Application of resource-dependent policies to managed resources in a distributed computing system

• US 20060195448A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Newport, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method enable program code that manages a managed resource, e.g., a high availability manager, to receive status information associated with an externally-managed resource such that the program code can properly apply an activation policy to the managed resource in a manner that is consistent with any requirements placed upon that resource by the externally-managed resource. Where, for example, a managed resource is required to be collocated on the same node or computer as an externally-managed resource, the status information may include location information that identifies where the externally-managed resource is currently active, such that the program code can activate the managed resource on the same node as the externally-managed resource.

Claims

1. A method of applying an activation policy to a managed resource in a distributed computer environment, the method comprising:

receiving status information associated with an externally-managed resource, wherein the activation policy is associated with the externally-managed resource and is configured to make activation decisions about the managed resource based upon a status of the externally-managed resource; and

applying the activation policy to the managed resource using the status information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises location information identifying upon which among a plurality of computers in the distributed computer environment the externally-managed resource is active.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving status information and applying the activation policy are performed by a first high availability manager configured to manage the managed resource, and wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving the status information from a second high availability manager configured to manage the externally-managed resource.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first high availability manager is integrated into one of an application server and a database server, and wherein the second high availability manager is integrated into one of an operating system and middleware.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, with the first high availability manager, providing status information regarding the managed resource in response to a request from the second high availability manager.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating a status of the managed resource in the second high availability manager in response to the status information provided by the first high availability manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed computer environment includes a plurality of computers, wherein the managed resource includes a resource instance resident on each of the plurality of computers, wherein the status information identifies a computer among the plurality of computers upon which the externally-managed resource is active, and wherein the activation policy is configured to activate a single instance of the managed resource that is collocated on the same computer as the externally-managed resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the status information comprises processing an event generated in response to a change in status for the externally-managed resource.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the managed resource is selected from the group consisting of a transaction service, a messaging service, a clustered service, an application server process, and combinations thereof, and wherein the externally-managed resource is selected from the group consisting of a database, a file system, a storage device, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy identifies the externally-managed resource.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer resident in a distributed computer environment; and

program code resident in the computer and configured to apply an activation policy to a managed resource in the distributed computer environment by receiving status information associated with an externally-managed resource and applying the activation policy to the managed resource using the status information, wherein the activation policy is associated with the externally-managed resource and is configured to make activation decisions about the managed resource based upon a status of the externally-managed resource.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the status information comprises location information identifying upon which among a plurality of computers in the distributed computer environment the externally-managed resource is active.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program code comprises a first high availability manager configured to manage the managed resource, receive the status information and apply the activation policy, and wherein the program code is configured to receive the status information from a second high availability manager configured to manage the externally-managed resource.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first high availability manager is integrated into one of an application server and a database server, and wherein the second high availability manager is integrated into one of an operating system and middleware.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first high availability manager is configured to providing status information regarding the managed resource in response to a request from the second high availability manager.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second high availability manager is configured to update a status of the managed resource in response to the status information provided by the first high availability manager.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the distributed computer environment includes a plurality of computers, wherein the managed resource includes a resource instance resident on each of the plurality of computers, wherein the status information identifies a computer among the plurality of computers upon which the externally-managed resource is active, and wherein the activation policy is configured to activate a single instance of the managed resource that is collocated on the same computer as the externally-managed resource.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program code is configured to receive the status information by processing an event generated in response to a change in status for the externally-managed resource.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the managed resource is selected from the group consisting of a transaction service, a messaging service, a clustered service, an application server process, and combinations thereof, and wherein the externally-managed resource is selected from the group consisting of a database, a file system, a storage device, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the policy identifies the externally-managed resource.

21. A distributed computer system, comprising:

a plurality of computers interconnected to one another; and

program code resident in at least a subset of the plurality of computers and configured to apply an activation policy to a managed resource in the distributed computer system by receiving status information associated with an externally-managed resource and applying the activation policy to the managed resource using the status information, wherein the activation policy is associated with the externally-managed resource and is configured to make activation decisions about the managed resource based upon a status of the externally-managed resource.

22. A program product, comprising:

program code configured to apply an activation policy to a managed resource in a distributed computer environment by receiving status information associated with an externally-managed resource and applying the activation policy to the managed resource using the status information, wherein the activation policy is associated with the externally-managed resource and is configured to make activation decisions about the managed resource based upon a status of the externally-managed resource; and

a computer readable signal bearing medium bearing the program code.