Merging cluster nodes during a restore
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, a backup/restore mechanism is contemplated which may be used to consolidate application servers from a cluster to a single node and/or to restore a clustered environment. The mechanism may automatically consolidate shared resources on a node during a restore, even if the resources were external to the nodes in the cluster (e.g. on a shared storage device). Thus, complex and error prone manual intervention may be avoided, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the backup mechanism may include checking identifiers for each node and application server in a cluster server data base, to identify node backups as opposed to application server backups. Local node resources may be associated with the node backups, and shared resources may be associated with the application server backups.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
a server restoring a first backup image to a computer, wherein the first backup image comprises local resources of a first node of a plurality of nodes forming a cluster on which an application server is executable at the time the first backup image is made; and
the server causing a restore of a second backup image to the computer in addition to the first backup image, wherein the second backup image comprises shared resources used by the application server, wherein at least one of the shared resources is external to the first node during execution of the application server on the cluster, and wherein the at least one of the shared resources is internal to the first node subsequent to the restore of the second backup image.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising disabling cluster server software on the computer, whereby the application server is no longer executing on the cluster.
3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:
restoring one or more other nodes of the plurality of nodes to other computers;
enabling the cluster server software; and
the computer and the other computers joining the cluster.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein causing the restore comprises configuring the computer to request the second backup image.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein causing the restore comprises creating a configuration file on the computer that indicates that the computer has permission to restore the application server.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein causing the restore comprises the server directly restoring the second backup image.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein causing the restore is responsive to user input selecting the application server to be restored with the node.
8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
a server restoring a first backup image to a computer, wherein the first backup image comprises local resources of a first node of a plurality of nodes forming a cluster on which an application server is executable at the time the first backup image is made;
the server causing a restore of a second backup image to the computer, wherein the second backup image comprises shared resources used by the application server, wherein at least one of the shared resources is external to the first node during execution of the application server on the cluster;
backing up the first node to create the first backup image;
backing up the application server to create the second backup image; and
checking a first identifier for the first node and a second identifier for the application server in a cluster server database to identify the first backup image as a node backup and the second backup image as an application server backup.
9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising removing local resources responsive to identifying the second backup image as an application server backup.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising removing shared resources responsive to identifying the first backup image as a node backup.
11. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising removing shared resources responsive to identifying the first backup image as a node backup.
12. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address.
13. A computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed:
restore a first backup image to a computer, wherein the first backup image comprises local resources of a first node of a plurality of nodes forming a cluster on which an application server is executable at the time the first backup image is made; and
cause a restore of a second backup image to the computer in addition to the first backup image, wherein the second backup image comprises shared resources used by the application server, wherein at least one of the shared resources is external to the first node during execution of the application server on the cluster, and wherein the at least one of the shared resources is internal to the first node subsequent to the restore of the second backup image.
14. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, disable cluster server software on the computer, whereby the application server is no longer executing on the cluster.
15. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed:
back up the first node to create the first backup image;
back up the application server to create the second backup image; and
check a first identifier for the first node and a second identifier for the application server in a cluster server database to identify the first backup image as a node backup and the second backup image as an application server backup.
16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, remove local resources responsive to identifying the second backup image as an application server backup.
17. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, remove shared resources responsive to identifying the first backup image as a node backup.
18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein causing the restore comprises configuring the computer to request the second backup image.
19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein causing the restore comprises creating a configuration file on the computer that indicates that the computer has permission to restore the application server.
20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein causing the restore comprises the server directly restoring the second backup image.
21. A system comprising:
a computer; and
a server configured to restore a first backup image to a computer, wherein the first backup image comprises local resources of a first node of a plurality of nodes forming a cluster on which an application server is executable at the time the first backup image is made; and cause a restore of a second backup image to the computer in addition to the first backup image, wherein the second backup image comprises shared resources used by the application server, wherein at least one of the shared resources is external to the first node during execution of the application server on the cluster, and wherein the at least one of the shared resources is internal to the first node subsequent to the restore of the second backup image.
22. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the server is further configured to disable cluster server software on the computer, whereby the application server is no longer executing on the cluster.
23. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the server is further configured to:
back up the first node to create the first backup image;
back up the application server to create the second backup image; and
check a first identifier for the first node and a second identifier for the application server in a cluster server database to identify the first backup image as a node backup and the second backup image as an application server backup.
24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein the server is further configured to remove local resources responsive to identifying the second backup image as an application server backup.
25. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein the server is further configured to remove shared resources responsive to identifying the first backup image as a node backup.
26. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the server causing the restore comprises the server configuring the computer to request the second backup image.
27. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the server causing the restore comprises the server creating a configuration file on the computer that indicates that the computer has permission to restore the application server.