Patent Abstract:
A method, system, and computer program product for updating software on a data processing system, such as a server, having a root partition and a mirrored partition is provided. In one embodiment, a preparation function is executed on the data processing system. Responsive to a determination that the preparation function completed successfully, the root mirroring function of the data processing system is broken such that changes to the root partition do not affect the mirrored partition. Next, the root partition of the data processing system is upgraded using, for example, a software patch. Responsive to a determination that the upgrade to the root partition of the data processing system was unsuccessful, recovering the original state of the root partitions using the mirrored partition which still contains the original state of the root partition.

Full Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of corresponding U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/460,669, entitled “A Scripted Automated Change Back Off Process for Restoring the Root Disk”, filed Apr. 5, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Technical Field  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to computer software and, more particularly, to method for restoring the root disk of a server in a network environment.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    The use of computers at all levels of society has increased dramatically since the early  1980 &#39;s. Initially, the surge in computer growth in the early  1980 &#39;s was largely due to the personal computer. Although this growth in personal computing still continues, the advent of the “Internet” and other distributed computing environments in which content and/or functionality resided at a remote “server” data processing system has propelled growth in servers.  
           [0006]    To emphasize this shift in direction, consider the following. The “Internet” is a worldwide network of computers. Today, the Internet is made up of more than 65 million computers in more than 100 countries covering commercial, academic and government endeavors. Originally developed for the U.S. military, the Internet became widely used for academic and commercial research. Users had access to unpublished data and journals on a huge variety of subjects. Today, the Internet has become commercialized into a worldwide information highway, providing information on every subject known to humankind.  
           [0007]    The Internet&#39;s surge in growth in the latter half of the 1990s was twofold. As the major online services (AOL, CompuServe, etc.) connected to the Internet for e-mail exchange, the Internet began to function as a central gateway. A member of one service could finally send mail to a member of another. The Internet glued the world together for electronic mail, and today, the Internet mail protocol is the world standard.  
           [0008]    Secondly, with the advent of graphics-based Web browsers such as Mosaic and Netscape Navigator, and soon after, Microsoft&#39;s Internet Explorer, the World Wide Web took off. The Web became easily available to users with PCs and Macs rather than only scientists and hackers at UNIX workstations. Delphi was the first proprietary online service to offer Web access, and all the rest followed. At the same time, new Internet service providers rose out of the woodwork to offer access to individuals and companies. As a result, the Web has grown exponentially providing an information exchange of unprecedented proportion. The Web has also become “the” storehouse for drivers, updates and demos that are downloaded via the browser. All of these things are supplied by Web servers. Thus, it is clear that the need for servers has increased dramatically during the last few decades.  
           [0009]    However, Web based applications are not the only areas spurring the need for servers. Corporations and other Enterprises increasingly rely on distributed based computing environments to carry out many business and other functions, thus utilizing servers.  
           [0010]    Because technology changes rapidly, the software for the servers need to be upgraded from time to time. However, the complexity of preparing a server for upgrades or patches can be immense as compared to a personal computer due to a number of reasons, such as, for example, the fact that numerous users, rather than a single user, rely on the server.  
           [0011]    Due to the complexity in upgrading servers, extra time is required to ensure the series of manual steps is followed correctly, which includes the proper commands and syntax. If the upgrades or patches are not successful, there is more complexity and time involved with restoring the server back to the state it was in before the upgrades or patches were applied. If the upgrades or patches are successful, there is some complexity and time involved with retaining them and also re-establishing the mirror of the disk. Because of this complexity and because of the significant involvement of a person such as a system administrator, there is significant potential for error. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method, system, and product that provides a simpler and surer method of updating a server that reduces the amount of involvement needed by a human administrator.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for updating software on a data processing system, such as a server, having a root partition and a mirrored partition. In one embodiment, a preparation function is executed on the data processing system. Responsive to a determination that the preparation function completed successfully, the root mirroring function of the data processing system is broken such that changes to the root partition do not affect the mirrored partition. Next, the root partition of the data processing system is upgraded using, for example, a software patch. Responsive to a determination that the upgrade to the root partition of the data processing system was unsuccessful, recovering the original state of the root partitions using the mirrored partition which still contains the original state of the root partition.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 depicts a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a data processing system which may be implemented as a server in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 depicts a diagram illustrating program function and process flow for upgrading a server and for restoring a root disk for the server if the upgrade fails in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    With reference now to the figures, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system is depicted in which the present invention may be implemented.  
