System and method for distributed management of shared computers

• US 7,739,380 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Paul H
• Application Number:
  US10/987,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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:

storing, in a memory, instructions for performing the method;

executing the instructions on a processor;

according to the instructions being executed;

separating a plurality of computers at a co-location facility into a plurality of clusters via a landlord operations management console located at the co-location facility, wherein the landlord operations management console monitors and controls hardware operation of the computers at the co-location facility;

leasing the clusters to a plurality of tenants;

allowing secure communications channels to be established between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and an application operations management console of the tenant, wherein the application operations management console;

is remote from the co-location facility;

implements cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of computers within a particular cluster to communicate with other computers within the particular cluster;

monitors execution of software on the cluster leased to the tenant; and

wherein the monitoring and controlling of the hardware operation of the computers by the landlord operations management console is performed independent from the monitoring of the execution of software on the cluster leased to tenant by the application operations management console;

wherein the method further comprises;

allowing secure communications channels to be established between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the landlord operations management console;

wherein, for each of the plurality of tenants, the secure communications channels between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the operations management console of the tenant are established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channels between the computers in the cluster leased to the tenant and the landlord operations management console are established using a second public/private key pair.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising implementing cluster boundaries to prevent computers within one of the plurality of clusters from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the leasing comprises leasing each cluster to a different one of the plurality of tenants, and wherein each of the plurality of computers is included in only one of the plurality of clusters.

4. 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:

separate a plurality of computers at a co-location facility into a plurality of clusters via a landlord operations management console located at the co-location facility, wherein the plurality of clusters are leased to a plurality of tenants and the landlord operations management console monitors and controls hardware operation of the computers at the co-location facility; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computers in a cluster leased to a tenant and an application operations management console of the tenant to which the cluster is leased, wherein the application operations management console;

is remote from the co-location facility;

implements cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of computers within a particular cluster to communicate with other computers within the particular cluster;

monitors execution of software on the cluster leased to the tenant; and

wherein the monitoring and controlling of the hardware operation of the computers by the landlord operations management console is performed independent from the monitoring of the execution of software on the cluster leased to tenant by the application operations management console;

wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to;

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the clusters and the landlord operations management console;

wherein the secure communications channel between the clusters leased to the tenant and the application operations management console is established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channel between the clusters and the landlord operations management console is established using a second public/private key pair.

5. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to implement cluster boundaries to prevent the computers in one cluster from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

6. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of clusters is leased to a different one of the plurality of tenants.

7. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

separate a plurality of computers at a co-location facility into a plurality of clusters via a landlord operations management console located at the co-location facility, wherein the plurality of clusters are leased to a plurality of tenants and the landlord operations management console monitors and controls hardware operation of the computers at the co-location facility; and

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the computers in a cluster leased to a tenant and an application operations management console of the tenant to which the cluster is leased, wherein the application operations management console;

is remote from the co-location facility;

implements cluster sub-boundaries to restrict the ability of computers within a particular cluster to communicate with other computers within the particular cluster;

monitors execution of software on the cluster leased to the tenant; and

wherein the monitoring and controlling of the hardware operation of the computers by the landlord operations management console is performed independent from the monitoring of the execution of software on the cluster leased to tenant by the application operations management console;

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to;

allow a secure communications channel to be established between the clusters and the landlord operations management console; and

wherein the secure communications channel between the clusters leased to the tenant and the application operations management console is established using a first public/private key pair, and the secure communications channel between the clusters and the landlord operations management console is established using a second public/private key pair.

8. A computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement cluster boundaries to prevent the computers in one cluster from communicating with computers in other clusters of the plurality of clusters.

9. A computer as recited in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of clusters is leased to a different one of the plurality of tenants.

10. A computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer readable medium comprises one or more disks.

11. A computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer readable medium comprises one or more memories.