# US 9,882,980 B2 · Managing continuous priority workload availability and general workload availability between sites at unlimited distances for products and services > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,980 B2 - Document ID: US9882980B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/059,691 - Filed: 2013-10-22 - Published: 2015-04-23 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-22 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Serge Bourbonnais; Paul M. Cadarette; Michael G. Fitzpatrick; David B. Petersen; Gregory W. Vance - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882980B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/1095: Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes - G06F 9/5083: {Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system} - G06F 11/16: Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware - G06F 11/3006: {where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50)} - G06F 11/3051: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs (verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247)} - G06F 16/2365: {Ensuring data consistency and integrity} - G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor - H04L 43/0805: by checking availability - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system for providing reliable availability of a general workload and continuous availability of a priority workload over long distances may include a first computing site configured to execute a first instance associated with the priority workload, wherein the first instance is designated as an active instance, a second computing site configured to execute a second instance of the priority workload, wherein the second instance is designated as a standby instance, a third computing site configured to restart a third instance associated with the general workload, and a workload availability module configured to synchronize a portion of data associated with the third instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the second instance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing reliable availability of a general workload and continuous availability of a priority workload over long distances, comprising: a first computing site configured to execute a first priority instance associated with the priority workload and to execute a first general instance associated with the general workload, wherein the first priority and general instances are designated as active instances and wherein the priority workload is distinct from the general workload; a second computing site configured to execute a second priority instance of the priority workload, wherein the second priority instance is designated as a standby instance; a third computing site configured to execute a third priority instance of the priority workload and to restart a second general instance of the general workload from a hardware copy of a storage volume of the first computing site maintained in a storage volume of the third computing site when the first computing site becomes unavailable; and a workload availability module configured to designate the second priority instance as the active instance and the third priority instance as the standby instance upon detecting that the first computing site is unavailable, wherein the workload availability module synchronizes, during a period of time required by the restart of the second general instance, a portion of data associated with the second priority instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the third priority instance based on the portion of data associated with the third priority instance being obsolete due to updates performed at the second computing site, and wherein the workload availability module reduces an exposure time of the priority workload operating at a single site without continuous backup during the period of time required by the restart of the second general instance from the hardware copy of the storage volume of the first computing site. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a hardware replication module configured to replicate an image from the storage volume of the first computing site to a copy on the storage volume of the third computing site. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the third computing site is further configured to restart the third priority instance, and the workload availability module is further configured to synchronize a portion of data associated with the second general instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the first general instance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the workload availability module is further configured to monitor a metric associated with a first processor and determine whether the first processor is unavailable based at least in part on the monitoring of the metric. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second computing site is separated from the first computing site by a first distance greater than a metropolitan area network, and the third computing site is separated from the first computing site by a second distance greater than the metropolitan area network. ### Claim 6 A computer program product for providing reliable availability of a general workload and continuous availability of a priority workload over long distances, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon: first program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to assign a first priority instance associated with the priority workload to a first computing site and to assign a first general instance associated with the general workload to the first computing site, wherein the priority workload is distinct from the general workload and wherein the first priority and general instances are designated as active instances; second program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to assign a second priority instance associated with the priority workload to a second computing site, wherein the second priority instance is designated as a standby instance; third program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to assign a third priority instance of the priority workload to a third computing site and to restart a second general instance of the general workload from a hardware copy of a storage volume of the first computing site maintained in a storage volume of the third computing site when the first computing site becomes unavailable; fourth program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to designate the second priority instance as the active instance and the third priority instance as the standby instance upon detecting that the first computing site is unavailable; and fifth program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to synchronize, during a period of time required by the restart of the second general instance, a portion of data associated with the second priority instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the third priority instance based on the portion of data associated with the third priority instance being obsolete due to updates performed at the second computing site, wherein the synchronizing reduces an exposure time of the priority workload operating at a single site without continuous backup during the period of time required by the restart of the second general instance from the hardware copy of the storage volume of the first computing site. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer program product of claim 6, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further having stored thereon fifth program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to replicate an image from the storage volume of the first computing site to a copy on the storage volume of the third computing site. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computer program product of claim 6, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further having stored thereon: sixth program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to restart the third priority instance; and seventh program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to synchronize a portion of data associated with the second general instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the first general instance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The computer program product of claim 6, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further having stored thereon: sixth program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to monitor a metric associated with the first processor; and seventh program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine the first processor is unavailable based on the metric. ### Claim 10 A method for providing reliable availability of a general workload and continuous availability of a priority workload over long distances, comprising: executing a first priority instance associated with the priority workload at least in part with a first processor and a first general instance associated with the general workload at least in part with the first processor, wherein the first priority and general instances are designated as active instances and wherein the priority workload is distinct from the general workload; executing a second priority instance associated with the priority workload at least in part with a second processor, wherein the second priority instance is designated as a standby instance; determining the first processor is unavailable; executing a third priority instance associated with the priority workload at least in part with a third processor; restarting a second general instance of the general workload from a hardware copy of a storage volume associated with the first processor maintained in a storage volume associated with the third processor; designating the second priority instance as the active instance and the third priority instance as the standby instance; and synchronizing, during a period of time required by the restart of the second general instance, a portion of data associated with the second priority instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the third priority instance based on the portion of data associated with the third priority instance being obsolete due to updates performed by the second processor, wherein the synchronizing reduces an exposure time of the priority workload operating at a single processor without continuous backup during the period of time required by the restart of the second general instance from the hardware copy of the storage volume associated with the first processor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising replicating an image from the storage volume associated with the first processor to a copy on the storage volume associated with the third processor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: restarting the third priority instance; and synchronizing a portion of data associated with the second general instance with a corresponding portion of data associated with the first general instance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: monitoring a metric associated with the first processor; and determining the first processor is unavailable based on the metric. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second processor is separated from the first processor by a first distance greater than a metropolitan area network, and the third processor is separated from the first processor by a second distance greater than the metropolitan area network.