Exactly once data framework method

• US 20040249946A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Dean Bernard, Halpern, Eric M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for managing objects in a clustered network includes a file system containing at least one copy of a data object. The method can involve several clustered servers in communication with the file system. A distributed consensus algorithm is used to select a host server. The selected host server can contain a copy of the data object, such as in local cache, providing access to the local copy to any other server in the cluster. Any change made to an item hosted by the host server can also be updated in the file system. If the host server becomes unable to host the object, a new host can be chosen using the distributed consensus algorithm. The other servers are then notified of the new host by multicast messaging.

Claims

1. A method for managing objects on a network, comprising:

providing a plurality of network servers, the plurality of network servers adapted to communicate with a network data source and including a lead server;

selecting a host server, the host server one the plurality of the network servers and assigned to a data object by the lead server, the data object related to a data item in the network data source; and

accessing the data item on the host server by one of the plurality of network servers other than the host server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead server is determined by the other network servers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the host server is selected by the lead server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead server is determined using a consensus algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data item is an access point to an application.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a second server, the second server assigned the data object and configured provide data object access if said host server encounters a problem, the second server being one of the plurality of network servers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data object is configured to be accessed solely through a host server.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the data object is located in a local cache of the host server.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the data object is located in a file system, the host server having access to the file system.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the data object is located in a cache which is distributed among the plurality of network servers.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

retrieving the data object from one of a the plurality of network servers if the host server fails.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

writing to the network source when the data object is updated.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a new host server after a period of time, the new host server configured to own the data object and being one of the plurality of network servers.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a lead server, wherein selecting a lead server includes;

pre-selecting a host server from the plurality of servers; and

contacting the remaining servers in the plurality of servers to determine whether the remaining servers agree with the choice of the new host server.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming the existence of the data object on the host server.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein confirming the existence of the data object includes:

confirming the existence of the data object on the host server periodically.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

relinquishing ownership of the data object by the host server when the lead server is unable to reach the host server within a period of time.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data object is stored in a cache on any server in the plurality of network servers and all access to the cache goes through the host server.