Computer system to support failover in an event stream processing system

• US 9,722,862 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• 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:
  US14/806,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 714 411, 714 412, 714 42, 714 41, 714 421, 714 43, 714 10- 13
• 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 system, a first status of a first ESP engine (ESPE) executing at a first computing device is determined as newly active; a last published event block object identifier is determined as an identifier uniquely identifying a last event block object published to an out-messaging network device; a next event block object having an event block object identifier greater than the determined last published event block object identifier is selected from a first computer-readable medium; and the selected next event block object is published to the out-messaging network device. A first event block object is received from a second ESPE executing at a second computing device. A first status of the second ESPE is determined as standby by the second computing device. The received first event block object is stored by the second computing device in a second non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media configured to switch stream processing of an event block object, sent from a publishing device to a subscribing device, to a first computing device from a third computing device that has failed, the plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media comprising:

a first non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising first computer-readable instructions stored thereon wherein, when the first computer-readable instructions are executed by a first processor, the first computer-readable instructions cause the first computing device

to determine a first status of a first event stream processing engine (ESPE) executing at the first computing device as newly active;

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as newly active, to determine a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last event block object published to an out-messaging network device;

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as newly active, to 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 first non-transitory computer-readable medium;

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as newly active, to publish the selected next event block object to the out-messaging network device;

to receive a first event block object from the first ESPE executing at the first computing device, wherein the first event block object includes a unique identifier of the first event block object;

to determine a first status of the first ESPE as active; and

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as active, to publish the received first event block object to the out-messaging network device; and

a second non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising second computer-readable instructions stored thereon wherein, when the second computer-readable instructions are executed by a second processor, the second computer-readable instructions cause a second computing device different from the first computing device and from the third computing device

to receive the first event block object from a second ESPE executing at the second computing device, wherein the first event block object includes the unique identifier of the first event block object;

to determine a first status of the second ESPE as standby; and

when the first status of the second ESPE is determined as standby, to store the received first event block object in the second non-transitory computer-readable medium.

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

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

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

5. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the connection information is received from the first ESPE, and the second connection information is received from the second ESPE.

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

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

8. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein, after establishing the second connection, the second computer-readable instructions further cause the second computing device to receive, from the out-messaging network device, a published event block object previously published to the out-messaging network device.

9. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the event block object previously published to the out-messaging network device was published by the first computing device.

10. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein a plurality of published event block objects are received from the out-messaging network device, wherein the plurality of published event block objects were published to the out-messaging network device during a predefined time period.

11. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein establishing the connection comprises attempting to create a first inbox with a first engine name of the first ESPE at the out-messaging network device, wherein establishing the second connection further comprises attempting to create a second inbox with a second engine name of the second ESPE at the out-messaging network device, wherein the first engine name of the first ESPE is identical to the second engine name of the second ESPE.

12. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining the first status of the first ESPE as newly active comprises receiving an active indicator from the out-messaging network device in response to the attempt to create the first inbox.

13. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein, after receiving the active indicator from the out-messaging network device, the first computer-readable instructions further cause the first computing device:

to receive an empty message from the second computing device;

in response to receiving the empty message, to select the second ESPE as an active standby ESPE; and

to respond to the empty message received from the second computing device.

14. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining the first status of the second ESPE as standby comprises receiving an inactive indicator from the out-messaging network device in response to the attempt to create the second inbox.

15. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein, after receiving the inactive indicator from the out-messaging network device, the second computer-readable instructions further cause the second computing device:

to send an empty message to the first computing device; and

to receive a response to the sent empty message from the first computing device indicating that the second ESPE is an active standby ESPE.

16. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, after publishing the selected next event block object to the out-messaging network device, the first computer-readable instructions further cause the first computing device:

to receive a second event block object from the first ESPE, wherein the second event block object includes a second unique identifier of the second event block object;

to determine a second status of the first ESPE as active; and

when the second status of the first ESPE is determined as active, to publish the received second event block object to the out-messaging network device.

17. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, before determining the first status of the first ESPE as newly active, the first computer-readable instructions further cause the first computing device:

to receive a second event block object from the first ESPE, wherein the second event block object includes a second unique identifier of the second event block object;

to determine a second status of the first ESPE as standby; and

when the second status of the first ESPE is determined as standby, to store the received second event block object in the first non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, before determining the first status of the first ESPE as newly active, the first computer-readable instructions further cause the first computing device to receive an initial event block object from the first ESPE, wherein the initial event block object includes an initial unique identifier of the initial event block object;

and before determining the first status of the second ESPE as standby, the second computer-readable instructions further cause the second computing device to receive the initial event block object from the second ESPE.

19. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein an engine name of the first ESPE is identical to an engine name of the second ESPE.

20. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, after storing the received first event block object in the second non-transitory computer-readable medium, the second computer-readable instructions further cause the second computing device to:

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

determine a second status of the second ESPE as standby;

compute a number of event block objects stored in the second non-transitory computer-readable medium;

when the computed number of event block objects exceeds a threshold, remove an oldest event block object from the second non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

when the second status of the second ESPE is determined as standby, store the received second event block object in the second non-transitory computer-readable medium.

21. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the first status of the first ESPE as newly active comprises receiving an active indicator from the out-messaging network device after receiving a standby indicator from the out-messaging network device.

22. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media 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.

23. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media 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.

24. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the selected next event block object is published to a topic that includes an engine name of the first ESPE.

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

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

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

26. The plurality of non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the first status of the second computing device comprises:

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

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

27. A system configured to switch stream processing of an event block object, sent from a publishing device to a subscribing device, to a first computing device from a third computing device that has failed, the system comprising:

the first computing device comprising

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

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

to determine a first status of the executing first ESPE as newly active;

when the first status is determined as newly active, to determine a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last event block object published to an out-messaging network device;

when the first status is determined as newly active, to 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 first non-transitory computer-readable medium;

when the first status is determined as newly active, to publish the selected next event block object to the out-messaging network device;

to receive a first event block object from the first ESPE executing at the first computing device, wherein the first event block object includes a unique identifier of the first event block object;

to determine a first status of the first ESPE as active; and

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as active, to publish the received first event block object to the out-messaging network device; and

a second computing device different from the first computing device and from the third computing device, the second computing device comprising

a second processor configured to execute a second ESPE; and

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

to receive the first event block object from the executing second ESPE, wherein the first event block object includes the unique identifier of the event block object;

to determine a second status of the executing second ESPE as standby; and

when the second status is determined as standby, to store the received first event block object in the second non-transitory computer-readable medium.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first computer-readable instructions further cause the first computing device to establish a connection to the out-messaging network device using connection information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the second computer-readable instructions further cause the second computing device to establish a second connection to the out-messaging network device using second connection information.

30. A method of supporting failover in an event stream processing system by switching stream processing of an event block object, sent from a publishing device to a subscribing device, to a first computing device from a third computing device that has failed, the method comprising:

determining, by a first computing device, a first status of a first event stream processing engine (ESPE) as newly active, wherein the first ESPE is executing at the first computing device;

determining, by the first computing device, a last published event block object identifier as an identifier that uniquely identifies a last event block object published to an out-messaging network device;

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

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

receiving, by the first computing device, a first event block object from the first ESPE executing at the first computing device, wherein the first event block object includes a unique identifier of the first event block object;

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

when the first status of the first ESPE is determined as active, publishing, by the first computing device, the received first event block object to the out-messaging network device;

receiving a first event block object from a second ESPE executing at a second computing device different from the first computing device and from the third computing device, wherein the first event block object includes the unique identifier of the first event block object;

determining, by the second computing device, a first status of the second ESPE as standby; and

storing, by the second computing device, the received first event block object in a second non-transitory computer-readable medium.