System and method for distributed management of shared computers

• US 20050097058A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Hunt, Galen C., Welland, Robert V., Hydrie, Aamer, Stutz, David S., Levi, Steven P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• 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 multi-tiered server management architecture is employed including an application development tier, an application operations tier, and a cluster operations tier. In the application development tier, applications are developed for execution on one or more server computers. In the application operations tier, execution of the applications is managed and sub-boundaries within a cluster of servers can be established. In the cluster operations tier, operation of the server computers is managed without concern for what applications are executing on the one or more server computers and boundaries between clusters of servers can be established. The multi-tiered server management architecture can also be employed in co-location facilities where clusters of servers are leased to tenants, with the tenants implementing the application operations tier and the facility owner (or operator) implementing the cluster operations tier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selling, to a customer, rights to a plurality of computers to be located at a facility; and

enforcing a multiple-tiered management scheme on the plurality of computers in which hardware operation of the plurality of computers is managed locally at the facility and software operation of the plurality of computers is managed from a location remote from the facility.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the facility comprises a co-location facility.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selling comprises licensing at least one of the plurality of computers to the customer.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selling comprises selling at least one of the plurality of computers to the customer.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein hardware operation of the plurality of computers is managed locally at the facility by a cluster operations management console.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein software operation of the plurality of computers is managed by an application operations management console communicatively coupled to the facility via the Internet.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

selling, to each of a plurality of additional customers, rights to an additional plurality of computers to be located at the facility;

enforcing the multiple-tiered management scheme on the additional plurality of computers in which hardware operation of the additional plurality of computers is managed locally at the facility and software operation of the additional plurality of computers is managed from a different location remote from the facility.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein management of software operation of the plurality of computers includes detecting failures of application processes executing on the plurality of computers and taking corrective action in response to a software failure being detected on one or more of the plurality of computers.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein failures of application processes include hung application processes, hung threads, and errors in execution of the application processes.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein management of hardware operation of the plurality of computers includes detecting hardware failures in the plurality of computers and taking corrective action in response to a hardware failure being detected in one of the plurality of computers.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware operation includes one or more of:

mass storage device operation, memory device operation, network interface operation, and processor operation.

12. A system comprising:

a plurality of computers to which a customer is sold rights; and

each of the plurality of computers including a control module that allows a multiple-tiered management scheme to be enforced on the plurality of computers, wherein the multiple-tiered management scheme includes managing hardware operation of the plurality of computers locally at the system and managing software operation of the plurality of computers from a location remote from the system.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the sold rights comprise at least one of the plurality of computers having been leased to the customer.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a cluster operations management console, and wherein hardware operation of the plurality of computers is managed locally at the system by the cluster operations management console.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein software operation of the plurality of computers is managed by an application operations management console communicatively coupled to the system via the Internet.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein management of software operation of the plurality of computers includes detecting failures of application processes executing on the plurality of computers and taking corrective action in response to a software failure being detected on one or more of the plurality of computers.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein management of hardware operation of the plurality of computers includes detecting hardware failures in the plurality of computers and taking corrective action in response to a hardware failure being detected in one of the plurality of computers.

18. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the one or more processors to:

allow hardware management of the computer to be performed locally at a facility that includes the computer, wherein the hardware management is one tier in a multiple-tiered management scheme, and wherein rights to the computer have been sold to a customer; and

allow software management of the computer to be performed from a location remote from the facility, wherein the software management is another tier in the multiple-tiered management scheme.

19. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the facility comprises a co-location facility.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the rights having been sold to the customer comprises the computer having been leased to the customer.

21. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein to allow software management of the computer is to allow detection of failures of application processes executing on the computer and taking of corrective action in response to a software failure being detected.

22. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein to allow hardware management of the computer is to allow detection of hardware failures in the computer and taking of corrective action in response to a hardware failure being detected.

23. A system comprising:

means for allowing hardware management of the system to be performed locally at a facility that includes the system, wherein the hardware management is one tier in a multiple-tiered management scheme, and wherein rights to the system have been sold to a customer; and

means for allowing software management of the system to be performed from a location remote from the facility, wherein the software management is another tier in the multiple-tiered management scheme.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the system comprises a computer and the facility comprises a co-location facility.

25. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the rights having been sold to the customer comprises the system having been leased to the customer.

26. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for allowing software management of the computer comprises means for allowing detection of failures of application processes executing on the computer and means for taking corrective action in response to a software failure being detected.

27. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for allowing hardware management of the computer comprises means for allowing detection of hardware failures in the computer and means for taking corrective action in response to a hardware failure being detected.