Patent ID: 7937610
Filing Date: 2011-05-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for liveness determination in a multinode data processing system, said method comprising: using by a node of the multinode data processing system nonvolatile data storage device heartbeating in which liveness messages are sent from the node to a nonvolatile data storage device shared with other nodes in said multinode data processing system to indicate liveness of the node, the nonvolatile data storage device being used as a liveness communication medium; recognizing, by an operating system executing on the node, an abnormal termination of the operating system, the abnormal termination indicating that failure of the operating system is imminent; and responsive to the abnormal termination of the operating system and prior to the operating system failing, notifying, by the operating system, a remote node of the multinode data processing system of a pending node failure, wherein the notifying comprises transmitting a message to the nonvolatile data storage device used for heartbeating, the transmitting using a system dump facility present in the operating system to write a last gasp message to the nonvolatile data storage device indicating that failure of the operating system is imminent; wherein the notifying comprises: registering a callback function with a kernel portion of the operating system prior to recognizing the abnormal termination of the operating system, the callback function to use the system dump facility to write the last gasp message; and invoking the callback function responsive to recognizing the abnormal termination of the operating system, and wherein the callback function uses a system dump interface created for one or more device drivers of the node to write the last gasp message.