Patent ID: 6347335
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A distributed computer system comprising a plurality of computer nodes and a common event log,A. the common event log including a plurality of storage locations for storing common event log entries, B. each computer node performing processing operations in connection with a respective program, each computer node generating, at selected points in the respective program, a respective event log entry including status information representing status of the computer node at a respective point at which the respective log entry was generated, the computer nodes storing respective event log entries which the nodes generate in both the common event log and in respective local event logs in the nodes contemporaneous with generation of the respective log entries; so that the respective event log entries are stored in the common event log in the order in which the respective computer nodes reach the respective points in their respective programs;wherein all of the respective log entries that are stored in the respective local event logs are also stored in the common event log; and also wherein the respective log entries stored in the respective local event logs identify respective points in respective storage access operations at which the respective log entries stored in the respective local event logs were generated, the respective log entries stored in the respective local event logs also including respective status information that can be examined to determine cause of a detected malfunction in the respective storage access operations, the storage access operations involving use of host adapters to perform data retrieval and storage operations in connection with a data storage system.