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US 7,020,706 B2Granted
Method and system for automatically updating multiple servers
AssigneeBMC Software, Inc.
InventorsTerry Cates, Bruce Wang, Sami Shaio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method updates multiple servers automatically without taking all of the multiple servers off-line at the same time. The system and method selects a group of servers, takes the group off-line, updates the group taken off-line, and then brings on-line those members of the group that were on-line prior to the update and for which the update was installed successfully.
Claims20
A server updating method, comprising:
- allocating each of a plurality of servers to various ones of a plurality of groups, each server having at least one type, each group comprising, for at least one of the at least one type, fewer then all of the servers having a same type;
- selecting at least one first group of the plurality of groups;
- identifying a status related to servers in the first group;
- providing at least one first command to suspend directing of communications by at least one load balancer to servers in the first group, said first command not suspending the directing of communications to servers in at least one of the other groups;
- updating information at servers in the first group for which the directing of communications is suspended;
- and
- based on the status identified, providing at least one second command to resume the directing of communications by the at least one load balancer to at least one server containing updated information in the first group.
4 more elements
A server updating system comprising:
- a configuration manager configured to:
- receive information regarding a plurality of servers, each server having at least one type, allocate each of the plurality of servers to various ones of a plurality of groups based on information received, each group comprising, for at least one of the at least one type, fewer than all of the servers having a same type;
- select at least one first group of the plurality of groups;
- and
- provide at least one first identifier corresponding to at least one server in the first group;
- a status manager configured to:
- receive the at least one first identifier,
- provide a request for status related to the at least one server in the first group;
- receive a response to the request;
- and
- provide an indication of status based on the response received;
- a shutdown manager configured to:
- receive the at least one first identifier;
- provide at least one first command to suspend directing of communications by at least one load balancer to servers in the first group, said first command not suspending the directing of communications to servers in at least one of the other groups, and
- provide a signal verifying the at least one first command provided;
- and
- an update manager configured to:
- receive the signal from the shutdown manager, and
- provide information useful for updating servers in the first group;
- wherein the shutdown manager is additionally configured to provide, based on the indication of status, at least one second command to resume directing of communications by the at least one load balancer to at least one of the servers having received information useful for updating the servers.
17 more elements
A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for updating servers, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to:
- allocate each of the plurality of servers to various ones of a plurality of groups, each server having at least one type, each group comprising, for at least one of the at least one type, fewer than all of the servers having a same type;
- select at least one first group of the plurality of groups;
- identify a status related to servers in the first group;
- provide at least one first command to suspend directing of communications by at least one load balancer to servers in the first group, said first command not suspending the directing of communications to servers in at least one of the other groups;
- update information on servers in the first group for which the directing of communications is suspended;
- and
- based on the status identified, provide at least one second command to resume the directing of communications by the at least one load balancer to at least one of the servers containing updated information in the first group.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.