Distributed State Model for System Configuration Synchronization

• US 20140359096A1
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Payette, Bruce G., Lakshmanan, Narayanan, Gupta, Nitin, Pan, Xuejian, Gopalappa, Sharath
• Granted Patent: US 9,559,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring applications and resources on distributed nodes or machines are disclosed. A node exposes a synchronization resource that corresponds to a desired state on a remote resource. The node evaluates a state of the remote resource. A test function may be defined to check whether the remote resource is in the desired state. A set function may also be defined to set a state of the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in the desired state. The node configures the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in the desired state. The synchronization resource may be configured, for example, using a resource provider. The node may evaluate the states of a plurality remote resources. The synchronization resource may be configured when one or more of the remote resources are in the desired state or when all of the remote resources are in the desired state.

Claims

1. At a computing device including a processor and system memory, a method for configuring the computing device, the method comprising:

exposing a synchronization resource that acts as a proxy for a state of a resource on a remote machine;

determining a state of the remote resource; and

configuring the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in a desired state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the synchronization resource using a resource provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a test function that checks whether the remote resource is in the desired state; and

defining a set function that sets a state of the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in the desired state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating a state for each of a plurality remote resources; and

configuring the synchronization resource when one or more of the remote resources is in the desired state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating a state for each of a plurality remote resources; and

configuring the synchronization resource when all of the remote resources are in the desired state.

6. A method comprising:

maintaining a synchronization resource on a first node, the synchronization resource associated with a state of one or more second nodes;

evaluating the state of the second node by a resource provider on the first node; and

configuring the synchronization resource by the resource provider based upon the state of the one or more second nodes.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating a configuration process for an application on the first node;

suspending the configuration process if the synchronization resource has not been configured; and

resuming the configuration process when the synchronization resource has been configured.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving through a hierarchy of local states during the configuration process;

waiting in a designated local state until the one or more second nodes are in a desired state; and

moving from the designated local state to a next local state when the synchronization resource indicates that the one or more second nodes are in a desired state.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the state of the one or more second nodes indicates whether or not a resource has been configured on the second nodes.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first node and the second nodes are hosted on a single machine.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first node and the second nodes are hosted on separate machines.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the first node and the second nodes are hosted on a distributed computing network.

13. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing system, perform a method for configuring a computing system, the performed method comprising:

providing a synchronization resource on a first node that is associated with a state of a second node;

evaluating the state of the second node by a resource provider on the first node; and

configuring the synchronization resource by the resource provider based upon the state of the second node.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating a configuration process for an application on the first node;

suspending the configuration process if the synchronization resource has not been configured; and

resuming the configuration process when the synchronization resource has been configured.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

moving through a hierarchy of local states during the configuration process;

waiting in a designated local state until the second node is in a desired state; and

moving from the designated local state to a next local state when the synchronization resource indicates that the second node is in a desired state.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the state of the second node indicates whether or not a resource has been configured on the second node.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in the desired state.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

defining a test function that checks whether the remote resource is in the desired state; and

defining a set function that sets a state of the synchronization resource when the remote resource is in the desired state.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating a state for each of a plurality remote resources; and

configuring the synchronization resource when one or more of the remote resources is in the desired state.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating a state for each of a plurality remote resources; and

configuring the synchronization resource when all of the remote resources are in the desired state.