Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and accompanying method for use in a sysplex environment for performing escalated isolation of a sysplex component in the event of a failure

US5416921A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
2References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 3, 1993
Grant dateMay 16, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 3, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/2046
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and accompanying methods for use in preferably a multi-system shared data (sysplex (5)) environment which quickly and efficiently isolates (fences), through a pre-defined hierarchical order, failed sysplex components from accessing shared data in order to protect data integrity. Specifically, by dividing a sysplex workload into specified fence groups (FG A, FG B) and providing appropriate software and hardware fence support, fencing can occur at various distinct levels: a member-to-member level, i.e. to allow any member (220, 225, 230, 233,237) of a fence group to fully isolate any other ("target") member of that same group; a fence group level, i.e. to isolate all members of a fence group that execute on a "target" system (200.sub.1, 200.sub.2, 200.sub.3); and a system level, i.e. to fully isolate an entire "target" system. Through pre-defined escalation rules (630), fencing can be escalated from a lower member level to a higher, group or system, level in the event a lower level fence can not be successfully imposed. Member level fencing is accomplished in software (1300, 1500); group and system level fencing is accomplished through dedicated hardware fencing facilities …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.