Patent · US Active

Associating heartbeat data with access to shared resources of a computer system

US8560747B1 · kind B1 · utility

237Cited by
34References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 16, 2007
Grant dateOct 15, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 19, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/526
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method, system and program code for implementing distributed locks to be maintained through the use of on disk heartbeats. An instance of a node need only maintain a single heartbeat for all locks associated with the node and all of its processes. The node updates its heartbeat by accessing common storage, either virtual or physical, and updating a timestamp value in its heartbeat within a predetermined time interval, otherwise the heartbeat becomes stale. Expired heartbeats can be cleared or broken to allow redistribution of any locks associated therewith. The inventive technique may be implemented in a traditional computer environment or in a fully or partially virtualized environment and requires no use of an IP network or a separate network based lock manager.

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