# US 12,596,567 B2 · High availability control plane node for container-based clusters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,596,567 B2 - Document ID: US12596567B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/119,849 - Filed: 2023-03-10 - Published: 2024-07-11 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2023-01-06 - Assignees: VMware, Inc. - Applicants: Vmware, Inc. - Inventors: Pradeep Shanmukha Jigalur; Christopher John Schaefer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12596567B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - G06F 2009/4557: {Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing} - G06F 2009/45583: {Memory management, e.g. access or allocation} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The disclosure provides a method for providing a high availability control plane in a container-based cluster. The method generally includes determining a first control plane node is unreachable within a cluster; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, activating a second control plane node previously deployed in the cluster, wherein prior to activing the second control plane node the second control plane node comprises: control plane components, not actively running on the second control plane node, that are configured to manage the other components within the cluster; removing the active control plane node from the cluster; determining a number of inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node is less than a minimum number of inactive control plane nodes; and deploying one or more inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node until the minimum number is reached. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing a high availability control plane in a container-based cluster, the method comprising: determining a first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster, wherein the first control plane node comprises: first control plane components, actively running on the first control plane node, that are configured to manage other components within the container-based cluster, and a first network interface activated to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the first control plane components; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, activating a second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster, wherein prior to activating the second control plane node the second control plane node comprises: second control plane components, not actively running on the second control plane node, that are configured to manage the other components within the container-based cluster, and a second network interface deactivated and configured to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components; assigning an internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; broadcasting a gratuitous address resolution protocol message to inform at least the other components in the container-based cluster about the assignment of the internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, removing the first control plane node from the container-based cluster; determining a number of inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node and comprising control plane components not actively running on the inactive control plane nodes is less than a minimum number of inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node; and deploying one or more inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node in the container-based cluster until the minimum number of the inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node is met. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein activating the second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster comprises: activating the second control plane components on the second control plane node; activating the second network interface to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a witness node determines that the first control plane node is inactive, activates the second control plane node, and deploys the one or more inactive control plane nodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, configuring the second control plane node such that a second intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more second manifests stored at the second control plane node matches a first intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more first manifests stored at the first control plane node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein: the first control plane node further comprises a third network interface activated at the first control plane node to allow for communication with at least the second control plane node; the second control plane node further comprises a fourth network interface activated at the second control plane node activated at the second control plane node to allow for communication with at least the first control plane node; and configuring the second control plane node comprises performing a sync between the first control plane node and the second control plane node via the third network interface and the fourth network interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster comprises: transmitting a request for a packet response from the first control plane node; and failing to receive the packet response from the first control plane node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first control plane node comprises a first host or a first virtual machine running on the first host; and the second control plane node comprises a second host or a second virtual machine running on the first host or the second host. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: one or more processors; and at least one memory, the one or more processors and the at least one memory configured to: determine a first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster, wherein the first control plane node comprises: first control plane components, actively running on the first control plane node, that are configured to manage other components within the container-based cluster, and a first network interface activated to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the first control plane components; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, activate a second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster, wherein prior to activating the second control plane node the second control plane node comprises: second control plane components, not actively running on the second control plane node, that are configured to manage the other components within the container-based cluster, and a second network interface deactivated and configured to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, remove the first control plane node from the container-based cluster; assign an internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; broadcast a gratuitous address resolution protocol message to inform at least the other components in the container-based cluster about the assignment of the internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; determine a number of inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node and comprising control plane components not actively running on the inactive control plane nodes is less than a minimum number of inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node; and deploy one or more inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node in the container-based cluster until the minimum number of the inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node is met. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein activating the second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster comprises: activating the second control plane components on the second control plane node; and activating the second network interface to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein a witness node determines that the first control plane node is inactive, activates the second control plane node, and deploys the one or more inactive control plane nodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one memory are further configured to: prior to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, configure the second control plane node such that a second intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more second manifests stored at the second control plane node matches a first intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more first manifests stored at the first control plane node. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein: the first control plane node further comprises a third network interface activated at the first control plane node to allow for communication with at least the second control plane node; the second control plane node further comprises a fourth network interface activated at the second control plane node activated at the second control plane node to allow for communication with at least the first control plane node; and to configure the second control plane node comprises to perform a sync between the first control plane node and the second control plane node via the third network interface and the fourth network interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein to determine the first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster comprises: transmitting a request for a packet response from the first control plane node; and failing to receive the packet response from the first control plane node. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein: the first control plane node comprises a first host or a first virtual machine running on the first host; and the second control plane node comprises a second host or a second virtual machine running on the first host or the second host. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations for providing a high availability control plane in a container-based cluster, the operations comprising: determining a first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster, wherein the first control plane node comprises: first control plane components, actively running on the first control plane node, that are configured to manage other components within the container-based cluster, and a first network interface activated to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the first control plane components; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, activating a second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster, wherein prior to activating the second control plane node the second control plane node comprises: second control plane components, not actively running on the second control plane node, that are configured to manage the other components within the container-based cluster, and a second network interface deactivated and configured to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components; in response to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, removing the first control plane node from the container-based cluster; assigning an internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; broadcasting a gratuitous address resolution protocol message to inform at least the other components in the container-based cluster about the assignment of the internet protocol address of the first control plane node to the second control plane node; determining a number of inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node and comprising control plane components not actively running on the inactive control plane nodes is less than a minimum number of inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node; and deploying one or more inactive control plane nodes associated with the second control plane node in the container-based cluster until the minimum number of the inactive control plane nodes that are to be deployed in the container-based cluster for the second control plane node is met. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein activating the second control plane node previously deployed in the container-based cluster comprises: activating the second control plane components on the second control plane node; and activating the second network interface to allow for management of the other components within the container-based cluster by the second control plane components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein a witness node determines that the first control plane node is inactive, activates the second control plane node, and deploys the one or more inactive control plane nodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: prior to determining the first control plane node is unreachable, configuring the second control plane node such that a second intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more second manifests stored at the second control plane node matches a first intended state of the container-based cluster indicated by one or more first manifests stored at the first control plane node. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein: the first control plane node further comprises a third network interface activated at the first control plane node to allow for communication with at least the second control plane node; the second control plane node further comprises a fourth network interface activated at the second control plane node activated at the second control plane node to allow for communication with at least the first control plane node; and configuring the second control plane node comprises performing a sync between the first control plane node and the second control plane node via the third network interface and the fourth network interface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the first control plane node is unreachable within the container-based cluster comprises: transmitting a request for a packet response from the first control plane node; and failing to receive the packet response from the first control plane node.