural managed nodes is a suitable fail-over target for an application that was executing on a second managed node of the plural managed nodes; and

in response to the determining indicating that the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application, cause execution of an instance of the application on the first managed node responsive to detecting failure of the second managed node.

2. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a storage medium to store a configuration database,

wherein the at least one processor is to compare the test results returned by the test executables with data in the configuration database.

3. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the test executables determines whether an external software service is accessible from a managed node on which the at least one test executable runs.

4. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a storage medium to store code comprising:

a management application to command execution of the test executables.

5. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is based on the configuration data in the test results indicating that a particular external storage unit containing data to be accessed by the application is accessible by the first managed node.

6. The managing server system as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is to send an identity of the particular external storage unit as part of the commanding of the test executables.

7. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is based on the configuration data in the test results indicating that the first managed node has hardware resources or software resources compatible with the application.

8. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, further comprising management instructions executable on the at least one processor to:

determine, from the configuration data in the test results, devices of the plural managed nodes to power down or power up to perform power management.

9. The managing server system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is to:

reconcile the test results with a configuration database by performing at least one of;

updating the configuration database according to the test results, and

updating a configuration of at least one of the plural managed nodes according to configuration data in the configuration database.

10. A method comprising:

issuing, by a managing server including a processor, commands to run plural independent test executables on plural managed nodes;

receiving, by the managing server, test results from the test executables run on the plural managed nodes in response to the commands, the test results specifying, for each respective managed node of the plural managed nodes, hardware of the respective managed node, an external storage unit accessible by the respective managed node, and software installed on or accessible by the respective managed node;

determining, by the managing server, based on the test results whether a first managed node of the plural managed nodes is a suitable fail-over target for an application that was executing on a second managed node of the plural managed nodes; and

in response to the determining indicating that the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application, cause execution of an instance of the application on the first managed node responsive to detecting failure of the second managed node.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising comparing, by the managing server, the test results with data in a configuration database.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising, in response to the comparing indicating a mismatch between the test results and the data in the configuration database, performing at least one of:

updating a configuration of at least one of the plural managed nodes, and

updating the configuration database.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising, before issuing the commands, parsing the data in the configuration database to determine which of the test executables to run.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein determining whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is based on the test results indicating that a particular external storage unit containing data to be accessed by the application is accessible by the first managed node.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein determining whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is based on the test results indicating that the first managed node has hardware resources or software resources compatible with the application.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

in response to the test results, performing at least one of;

update a configuration database so that the configuration database matches configurations of the plural managed nodes, and

reconfiguring at least one of the plural managed nodes according to configuration data in the configuration database.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a managing server to:

command test executables to run concurrently on plural managed nodes;

receive test results from the test executables run on the plural managed nodes in response to the commanding, the test results indicating, for each respective managed node of the plural managed nodes, hardware installed on the respective managed node, an external storage unit accessible by the respective managed node, and software installed on or accessible by the respective managed node;

determine based on the test results whether a first managed node of the plural managed nodes is a suitable fail-over target for an application that was executing on a second managed node of the plural managed nodes; and

in response to the determining indicating that the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application, cause execution of an instance of the application on the first managed node responsive to detecting failure of the second managed node.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein determining whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is based on the test results indicating that a particular external storage unit containing data to be accessed by the application is accessible by the first managed node.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein determining whether the first managed node is a suitable fail-over target for the application is further based on the test results indicating that the first managed node has hardware resources and software resources compatible with the application.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed cause the managing server to:

compare the test results with configuration data in a configuration database;

in response to a mismatch in the comparing, perform at least one of;

update a configuration of at least one of the plural managed nodes according to the configuration data in the configuration database, and

update the configuration data in the configuration database according to the test results.