Recovering a blade in scalable software blade architecture

• US 7,779,157 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schulz, Torsten, Meyer, Markus, Srinivasan, Venkatachary, Boerries, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox; Natisha
• Application Number:
  US11/262,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 709/244
• US Class Current: 709/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/203 using migration

Abstract

A system and method for servicing user accounts are disclosed. The system includes one or more blades for servicing the user accounts, where each blade includes software components and hardware components, and each blade serves a group of user accounts, a blade manager for managing states of the one or more blades, logic for detecting a failed blade among the one or more blades, and logic for recovering the failed blade using the states of the one or more blades managed by the blade manager.

Claims

1. A system for servicing user accounts, comprising:

one or more blades for servicing the user accounts, wherein each blade includes software components and hardware components, and wherein each blade serves a group of user accounts;

at least one memory comprising computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions are for;

receiving a notification of a failed blade among the one or more blades;

stopping assignment of new user accounts to the failed blade;

moving user accounts from the failed blade to at least one other blade,

wherein moving user accounts comprises providing configuration information of the user accounts to the at least one other blade, the configuration information stored separately from the failed blade;

receiving a notification of a failed user device; and

recovering the failed user device, wherein recovering the failed user device comprises;

retrieving configuration information from a blade manager;

removing database entries of the user device at a blade of the one or more blades;

reconstructing a user account and a user device from the configuration information; and

importing filter data for the user account and the user device; and

a processor operable to execute the instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions for:

maintaining user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups at a blade manager; and

providing the user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups to the one or more blades.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein user settings comprise:

filter settings;

sharing settings;

type of services; and

type of user devices.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a blade monitoring tool for:

monitoring whether a blade has failed;

monitoring whether data on the blade has been lost; and

providing a user-readable indication concerning the failed blade.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein moving user accounts further comprises:

providing configuration information of the user accounts from another blade;

creating new user accounts at the at least one other blade using the configuration information; and

providing Internet Protocol addresses of new locations of the user accounts at a blade manager.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions for:

receiving a signal for accessing the failed blade from a user device; and

returning an error message to the user device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions for:

receiving a first inquiry, at a blade manager, from the user device for a new blade location;

returning to the user device information concerning the new blade location;

receiving a second inquiry to access the new blade location from the user device;

informing the user device to initiate a repair process; and

performing repair operations for the user device in response to receiving a repair request from the user device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions for:

receiving a signal for exchanging data from the user;

returning a code indicating that a repair operation on the user device is required; and

performing the repair operation by initiating an installation of a connected-data service and a corresponding connected dataset for the user device.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions for creating new user accounts on the at least one other blade.

9. A method for servicing user accounts, comprising:

partitioning tasks for servicing the user accounts into one or more blades, wherein each blade includes software components and hardware components, and wherein each blade serves a group of user accounts;

detecting a failed blade among the one or more blades;

stopping assignment of new user accounts to the failed blade;

moving user accounts from the failed blade to at least one other blade, wherein moving user accounts comprises providing configuration information of the user accounts to the at least one other blade, the configuration information stored separately from the failed blade;

receiving a notification of a failed user device; and

recovering the failed user device, wherein recovering the failed user device comprises;

retrieving configuration information from a blade manager;

removing database entries of the user device at a blade of the one or more blades;

reconstructing a user account and a user device from the configuration information; and

importing filter data for the user account and the user device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

maintaining user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups at a blade manager; and

providing the user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups to the one or more blades.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein user settings comprise:

filter settings;

sharing settings;

type of services; and

type of user devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting comprises:

monitoring whether a blade has failed;

monitoring whether data on the blade has been lost; and

providing a user-readable indication concerning the failed blade.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein moving user accounts further comprises:

fetching configuration information of the user accounts from another blade;

creating new user accounts at the at least one other blade using the configuration information; and

providing Internet Protocol addresses of new locations of the user accounts at a blade manager.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a signal for accessing the failed blade from a user device; and

returning an error message to the user device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a first inquiry, at a blade manager, from the user device for a new blade location;

returning to the user device information concerning the new blade location;

receiving a second inquiry to access the new blade location from the user device;

informing the user device to initiate a repair process; and

performing repair operations for the user device in response to a repair request from the user device.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a signal for exchanging data from the user;

returning a code indicating a repair operation on the user device is required; and

performing the repair operation by initiating an installation of a connected-data service and a corresponding connected dataset for the user device.

26. The method of claim 9 further comprising creating new user accounts on the at least one other blade.

17. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

partitioning tasks for servicing the user accounts into one or more blades, wherein each blade includes software components and hardware components, and wherein each blade serves a group of user accounts;

detecting a failed blade among the one or more blades;

stopping assignment of new user accounts to the failed blade;

moving user accounts from the failed blade to at least one other blade, wherein moving user accounts comprises providing configuration information of the user accounts to the at least one other blade, the configuration information stored separately from the failed blade;

receiving a notification of a failed user device; and

recovering the failed user device, wherein recovering the failed user device comprises;

retrieving configuration information from a blade manager;

removing database entries of the user device at a blade of the one or more blades;

reconstructing a user account and a user device from the configuration information; and

importing filter data for the user account and the user device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for:

maintaining user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups at a blade manager; and

providing the user settings, global configurations and preferences, device descriptions, and account groups to the one or more blades.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein user settings comprise:

filter settings;

sharing settings;

type of services; and

type of user devices.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein detecting comprises:

monitoring whether a blade has failed;

monitoring whether data on the blade has been lost; and

providing a user-readable indication concerning the failed blade.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for:

fetching configuration information of the user accounts from another blade;

creating new user accounts at the at least one other blade using the configuration information; and

providing Internet Protocol addresses of new locations of the user accounts at a blade manager.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a signal for accessing the failed blade from a user device; and

returning an error message to the user device.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a first inquiry, at a blade manager, from the user device for a new blade location;

returning to the user device information concerning the new blade location;

receiving a second inquiry to access the new blade location from the user device;

informing the user device to initiate a repair process; and

performing repair operations for the user device in response to a repair request from the user device.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a signal for exchanging data from the user;

returning a code indicating a repair operation on the user device is required; and

performing the repair operation by initiating an installation of a connected-data service and a corresponding connected dataset for the user device.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for creating new user accounts on the at least one other blade.