Method and system for improving the availability of software processes utilizing configurable finite state tables

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for providing a high availability application at low cost for a wide range of solution architectures. A user runs a simplistic web-based wizard to install the high availability application. Then, a user designs the high availability application's logic for an individual process or process-group using a finite state table. Next, a standard UNIX init process spawner subsystem is extended to implement the high availability application as a property of a process. Finally, the logic from the finite state table is used to make each process or process-group highly available.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of providing a high availability application for use with a plurality of solution architectures, the method comprising: 
 providing a finite state table as part of the high availability application; and    configuring the finite state table based on one of the plurality of solution architectures.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 editing the finite state table.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 simulating configuration changes of the finite state table; and  
 evaluating configuration changes of the finite state table.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the finite state table is a pluggable logic model that directs system roles.  
     
     
         5 . A method of providing a high availability application for use with a plurality of solution architectures, the method comprising: 
 implementing the high availability application as a property of at least one process or at least one process group; and    using logic from a finite state table to make the process or the process group highly available.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 monitoring an extended UNIX init process spawner subsystem processes and associated high availability application operations.  
 
     
     
         7 . A computer usable medium containing computer readable code for providing a high availability application for use with a plurality of solution architectures, the medium comprising: 
 computer readable code for providing a finite state table as part of the high availability application; and    computer readable code for configuring the finite state table based on one of the plurality of solution architectures.    
     
     
         8 . The medium of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 computer readable code for editing the finite state table.  
 
     
     
         9 . The medium of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 computer readable code for simulating configuration changes of the finite state table; and  
 computer readable code for evaluating configuration changes of the finite state table.  
 
     
     
         10 . The medium of  claim 7  wherein the computer readable code for the finite state table consists of computer readable code that directs system roles.  
     
     
         11 . A computer usable medium containing computer readable code for providing a high availability application for use with a plurality of solution architectures, the medium comprising: 
 computer readable code for implementing the high availability application as a property of at least one process or at least one process group; and    computer readable code for using logic from a finite state table to make the process or the process group highly available.    
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 computer readable code for monitoring an extended UNIX init process spawner subsystem processes and their associated high availability application operations.