Mechanism for rapid network failure detection for faster switch-over in server-to-server applications

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for monitoring communication connectivity between applications remotely separated from each other in a network. The system includes: one or more processors; a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; a network interface communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and an agent communicatively coupled to the network interface and configured to: receive a registration for an application operating on the information handling system; monitor a liveliness status of a communication session between the agent and a remote agent operating on a remote information handling system, the communication session being enabled via the network interface; and notify the application of a fault in the communication session responsive to detecting that the fault exists.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information handling system node for monitoring a communication connectivity between applications, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;   one or more network interfaces communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and   an agent communicatively coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to:
 receive a registration for each application of a plurality of applications operating on the information handling system node; 
 monitor a liveliness status of a communication session between the agent and a remote agent operating on a remote information handling system node, the communication session being enabled via at least one of the one or more network interfaces; and 
 responsive to detecting, based on the liveliness status, that a fault exists, notify each application of the plurality of applications registered with the agent that is affected by the fault that the fault exists. 
   
     
     
         2 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the registration is achieved using one or more socket calls. 
     
     
         3 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the agent is configured to detect that the fault exists when the agent fails to receive an acknowledgement signal during a preset time interval from the remote agent. 
     
     
         4 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a proxy agent that is configured to register with the agent such that the application need not directly register with the agent. 
 
     
     
         5 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the agent is configured to notify the proxy agent that the fault exists; and   the proxy agent is configured to notify the application that the fault exists.   
     
     
         6 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the agent is configured to operate using a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol. 
     
     
         7 . An information handling system node for monitoring a communication connectivity between applications, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;   one or more network interfaces communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and   an agent communicatively coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to:
 receive a registration for each application from a set of applications operating on the information handling system node; 
 monitor a liveliness status of a communication session between the agent and a remote agent operating on a remote information handling system node, the communication session being enabled via at least one of the one or more network interfaces; and 
 responsive to detecting, based on the liveliness status, that a fault exists, notify each application from the set of applications registered with the agent that is affected by the fault that the fault exists. 
   
     
     
         8 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the registration is achieved using or more socket calls. 
     
     
         9 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the agent is configured to detect the fault when the agent fails to receive an acknowledgement signal during a preset time period from the remote agent. 
     
     
         10 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 9 , wherein a set of remote applications are registered with the remote agent and one or more of the set of applications are adapted to communicate with one or more of the set of remote applications. 
     
     
         11 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 7  further comprising:
 a proxy agent that is configured to register, on behalf of each application from the set of applications, with the agent such that the application need not directly register with the agent. 
 
     
     
         12 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the agent is configured to operate using a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 11 , wherein:
 the agent is configured to notify the proxy agent that the fault exists; and   the proxy agent is configured to notify the application that the fault exists.   
     
     
         14 . The information handling system node as recited in  claim 7 , wherein:
 responsive to the application using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the proxy agent is configured to generate a TCP Reset to notify the application that the fault exists; and   responsive to the application using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the proxy agent is configured to generate an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) unreachable message to notify the application that the fault exists.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes steps to be performed comprising:
 an agent configured to:
 receive a registration for each application of a plurality of applications operating on an information handling system node; 
 monitor a liveliness status of a communication session between the agent and a remote agent operating on a remote information handling system node, the communication session being enabled via at least one of the one or more network interfaces; and 
 responsive to detecting, based on the liveliness status, that a fault exists, notify each application of the plurality of applications registered with the agent that is affected by the fault that the fault exists. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of  claim 15  wherein the registration is achieved using one or more socket calls. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of  claim 15  further comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes steps to be performed comprising:
 detecting that the fault exists when the agent fails to receive an acknowledgement signal during a preset time interval from the remote agent. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of  claim 15  wherein the agent is configured to operate using a bidirectional forwarding detection protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of  claim 15  further comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes steps to be performed comprising:
 a proxy agent that is configured to register with the agent such that the application need not directly register with the agent. 
 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of  claim 15  further comprising one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes steps to be performed comprising:
 establishing an alternative communication path for the communication session responsive to the information handling system not being isolated due to the fault.