Coordinated and high availability storage access

1. A system for shared data access, comprising:

a plurality of servers configured into a server cluster wherein each server includes a processor capable of executing instructions embodied as software, computer-readable memory including a plurality of software portions, an operating system, a local stand-alone file system, and a cluster management system wherein the cluster management system includes a local monitor engine, a cluster monitor engine and storage monitor engine having a device enumerator, wherein the local monitor engine is configured to form one or more virtual hosts and wherein one or more application instances operate on top of the one or more virtual hosts; and

a shared data storage medium, wherein the shared data storage medium is associated with a plurality of storage devices each having plurality of storage blocks, and wherein each of the storage blocks store data, are coupled to each of the servers within the server cluster, and operate as a stand-alone shared data storage medium whereby one of the plurality of software portions of the cluster management system is configured to communicate with each storage block of the stand-alone shared data storage medium and each application instance to isolate access to a particular storage block of the plurality of storage devices to a single actively engaged application instance operating on a server within the server cluster and block access to the particular storage block each other application instance operative on any of the plurality of a servers.

2. The system for shared data access according to claim 1 , wherein each server within the server cluster is configured to host one or more application instances.

3. The system for shared data access according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of servers in the server cluster operate on different operating systems.

4. The system for shared data access according to claim 1 , wherein the cluster management system can operate on top of any operating system.

5. The system for shared data access according to claim 1 , wherein the storage monitor engine includes a synchronization manager, a storage coordinator, a fencing engine, and a device administrator.

6. The system for shared data access according to claim 5 , wherein the device enumerator identifies and maintains a list of storage devices associated with the data storage medium.

7. The system for shared data access according to claim 5 , wherein the synchronization manager synchronizes configuration among servers within the server cluster as the plurality of servers within the server cluster change.

8. The system for shared data access according to claim 5 , wherein the storage coordinator administers cluster-wide administrative commands related to access of storage device associated with the data storage medium.

9. The system for shared data access according to claim 1 , wherein the single actively engaged application instance controls read-write access to the particular storage block of the plurality of storage devices until the single actively engaged application instance is no longer actively engaged.

10. The system for shared data access according to claim 5 , wherein the device administrator manages reconfiguration requests directed to storage devices associated with the data storage medium.

11. The system for shared data access according to claim 5 , wherein the fencing engine isolates access to only one application instance within the server cluster that is actively engaged with the storage device at the shared storage medium.

12. A computer-implemented method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster, the method comprising:

identifying one or more storage devices associated with the shared data storage medium;

enumerating the identified storage devices associated with the shared data storage medium;

forming, by a local monitor engine, one or more virtual hosts;

operating one or more application instances on top of the one or more virtual hosts;

coordinating between the plurality of servers in the sever cluster and each application instances by an actively engaged application instance exclusive access to a particular one of the one or more storage devices; and

isolating access to the particular one of the one or more storage devices to a single engaged application instance operating on a server within the server cluster responsive to the single engaged application instance being actively engaged with the particular one of the one or more storage devices.

13. The method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster according to claim 12 , wherein each server includes a processor, an operating system, a local stand-alone file system, and a cluster management system.

14. The method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster according to claim 13 , wherein the data storage medium is coupled to each of the servers within the server cluster and wherein a cluster management system communicates with each storage device to coordinate access among the plurality of servers to the data storage medium.

15. The method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster according to claim 12 , wherein each server within the server cluster is configured to host one or more application instances.

16. The method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster according to claim 12 , wherein two or more of the plurality of servers in the server cluster operate on different operating systems.

17. The method for data access to a shared data storage medium among a plurality of servers in a server cluster according to claim 12 , wherein the cluster management system can operate on top of any operating system.