An apparatus is disclosed for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a failure of a link on which each server provides a heartbeat to the other server. Each of the servers is configured to take over the identity of the other server on a common network in response to detecting a failure of the other server\'s link heartbeat. Each server provides a status indicator to a storage controller indicating whether the other server\'s link heartbeat stopped. The storage controller determines the link has failed if both of the status indicators indicate the other server\'s heartbeat stopped, and responsively kills one of the servers. The storage controller also receives a heartbeat directly from each server. If only one direct heartbeat stops when the status indicators indicate the link heartbeats stopped, then the storage controller detects one server has failed and inactivates the failed server.

Claims

44 · 3 independent · depth 6

44 granted claims

›1.independentAn apparatus for deterministically performing active-active failover of redundant servers in response to a failure of a link coupling the servers on w…+27

›2.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivates said one of the servers in response to each of said status indicators indicating…d2

›3.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:na second status indicator, provided by said storage controller to each of the servers, for indicating wh…d2

›4.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a non-inactivated one of the servers waits to take over the identity of the other server on the network until a pred…d2

›5.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises preventing said one of the servers from participat…d2

›6.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises preventing said one of the servers from responding…d2

›7.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises preventing said one of the servers from transmitti…d2

›8.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises resetting said one of the servers.d2

›9.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises resetting an I/O port of said one of the servers f…d2

›10.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises causing power to be removed from said one of the s…d2

›11.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller inactivating one of the servers comprises inactivating said one of the servers independent o…d2

›12.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:na second status indicator, provided by each of the servers to said storage controller, for indicating a …d2

›13.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:na second status indicator, provided by each of the servers to said storage controller, for indicating wh…d2

›14.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:nan inactivation control, generated by said storage controller to each of the servers, for inactivating t…d2+7

›22.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller and the servers comprise a plurality of hot-pluggable field replaceable units (FRUs).d2

›23.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:na second storage controller, coupled to receive said status indicator from each of the servers, configur…d2+3

›27.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage controller comprises a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller.d2

›28.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the servers are configured to execute storage application software.d2

›29.independentA method for deterministically performing active-active failover of first and second redundant servers, the method comprising:nindicating that a first…+2

›32.independentA network storage appliance, comprising:na storage controller; andredundant servers, coupled to said storage controller, configured to perform active-…+12

›33.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, wherein said storage controller determines said first condition has occurred if said status from both of sa…d2

›34.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, wherein said storage controller determines said second condition has occurred if said status from both of s…d2

›35.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, further comprising:nan inactivation control, generated by said storage controller, to inactivate one of sai…d2+4

›40.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, wherein said link comprises a FibreChannel link.d2

›41.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, wherein said link comprises an Infiniband link.d2

›42.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, wherein said link comprises an Ethernet link.d2

›43.↳ 32The network storage appliance of claim 32, further comprising:na chassis, enclosing said storage controller and said redundant servers, wherein said l…d2+1

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G06F11/30
G06F11/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

714/9714/12714/43

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File wrapper

Pendency

3.4 y

1,257 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

2 RCE

Examiner

Gabriel Chu

art unit 2114 · TC 2100

Law firm

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Citations: 84 back · 1 forward

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Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

23 Apr 2003

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 60473355 00	23 Apr 2003
related publication	US 20050010838 A1	13 Jan 2005

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