Virtual Machine Application Redundancy for High Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-availability solutions in digital data processing rely heavily on hardware redundancy, which is costly and not justified in all enterprise applications, necessitating a more economical approach that provides redundancy at the application and process execution level.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising primary and secondary digital data processors, where the secondary set executes virtual machines with imaged copies of primary applications, allowing seamless takeover in case of primary application failure, utilizing agent functionality to maintain state/configuration information and allocate resources as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware redundancy is used to achieve high availability, then system reliability is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtualization to create virtual copies of hardware resources (CPU, memory, storage, I/O) that can be dynamically allocated to multiple virtual machines. Instead of physically duplicating entire hardware systems, the invention creates software-based copies that share underlying physical infrastructure, thereby maintaining high availability through redundancy while significantly reducing hardware costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal hardware platform that can serve multiple functions and multiple applications simultaneously through virtualization. A single physical system can host multiple virtual machines, each functioning as an independent computing environment, allowing one hardware system to replace what would traditionally require multiple dedicated hardware systems.
2Reliability
If full hardware duplication is implemented for mission-critical applications, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple computing environments into a single unified hardware platform through virtualization. Instead of maintaining separate physical systems for each application or function, the invention combines them into one integrated system where virtual machines share common hardware resources, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through virtualized redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between the physical hardware and the applications. This virtualization software acts as a mediator that manages resource allocation, creates virtual copies of hardware components, and handles failover scenarios, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture compared to direct hardware duplication approaches.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides apparatus and systems for high availability execution of applications executing on one or more digital data processor platforms. For example, a system according to one aspect of the invention includes a first set digital data processors, each of which executes one or more applications. These are referred to as “primaries” or “primary applications.” A second set of digital data processors execute virtual machines, each of which, in turn, executes an image of a corresponding primary application. These are referred to as “imaged” or “imaged applications.” Each of the first and second sets may have one or more digital data processors. Agent functionality residing on and/or coupled to the digital data processors in the first and second sets maintains state/configuration information for each imaged application. That information, which reflects current or substantially current state of the corresponding primary application, is of such a nature as to permit the imaged application to take over applications processing, e.g., in the event the primary application fails or otherwise becomes unavailable. The agent functionality, according to related aspects of the invention, can monitor the primary applications (and/or the first set of digital data processors) and effect such a take over by a specific imaged application.