System and method for providing dynamically alterable computer clusters for message routing
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsCLEMENT RICHARD ATTANASIO, GUERNEY-DOUGLASS HALLOWAY HUNT, STEPHEN EDWIN SMITH, GERMAN SERGIO GOLDSZMIDT
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An object, of this invention is to improve the overall throughput of an Encapsulated Cluster. Another object of this invention is to reduce the aggregate delay of the remote service requests. A further object of this invention is to provide means for a designated node to take over the operation of a failed connection-router in such a way that network clients experience no interruption of service.
Claims13
A method for routing incoming messages across a boundary of a cluster of computer nodes, the cluster coupled to one or more networks, comprising the steps of:
- locating and reading a port number and target address in the message header of a port type message;
- based on the target address, selecting a subset of the computer nodes;
- based on the port number selecting a function which determines a routing destination for the message from a plurality of possible destinations in the subset, the routing destination being a computer node in the subset;
- sending the message to the routing destination;
- and,
- while the messages are being routed accross the boundary, dynamically altering at least one of membership in a subset and the number of subsets.
A gateway for transpareny routing incoming messages across a cluster of computer nodes, the cluster coupled to one or more networks, comprising:
- means for locating and reading a port number and target address in the message header of a port type message and based on the target address, for selecting a subset of the computer nodes;
- means for selecting a function based on the port number, wherein the function determines a routing destination for the message from a plurality of possible destinations in the subset, the routing destination being a computer node in the subset;
- means for dynamically altering at least one of membership in a subset and the number of subsets.
A method for routing incoming messages across a boundary node of a cluster of computer nodes, the cluster connected to one or more networks, comprising the steps of:
- at the boundary node:
- locating and reading a port number in the message header of a port type message;
- based on the port number selecting a function which determines a routing destination for the message from a plurality of possible destinations, the routing destination being a computer node in the cluster;
- detecting a failure of the boundary node;
- in response to detection of the failure, transfering subsets of state information from each node in the cluster to an alternate boundary node;
- at the alternate boundary node
- collecting the subsets of the state information from the nodes in the cluster;
- and,
- using the state information to reconstruct an operating state of the boundary node prior to failure such that messages are distributed by the alternate boundary node in the same manner as would have been accomplished by the boundary node prior to failure.
A system for recovering from a failure of a boundary node of a cluster of computer nodes, comprising:
- means at the boundary node for locating and reading a port number in the message header of a port type message and based on the port number selecting a function which determines a routing destination for the message from a plurality of possible destinations, the routing destination being a computer node in the cluster;
- means for detecting a failure of the boundary node;
- and,
- an alternate boundary node comprising means, responsive to detection of the failure, for collecting subsets of state information from each node in the cluster and means for reconstructing, from the subsets, an operating state of the boundary node prior to failure such that messages are distributed by the alternate boundary node in the same manner as would have been accomplished by the boundary node prior to failure.
A boundary node for use in of a cluster of computer nodes, comprising:
- means for locating and reading a port number in the message header of a port type message and based on the port number selecting a function which determines a routing destination for the message from a plurality of possible destinations, the routing destination being a computer node in the cluster;
- and,
- means, responsive to failure of active boundary node of the cluster, for collecting subsets of state information from each node in the cluster and means for reconstructing, from the subsets, an operating state of the boundary node prior to failure such that messages are distributed by the boundary node in the same manner as would have been accomplished by the active boundary node prior to failure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.