Transferring a server configuration parameter along with a workload

1. A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

migrating a workload from a first server to a second server, wherein the first and second servers are within a management network;

transferring one or more parameters of a configuration from the first server to the second server, wherein the one or more parameters enable continued performance of the workload on the second server;

sending a transfer request from the first server to the second server; and

waiting for the first server to receive a response from the second server prior to migrating the workload and transferring the one or more parameter.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters includes a virtual address.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the virtual address is an Ethernet media access control address or a fiber channel world wide name.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first server sends the transfer request to the second server in response to detecting a predetermined condition.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined condition is a failover of the first server.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

designating one or more servers, including the second server, within the management network as a candidate for receiving a workload from the first server;

sending a transfer request from the first server to the one or more servers;

receiving a response from at least one of the one or more servers; and

selecting the second server from among the at least one of the one or more servers from which a response is received.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein selecting the second server from among the at least one of the one or more servers from which a response is received, includes selecting a server associated with a first response to the transfer request.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the transfer request includes workload or priority requirement, and wherein selecting the second server from among the at least one of the one or more servers from which a response is received, includes selecting a server associated with a first response indicating that the responding server can satisfy the workload or priority requirement included in the transfer request.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein selecting the second server from among the at least one of the one or more servers from which a response is received, includes selecting a server that is identified as being a member of a designated hardware group within the management network.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

sending a digital signature in the transfer request for authenticating the first server by the second server.

11. The computer program product of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

causing the second server to apply the one or more parameter of the configuration; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the second server that the one or more parameter of the configuration has been applied.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

migrating a workload from a first server to a second server, wherein the first and second servers are within a management network;

transferring one or more parameters of a configuration from the first server to the second server to enable continued performance of the workload on the second server, wherein the one or more parameters includes a storage adapter parameter for providing connectivity to a storage area network (SAN);

designating one or more servers within the management network as a candidate for receiving a workload from the first server;

sending a transfer request from the first server to the one or more servers;

receiving a response from at least one of the one or more servers; and

sending the configuration to each of the servers from which a response is received.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein migrating the workload and transferring the one or more parameters of the configuration occurs in response to workload fail over.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

clearing the one or more parameters of the configuration from the first server in response to completing the transfer of the one or more parameters of the configuration to the second server.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

migrating a workload from a first server to a second server, wherein the first and second servers are within a management network;

transferring one or more parameters of a configuration from the first server to the second server to enable continued performance of the workload on the second server, wherein the one or more parameters includes a storage adapter parameter for providing connectivity to a storage area network (SAN); and

storing a record of the configuration transfer in a configuration database of the first server, wherein the record identifies the second server and the one or more parameters that were transferred to the second server.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

designating one or more servers within the management network as a candidate for receiving a workload from a first server;

sending a transfer request from the first server to the one or more servers;

receiving a response from at least one of the one or more servers;

selecting a second server from among the at least one of the one or more servers from which a response is received;

migrating a workload from the first server to the second server, wherein the first and second servers are within a management network; and

transferring one or more parameters of a configuration from the first server to the second server, wherein the one or more parameters enable continued performance of the workload on the second server.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:

sending a digital signature in the transfer request for authenticating the first server by the second server.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein migrating the workload and transferring the one or more parameters of the configuration occurs in response to a workload failover.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the one or more parameters includes a virtual address.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the virtual address is an Ethernet media access control address or a fiber channel world wide name.