Creating and removing application server partitions in a server cluster based on client request contexts

• US 7,509,392 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Hao, Shen, Jinmei
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US11/089,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/215, 709/201, 709/203, 709/216, 711/6, 711170-173, 711/153, 707/1, 707/3, 707100-101, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, determine an application server partition based on the context of a request from a client, and send the request to the application server partition if the application server partition exists. If the application server partition does not exist, the application server partition is created based on a creation rule, and the request is then sent to the application server partition if the request context is valid, as determined by a validation rule. Periodically, a remove rule is compared to a condition of the application server partition, and if the remove rule is met, the application server partition is removed. The condition may include, in various embodiments, the usage time and frequency of use of the application server partition or performance criteria. In an embodiment, the validation rule, the creation rule, and the remove rule may change over time. In this way, application server partitions may be dynamically created and removed based on the context of client requests and rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an application server partition based on a request context associated with a request from a client, wherein the request requests an operation, wherein the determining further comprises determining the application server partition based on a type of the operation and a location of the client, wherein the application server partition comprises an application state and application resources that customizes an application for the client;

determining whether the application server partition exists based on global server partition information, wherein an on-demand system performs the determining whether the application server partition exists;

if the application server partition exists, sending the request to the application server partition;

if the application server partition does not exist, determining whether the request context is valid based on a validation rule, wherein the determining further comprises comparing the request context to the validation rule, wherein the on-demand system performs the determining whether the request context is valid;

if the request context is valid, creating the application server partition in a server cluster based on a creation rule and sending the request to the application server partition; and

if the request context is not valid, sending an exception to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a usage time and frequency of use of the application server partition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically comparing a remove rule to a condition of the application server partition.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the condition meets the remove rule, removing the application server partition from the server cluster.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the condition comprises usage time and frequency of use of the application server partition.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the condition comprises a performance criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application server partition comprises a routable unit of the application customized for the client.

8. A method for configuring a computer, comprising:

configuring the computer to determine an application server partition based on a request context associated with a request from a client, wherein the request requests an operation, wherein the configuring the computer to determine further comprises configuring the computer to determine the application server partition based on a type of the operation and a location of the client, wherein the application server partition comprises an application state and application resources that customize an application for the client, wherein the computer is different than the client;

configuring the computer to determine whether the application server partition exists based on global server partition information, wherein an on-demand system in the computer determines whether the application server partition exists;

configuring the computer to send the request to the application server partition if the application server partition exists;

configuring the computer to determine whether the request context is valid based on a validation rule if the application server partition does not exist, wherein the configuring the computer to determine further comprises configuring the computer to compare the request context to the validation rule, wherein the on-demand system determines whether the request context is valid;

configuring the computer to create the application server partition in a server cluster based on a creation rule and send the request to the application server partition if the request context is valid; and

configuring the computer to send an exception to the client if the request context is not valid.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

configuring the computer to record a usage time and frequency of use of the application server partition.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

configuring the computer to periodically compare a remove rule to a condition of the application server partition.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

configuring the computer to remove the application server partition from the server cluster if the condition meets the remove rule.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the condition comprises usage time and frequency of use of the application server partition.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the condition comprises a performance criteria.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

configuring the computer to receive the validation rule, the creation rule, and the remove rule from a programmatic entity.