Single Standby Server Backup for SharePoint High Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional configurations of Microsoft SharePoint servers face challenges in achieving high availability due to costly hardware and resource requirements in one-to-one standby server setups.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a single standby server to back up a server farm with multiple servers, implementing modules such as a server application module, monitor module, information transfer module, server replacement module, changeover coordination module, and configuration management module to ensure high availability and efficient resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a one-to-one standby server configuration is used to ensure high availability, then service reliability is improved, but hardware cost and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple standby server functions are merged into a single physical server. The patent describes a standby server that can assume the role of multiple failed servers in a server farm, consolidating what would traditionally require multiple separate standby servers into one unified system. This reduces hardware resources while maintaining reliability through virtualization and role assumption capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The standby server is designed with multi-functionality to perform various server roles. The patent details how a single standby server can take on different server identities and functions depending on which server fails, making it a universal backup solution that replaces multiple specialized standby servers with one adaptable system.
2Reliability
If multiple standby servers are deployed to backup each server in a server farm, then fault tolerance is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple standby server functions into a single physical server, reducing system complexity. Instead of managing multiple separate standby servers each configured for specific roles, one unified standby server manages multiple virtual roles, simplifying configuration and maintenance while maintaining fault tolerance.
Solution Approach 2:
The standby server creates virtual copies of failed server identities rather than maintaining physical copies. The patent describes how the standby server can assume server identities, replicate configurations, and provide services that mirror failed servers, achieving fault tolerance through virtualization rather than physical duplication.
Data Source
AI summary
A suite of network-based services, such as the services corresponding to the server application distributed by Microsoft® SharePoint™, may be provided to users with high availability. The suite of network-based services may include browser-based collaboration functions, process management functions, index and search functions, document-management functions, help and help search functions, and/or other functions. A plurality of computing devices functioning as servers may be backed up by a single computing device.