Managing connections for data communications following socket failure

• US 10,742,747 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brooks, Michael D., Hollingshead, Alan, Horn, Julian, Wakelin, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dabipi, Dixon F
• Application Number:
  US15/643,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20190014182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• 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

An apparatus, computer-implemented method and computer program product manages connections for data communication. A first system initiates a process for establishing a new connection pipe of a socket-based connection between the first system and a second system. The new connection pipe is a replacement for an existing connection pipe. The existing connection pipe is accessed by a respective existing socket at each of the first and second systems. The first system receives acknowledgement from the second system confirming that the replacement connection pipe is established. The replacement connection pipe is accessed by a respective replacement socket at each of the first and second systems. The first system re-associates sessions of the existing socket at the first system to the replacement socket at the first system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first device for communicating data with a second device over at least one socket-based connection, wherein the at least one socket based connection includes a first existing connection pipe between the first device and the second device, wherein the first device communicates with the second device over the first existing connection pipe by at least accessing the first existing connection pipe via a first existing socket of the first device, wherein the second device communicates with the first device over the first existing connection pipe by at least accessing the first existing connection pipe via a first existing socket of the second device, the first device comprising a connection manager configured to;

initiate a process for establishing a second connection pipe of the at least one socket-based connection between the first device and the second device, wherein the second connection pipe is a new connection pipe that is a replacement for the first existing connection pipe;

receive acknowledgement from the second device, the acknowledgement confirming that the second connection pipe is established between the first device and the second device, wherein the first device communicates with the second device over the second connection pipe by at least accessing the second connection pipe via a second existing socket of the first device, wherein the second device communicates with first device over the second connection pipe by at least accessing the second connection pipe via a second existing socket of the second device, wherein the second existing socket of the first and second device replaces the first existing socket of the first and second device, and

re-associate sessions of the first existing socket at the first device to the second existing socket at the first device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process for establishing a second connection pipe comprises a messaging sequence between the first and second devices, the messaging sequence including an indicator that the second connection pipe is intended to replace the first existing connection pipe and including an identifier for at least one of the first existing sockets.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connection manager of the first device is configured to initiate a process for establishing a second connection pipe by sending a request message to the second device, wherein the request message at least includes:

a request to establish a new connection pipe on the at least one socket-based connection between the first device and the second device;

the indicator that the new connection pipe is intended to replace the first existing connection pipe; and

the identifier for at least one first socket associated with the first existing connection pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a socket status monitor for monitoring sockets of socket-based connections of the first device;

wherein the connection manager is further configured to;

receive, from the socket status monitor, an indication that the first existing socket of the first device is failing, and

initiate the process for establishing a second connection pipe in response to receiving the indication that the first existing socket of the first device is failing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the connection manager is further configured to:

suspend use of the first existing socket of the first device, in response to receiving the indication that the first existing socket of the first device is failing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is further configured to:

close the first existing socket at the first device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is further configured to:

receive, from the second device, a request for establishing a third connection pipe of the at least one socket-based connection between the first and second device, wherein the request is part of a messaging sequence indicating that the third connection pipe is a new connected pipe that is a replacement for the second connection pipe;

send, to the second device, acknowledgement confirming that the third connection pipe is established, wherein the first device communicates with the second device over the third connection pipe by at least accessing the third connection pipe via a third existing socket of the first device, wherein the second device communicates with first device over the third connection pipe by at least accessing the third connection pipe via a third existing socket of the second, device, wherein the third existing socket of the first and second device replaces the second existing socket of the first and second device, and

re-associate sessions of the second existing socket at the first device to the third existing socket at the first device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the connection manager is further configured to:

suspend use of the second existing socket at the first device, in response to receiving an indication, in the messaging sequence, that the third connection pipe is a replacement for the second connection pipe.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor of a first system, the first system for communicating data with a second system over at least one socket-based connection, wherein the at least one socket based connection includes a first existing connection pipe between the first system and the second system, wherein the first system communicates with the second system over the first existing connection pipe by at least accessing, the first existing connection pipe via a first existing socket of the first system, wherein the second system communicates with the first system over the first existing connection pipe by at least accessing the first existing connection pipe via a first existing socket of the second system, the program instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

initiate, by first system, a process for establishing a second connection pipe of the at least one socket-based connection between the first system and the second system, wherein the second connection pipe is a new connection pipe that is a replacement for the first existing connection pipe;

receive, by the first system, acknowledgement from the second system, the acknowledgement confirming that the second connection pipe is established between the first system and the second system, wherein the first system communicates with the second system over the second connection pipe by at least accessing the second connection pipe via a second existing socket of the first system, wherein the second system communicates with a second existing socket of the second system, wherein the second existing socket of the first and second system replaces the first existing socket of the first and second system; and

re-associate, by the first system, sessions of the first existing socket at the first system to the second existing socket at the first system.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the process for establishing a second connection pipe comprises a messaging sequence between the first and second systems, the messaging sequence including an indicator that the second connection pipe is intended to replace the first existing connection pipe and including an identifier for at least one of the first existing sockets.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein initiating a process for establishing a second connection pipe comprises sending a request message from the first system to the second system, wherein the request message at least includes:

a request to establish a new connection pipe on the at least one socket-based connection between the first system and the second system;

the indicator that the new connection pipe is to replace the first existing connection pipe; and

the identifier for at least one first socket associated with the first existing connection pipe.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to further cause the processor to at least:

receive, by the first system, an indication that the first existing socket at the first system is failing, and

initiate the process for establishing a second connection pipe in response to receiving the indication that the first existing socket of the first system is failing.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to further cause the processor to at least:

suspend, by the first system, use of the first existing socket of the first system, in response to receiving the indication that the first existing socket of the first system is failing.