Write request protection upon failure in a multi-computer system

A computer readable medium on which is embedded a recovery program for use in a multi-computer system, wherein a first computer in the multicomputer issues one or more write requests to a storage device, each write request normally being effectuated after being pending for a time, the recovery program comprising:

• one or more modules for detecting a failure associated with the first computer;
• and
• one or more modules for preventing the effectuation of write requests issued by the first computer to the storage device and pending at the time of the detected, wherein the preventing step comprises at least one action from the group consisting of issuing a fibre channel target reset on a fiber channel connected to the storage device, issuing a fibre channel remote logout on a fiber channel connected to the storage device, issuing a fibre channel remote logout and a requiring logout from multiple fibre channels on a fiber channel connected to the storage device, and issuing a bus device reset on a bus connected to the storage device.

A method for use in a multi-computer system, wherein a first computer in the multi-computer system issues a plurality of independent write requests to a storage device, each write request normally being effectuated after being pending for a time, the method comprising:

• detecting a condition indicative of a failure associated with the first computer, and
• preventing effectuation of the plurality of independent write requests issued by the first computer to the storage device and pending at the time of the detected condition;
• wherein the step of detecting a condition further comprises detecting a second computer requesting to change a state of a volume group associated with the first computer on the storage device from inaccessible to accessible.

A method for use in a multi-computer system, wherein a first computer in the multi-computer system is connected to a storage device by a plurality of communication channels and the first computer issues a plurality of independent write requests to the storage device, each write request normally being effectuated after being pending for a time, the method comprising:

• detecting a condition indicative of a failure associated with the first computer, and
• preventing effectuation of the plurality of independent write requests issued by the first computer to the storage device and pending at the time of the detected condition;
• wherein detecting a condition further comprises detecting failure of the first communication channel.

A multi-computer system, wherein a first computer in the multi-computer system issues a plurality of independent write requests to a storage device, each write request normally being effectuated after being pending for a time, the system comprising:

• means for detecting a condition indicative of a failure associated with the first computer, and
• means for preventing effectuation of the plurality of independent write requests issued by the first computer to the storage device and pending at the time of the detected condition;
• wherein the means for detecting a condition further comprises means for detecting a second computer requesting to change a state of a volume group associated with the first computer on the storage device from inaccessible to accessible.

A multi-computer system, wherein a first computer in the multi-computer system is connected to a storage device by a plurality of communication channels and the first computer issues a plurality of independent write requests to the storage device, each write request normally being effectuated after being pending for a time, the system comprising:

• means for detecting a condition indicative of a failure associated with the first computer, and
• means for preventing effectuation of the plurality of independent write requests issued by the first computer to the storage device and pending at the time of the detected condition;
• wherein the means for detecting a condition further comprising means for detecting failure of the first communication channel.