         [0019]    Distributed data processing system  80  is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented. Distributed data processing system  80  contains network  82 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected within distributed data processing system  80 . Network  82  may include permanent connections, such as wire or fiber optic cables, or temporary connections made through telephone connections.  
         [0020]    In the depicted example, server  84  is connected to network  82 , along with storage unit  86 . In addition, clients  88 ,  90  and  92  are also connected to network  82 . These clients,  88 ,  90  and  92 , may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. For purposes of this application, a network computer is any computer coupled to a network that receives a program or other application from another computer coupled to the network. In the depicted example, server  84  provides data, such as boot files, operating system images and applications, to clients  88 - 112 . Clients  88 ,  90  and  92  are clients to server  84 . Distributed data processing system  80  may include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown. Distributed data processing system  80  also includes printers  94 ,  96  and  98 . A client, such as client  90 , may print directly to printer  94 . Clients such as client  88  and client  92  do not have directly attached printers. These clients may print to printer  96 , which is attached to server  84 , or to printer  98 , which is a network printer that does not require connection to a computer for printing documents. Client  90 , alternatively, may print to printer  96  or printer  98 , depending on the printer type and the document requirements.  
         [0021]    In the depicted example, distributed data processing system  80  is the Internet, with network  82  representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers consisting of thousands of commercial, government, education, and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, distributed data processing system  80  also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks such as, for example, an intranet or a local area network.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is intended as an example and not as an architectural limitation for the processes of the present invention.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a data processing system which may be implemented as a server, such as server  84  in FIG. 1, is depicted in accordance with the present invention. Data processing system  200  may be a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system including a plurality of processors  202  and  204  connected to system bus  206 . Alternatively, a single processor system may be employed. Also connected to system bus  206  is memory controller/cache  208 , which provides an interface to local memory  209 . I/O bus bridge  210  is connected to system bus  206  and provides an interface to I/O bus  212 . Memory controller/cache  208  and I/O bus bridge  210  may be integrated as depicted.  
         [0024]    Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge  214  connected to I/O bus  212  provides an interface to PCI local bus  216 . A number of modems  218 - 220  may be connected to PCI bus  216 . Typical PCI bus implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. Communications links to network computers  88 - 112  in FIG. 1 may be provided through modem  218  and network adapter  220  connected to PCI local bus  216  through add-in boards.  
         [0025]    Additional PCI bus bridges  222  and  224  provide interfaces for additional PCI buses  226  and  228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported. In this manner, server  200  allows connections to multiple network computers. A memory mapped graphics adapter  230  and hard disk  232  may also be connected to I/O bus  212  as depicted, either directly or indirectly.  
         [0026]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like, also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention.  
         [0027]    Data processing system  200  may be implemented as, for example, an AlphaServer GS1280 running a UNIX® operating system. AlphaServer GS1280 is a product of Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif. “AlphaServer” is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company. “UNIX” is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries  
         [0028]    With reference now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented is illustrated. Data processing system  300  is an example of a client computer. Data processing system  300  employs a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures, such as Micro Channel and ISA, may be used. Processor  302  and main memory  304  are connected to PCI local bus  306  through PCI bridge  308 . PCI bridge  308  may also include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor  302 . Additional connections to PCI local bus  306  may be made through direct component interconnection or through add-in boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter  310 , SCSI host bus adapter  312 , and expansion bus interface  314  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by direct component connection. In contrast, audio adapter  316 , graphics adapter  318 , and audio/video adapter (A/V)  319  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by add-in boards inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface  314  provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter  320 , modem  322 , and additional memory  324 . In the depicted example, SCSI host bus adapter  312  provides a connection for hard disk drive  326 , tape drive  328 , CD-ROM drive  330 , and digital video disc read only memory drive (DVD-ROM)  332 . Typical PCI local bus implementations will support three or four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors.  
         [0029]    An operating system runs on processor  302  and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system  300  in FIG. 3. The operating system may be a commercially available operating system, such as Windows XP, which is available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. “Windows XP” is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. An object oriented programming system, such as Java, may run in conjunction with the operating system, providing calls to the operating system from Java programs or applications executing on data processing system  300 . Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented operating system, and applications or programs are located on a storage device, such as hard disk drive  326 , and may be loaded into main memory  304  for execution by processor  302 .  
         [0030]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in FIG. 3 may vary depending on the implementation. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like, may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in FIG. 3. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention. For example, the processes of the present invention may be applied to multiprocessor data processing systems.  
