Patent ID: 7386837
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for supporting a user application in a grid environment comprising the steps of: providing a customer service application configured to register a plurality of hosts operating in a plurality of grids for performing host-based operations and to convey control signals for synchronizing a plurality of ghost agents operating in said plurality of grids for performing customer service operations on one of the plurality of hosts, the customer service application having a service interface configured to prevent unauthorized access to the customer service application; wherein said plurality of hosts are software objects for an application domain distributed within a grid environment, said grid environment being a distributed computing system that includes a plurality of hardware and software components; receiving a problem indication relating to one of said plurality of hosts; identifying at least one of the plurality of hosts operating within a grid of said grid environment; associating a ghost agent within said grid with said at least one identified host, said ghost agent being configured to include at least one of a test engine, a ghost log, and a controller, wherein the test engine loads test routines into said ghost agent, executes the test routines in response to received test commands, and analyzes within said ghost agent results of the executed test routines, wherein the ghost log stores log data internally within said ghost agent and, periodically or at irregular intervals, deposits the log data to a local location, after which the ghost agent clears the ghost log, wherein said controller accepts control signals from the customer service application and controls at least one of a life-span of said ghost agent and resources used by said ghost agent, and wherein said ghost agent is configured to replicate at least one action of said at least one identified host within said grid; retrieving log data stored at the local location and conveying the retrieved log data to a ghost log repository using at least one data-reaping object; recording data relating to said replicated actions; responding to said problem based at least in part upon said recorded data moving said at least one identified host from said grid to another grid within said grid environment; and, in response to said moving of said at least one identified host, moving said ghost agent from said grid to said another grid.