System and method for providing data and application continuity in a computer system

• US 9,860,310 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPS Canada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Geminare Incorporated
• Inventors: Geist, Joshua B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Randy
• Application Number:
  US14/639,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709217, 709219, 709226, 709250, 718 1, 718104, 718105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and method for providing or maintaining data and application continuity in a computer system. According to an embodiment, the system comprises a communication interface for a client system, a network layer for receiving data from the client system, a hardware infrastructure for creating instances of the client system for replicating data, and an applications module for executing one or more applications on the replicated data. According to a further aspect, the system includes a portal and user interface configured for providing a remote user with control, audit and other functions associated with the user'"'"'s system configuration. According to another aspect, the portal and user interface provides access and control based on user privileges for a multi-tenant, multi-instant architecture or configuration.

Claims

1. A system for providing data continuity for a plurality of client systems, wherein the plurality of client systems include locally and remotely accessible client systems, said system comprising:

a security infrastructure comprising a first microprocessor and authorizing communication with the client systems;

a hardware infrastructure comprising a second microprocessor and a replication engine creating one or more virtual servers, and said one or more virtual servers being configured for storing at least some of the data received from the client systems;

said replication engine being configured to replicate said received data at a system level or on a block level in real-time;

a portal configured for providing an entity access to local and remote resources, said local and remote resources comprising the one or more virtual servers associated with one or more of the client systems;

said security infrastructure and said hardware instruction, and said access being based on credentials associated with said entity, wherein the portal includes a page presenting a graphical user interface input element configured to receive a user input, wherein the one or more virtual servers is configurable based on the user input; and

an access control mechanism configured to provide said entity with access to said local and remote resources for an unassociated client based on access rights granted to impersonate said unassociated client,

wherein said entity comprises a partner, a management entity or an administrative entity, and one or more of the client systems comprise customers of said partner, said portal is configured to allow said partner to control the configuration of the virtual servers associated with said customers, and said portal is further configured to allow said entity to impersonate one or more of said customers and directly control the configuration of the virtual servers associated with said one or more customers.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including an applications module, said applications module being configured to run one or more application programs on some of the data received from one of the client systems, and said one or more application programs corresponding to application programs running on the client system, and said applications module being configured to receive one or more commands from said portal, said one or more commands comprising commands to test at least some of said data independently of the client system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said portal is configured to allow said entity to define, modify or delete a data management configuration and an administration configuration for said hardware infrastructure or said applications module corresponding to the associated client system.

4. A system for providing data continuity and management thereof for one or more client systems, said system comprising:

a communication and network interface comprising a first microprocessor and providing a secure connection for receiving data from the one or more client systems;

a security infrastructure comprising a second microprocessor and authorizing communication with the one or more the client systems;

a hardware infrastructure comprising a third microprocessor and a hardware virtualization controller and a hardware virtualization platform, said hardware virtualization platform creating one or more virtual servers associated with the one or more client systems, and said one or more virtual servers being configured for storing at least some of the data received from the one or more client systems, and said hardware virtualization controller being configured to manage allocation of resources for said one or more virtual servers under said hardware virtualization platform;

an applications module, said applications module being configured to run one or more application programs on some of the data received from one of the client systems, and said one or more application programs corresponding to application programs running on the client system;

a control platform comprising a fourth microprocessor and providing an entity access to call local and remote resources, said local and remote resources comprising components associated with said one or more virtual servers and said security infrastructure and said hardware infrastructure; and

said control platform comprising a portal configured to provide said access based on credentials associated with said entity, wherein the portal includes a page presenting a graphical user interface input element configured to receive a user input, wherein the one or more virtual servers is configurable based on the user input,

wherein said control platform comprises a network definition module configured to define a data continuity process associated with said entity, and comprising a remote access engine and a replication engine, wherein said remote access engine is configured to couple said client system, and said control platform is further configured to be responsive to a setup configuration for said data continuity process received via said portal.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control platform includes a data continuity process module responsive to said data collected for said client audit and readiness assessment module and configured to generate a network configuration comprising said one or more virtual servers for said data continuity process associated with said entity.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the portal is configured to allow the entity to define, modify, or delete a data management configuration or an administration configuration for the hardware infrastructure or the applications module corresponding to the associated client system.