Method and system for executing and undoing distributed server change operations

• US 7,249,174 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BladeLogic Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BladeLogic Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Manwani, Vijay G., Srinivasa, Balaji, Kraus, Thomas Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/414,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 717/171, 717/176, 709220-221, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/084 Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

A method and system for executing and undoing distributed server change operations for a collection of server objects across multiple target servers in a transaction-safe manner is provided. In one embodiment, server change operations for a collection of server objects, such as files and configuration file entries, are specified in a transaction package. The target servers to which the specified change operation are directed are also identified in the transaction package. Parameter values for each of the identified target servers are specified through a parameter file in the transaction package. The transaction package is sent to the identified target servers, which execute the change operations on the target servers in a transaction-safe manner using these parameter values.

Claims

1. A method for executing change operations across a plurality of servers in a transaction-safe manner, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) specifying change operations for a collection of server objects in a transaction package, wherein the objects comprise at least one of files and configuration file entries;

(b) identifying two or more target servers for execution of the change operations specified in the transaction package;

(c) specifying parameter values specific to the target servers for each of the identified target servers in a parameter file;

(d) communicating the transaction package to the identified target servers, the transaction package comprising the parameter file; and

(e) executing the specified change operations on each of the identified target servers in a transaction-safe manner such that change operations can be reversed when an error is detected and using the parameter values such that the parameter values that are distinct for each of the identified target servers override group-level parameter values if specified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server objects comprise at least one of a primitive server object, a compound server object, an abstract configuration server object, and a component server object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the primitive server object comprises an elemental server object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the compound server object comprises at least one of the primitive server objects and the compound server objects.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the abstract configuration server object comprises an entry in a configuration file mapped to a corresponding entry in a common abstract configuration file format.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the component server object comprises a sequenced collection of server objects.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying step (a), the transaction package comprises an XML-based instruction set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying step (a), the transaction package comprises a text-based instruction set.

9. The method of claim 1, in addition to the specified change operations in the transaction package, the transaction package in the specifying step (a) further comprises:

(i) a transaction context;

(ii) error handling actions;

(iii) a sequencing instruction for the specified change operations; and

(iv) prerequisite information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the (i) transaction context in the transaction package comprises begin-transaction and end-transaction statements that encapsulate the specified change operations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the (ii) parameter file comprises group-level parameter values that are identical across the identified target servers.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the (iii) error handling actions comprise soft error and a hard error.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the (iv) sequencing instruction for the server change operations is provided locally from the transaction package.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the (iv) sequencing instruction for the server change operations is provided from an external dependency graph, if the sequencing instruction is not provided locally from the transaction package.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the (v) prerequisite information comprises prerequisite information for the identified target servers to execute the specified change operations.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(i) maintaining a transaction log for the transaction package, wherein the transaction log comprises details of all steps performed during execution of the change operations specified in the transaction package;

(ii) after a successful completion of the executing step (e), optionally reversing the executed change operations via an explicit user request; and

(iii) automatically reversing the executed change operations, after detecting an occurrence of an error.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of optionally performing a dry-run on the transaction package.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(ii) executing change operations specified in each transaction package in the transaction project in a transaction-safe manner.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising a transaction package for executing change operations across a plurality of target servers in a transaction-safe manner, the transaction package comprising:

(a) an instruction set for specifying change operations for a plurality of server objects such that the change operations can be executed in a transaction-safe manner in which change operations can be reversed when an error is detected and identifying two or more target servers for execution of the specified change operations on the identified target servers; and

(b) a parameter file comprising group-level parameter values that are identical across the identified target servers and parameter values specific to each of the identified target servers.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the (b) parameter file comprises the parameter values that are distinct for each of the identified target servers and override the group-level parameter values if specified.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the server objects comprise at least one of a primitive server object, a compound server object, an abstract configuration server object, and a component server object.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the primitive server object comprises an elemental server object.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the compound server object comprises at least one of the primitive server objects and the compound server objects.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the abstract configuration server object comprises an entry in a configuration file mapped to a corresponding entry in a common abstract configuration file format.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the component server object comprises a sequenced collection of server objects.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instruction set is an XML-based instruction set.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instruction set is a text-based instruction set.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein in addition to the specified change operations in the instruction set, the instruction set further comprises:

(i) a transaction context;

(ii) error handling actions;

(iii) a sequencing instruction for the specified change operations; and

(iv) prerequisite information.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the (i) transaction context comprises begin-transaction and end-transaction statements that encapsulate the specified change operations.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the (ii) error handling actions comprise a soft error and a hard error.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the (iii) sequencing instruction for the specified change operations is provided locally from instruction set.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the (iii) sequencing instruction for the server change operations is provided from an external dependency graph, if the sequencing instruction is not provided locally from the instruction set.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the (iv) prerequisite information comprises prerequisite information for the identified target servers to execute the specified change operations.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein a dry-run is optionally performed on the transaction package.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the transaction package and a second transaction package is assembled into a transaction project to execute the change operations specified in each transaction package in a transaction-safe manner.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the transaction package maintains:

(i) a transaction log comprising details of all steps performed during execution of the change operations specified in the transaction package;

(ii) after a successful completion of at least one of the change operations, an explicit user request for optionally reversing the executed change operations using the details provided from the transaction log; and

(iii) an error signal for automatically reversing the executed change operations using the details provided from the transaction log.