Creation of highly available pseudo-clone standby servers for rapid failover provisioning

US8311991B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Vijay Kumar Aggarwal · Marlboro, US
• Craig Lawton · Raleigh, US
• Christopher Andrew Peters · Round Rock, US
• Puthukode G. Ramachandran · Austin, US
• Lorin Evan Ullmann · Austin, US
• John Patrick Whitfield · Cary, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 11, 2011
• Grant date: Nov 13, 2012
• Expiry date: May 11, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/063
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.