         [0031]    With reference now to FIG. 4, a diagram illustrating program function and process flow for upgrading a server, such as, for example, server  200  depicted in FIG. 2, and for restoring a root disk for the server if the upgrade fails is depicted in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. To begin the upgrade and possible restoration process for a server, such as, for example, server  300  depicted in FIG. 3, a preparation function (step  402 ) is performed. In the preparation function (step  402 ), the current configuration of the server is determined. This is typically accomplished by presenting an administrator or user with a few questions and storing the replies to these questions for later use. The configuration data is stored in a directory and is referred to as a project. A project must be created before any of the other functions (steps  408 ,  418 ,  420 , and  424 ) can be executed. The project must be complete and not manually modified to be valid for use by the other functions (steps  408 ,  418 ,  420 , and  424 ).  
         [0032]    Next, determine whether the preparation function (step  402 ) completed successfully (step  404 ). Typically, an administrator is prompted to answer this question with the process proceeding based upon the administrator&#39;s answer. If the preparation function (step  402 ) did not complete successfully, based upon the result of the preparation function, resolve the error (step  406 ) and continue with step  402 . If the preparation function (step  402 ) did complete successfully, then perform the break root mirroring function (step  408 ).  
         [0033]    The break root mirroring function (step  408 ) dissociates a mirror set of the managed file systems and provides that the back-off device is bootable outside of the Volume Manager without needing an external floppy diskette, compact disk (CD), or other external storage device. The partitions on the back-off device are fsck&#39;ed (i.e., the file systems are checked and repaired) to ensure their integrity. As mentioned above, and to reemphasize, the preparation function (step  402 ) must be successfully executed and a project built for the break root mirroring function (step  408 ) to operate.  
         [0034]    Next, it must be determined whether the server can boot from the back off disk (step  410 ). As before, an administrator is typically prompted for this answer. If the server cannot boot from the back off disk, then determine what the issue is that is preventing the server from booting from the back off disk and resolved the issue (step  412 ). If the server can boot from the back off disk, then proceed with the upgrade or patch to the server (step  414 ).  
         [0035]    Next, determine whether the upgrade or patch was successful (step  416 ). As before, typically, an administrator will be prompted to answer this question. If the upgrade or patch was not successful, then proceed with the first step of using the back-off disk to recover the root partitions function (step  418 ). Thus, this first step of the recover root partitions function (step  418 ) occurs when the changes to the active disk (e.g., upgrade or patch) did not go as planned and must now be backed off of. Therefore, the system must be restored to the state it was in prior to the attempted upgrade or patch. Thus, the first of a two step process occurs that will switch the active plexes for the managed file systems (i.e., volumes). This first step of the recover root partitions function (step  418 ) sets the Volume Manager to use the plexes on the back-off device as the source plexes of the volumes, data in the managed file systems on the active device will be overlaid, and then the server is rebooted using the back-off device as the boot device.  
         [0036]    Next, the second step of the back-off to recover root partitions function is performed (step  420 ). After the server has been rebooted using the back-off device as the boot device, instruct the Volume Manager to resynchronize the mirrors using the back-off device as the source of the mirrors. The reboot at the end of step  418  actually came up using the plexes on the back-off device as the live and enabled plexes for the volumes. Data in the managed file systems on the active device are now overlaid. Steps  402 ,  408 , and  418  should be successfully executed for this step  420  to properly function. Once the data in the managed file systems on the active device are overlaid using the file systems on the back-off device, the server is back to the state it was in prior to the unsuccessful upgrade or patch (step  422 ).  
         [0037]    On the other hand, if the upgrade or patch (step  414 ) was successful, then a remirror root partitions function (step  424 ) must be executed. Thus, since the changes to the active device went well, the back-off device needs to be resynchronized to the active device. Therefore, the remirror root partitions function instructs the Volume Manager to resynchronize the mirrors using the active device as the source for the mirrors. Data in the managed file systems on the back-off device will be overlaid. It should be noted that steps  402  and  408  should be successfully executed for this function (step  424 ) to be properly executed.  
         [0038]    This process does all the work of preparing a restoration disk and restoring a root disk if an upgrade or patch is unsuccessful by executing a series of commands, checking the results of the commands and communicating back to the administrator the actions and the results. The administrator needs only to answer a few questions or select a function from a text based menu and is no longer required to know the proper command order and necessary syntax in order to restore a root disk.  
         [0039]    It is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include recordable-type media such a floppy disc, a hard disk drive, a RAM, and CD-ROMs and transmission-type media such as digital and analog communications links.  
         [0040]    The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6