Failover of blade servers in a data center

An apparatus for failover of blade servers in a data center, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

• powering off a failing blade server by a system, management server through a blade server management module (‘BSMM’) managing the failing blade server, the failing blade server characterized by a machine type, one or more network addresses, and one or more storage addresses, the network addresses being virtual network addresses and the storage addresses being virtual storage addresses, wherein the virtual network addresses are different than original, manufacturer-provided network addresses of the blade server and the virtual storage addresses are different than the original, manufacturer-provided storage addresses of the blade server;
• identifying, by the system management server from a pool of standby blade servers, a replacement blade server, the replacement blade server managed by a BSMM;
• assigning, by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server, the one or more network addresses and the one or more storage addresses of the failing blade server to the replacement blade server, including enabling in the replacement blade server the assigned addresses;
• and
• powering on the replacement blade server by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server after the one or more network addresses and the one or more storage addresses of the failing blade server have been assigned to the replacement blade server.

A computer program product for failover of blade servers in a data center, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable recordable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program

• instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of:
• powering off a failing blade server by a system management server through a, blade server management module (‘BSMM’) managing the failing blade server, the failing blade server characterized by a machine type, one or more network addresses, and one or more storage addresses, the network addresses being virtual network addresses and the storage addresses being virtual storage addresses wherein the virtual network addresses are different than original, manufacturer-provided network addresses of the blade server and the virtual storage addresses are different than the original, manufacturer-provided storage addresses of the blade server;
• identifying, by the system management server from a pool of standby blade servers, a replacement blade server, the replacement blade server managed by a BSMM;
• assigning, by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server, the one or more network addresses and the one or more storage addresses of the failing blade server to the replacement blade server, including enabling in the replacement blade server the assigned addresses;
• and
• powering on the replacement blade server by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server after the one or more network addresses and the one or more storage addresses of the failing blade server have been assigned to the replacement blade server.