System, method, and computer program product for centralized management of an infiniband distributed system area network

1. A method for providing centralized management of a channel-based switched-fabric distributed system-area network that includes a subnet administrator and a plurality of end nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

registering, by a manager application, its presence in said network by registering with said subnet administrator in a subnet end node that includes a subnet manager;

said manager application not included within a channel adapter;

said manager application executing within a first end node, wherein the first end node is not the subnet end node;

registering, by each one of a plurality of agent applications, its presence with said manager application, none of said plurality of agent applications registering in said subnet end node with said subnet administrator;

said plurality of agent applications executing within second end nodes, wherein said second end nodes do not include either the first end node or the subnet end node;

said plurality of agent applications not being included within a channel adapter;

publicizing a presence of each one of said plurality of agent applications to said network by said manager application, said presence of each one of said plurality of agent applications in said network required to be publicized before other applications are able to communicate with each one of said plurality of agent applications;

said system-area network including a remote manager console that is coupled to the first end node using a protocol that is not included in said switched fabric;

including a remote manager application and a particular manager application in said first end node;

said remote manager application acting as an external interface for said remote manager console;

funneling, by said remote manager application, a user request to said particular manager application;

said user request entered via said remote manager console;

forwarding, by said particular manager application, said user request to at least one particular one of said plurality of agent applications; and

responsive to receipt, by said particular manager application, of a response to said user request from said at least one particular one of said plurality of agent applications, forwarding said response from said particular manager application to said remote manager application.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

maintaining, by said particular manager application, a list of registered ones of said plurality of agent applications that are currently registered with said particular manager application;

utilizing said list by said particular manager application to manage said registered ones of said plurality of agent applications;

receiving, by said particular manager application from said remote manager application, a request for a list of active ones of said plurality of agent applications;

pinging, by said particular manager application, all of said registered ones of said plurality of agent applications;

ones of said plurality of agent applications that respond to said pinging being active ones of said plurality of agent application; and

transmitting, by said particular manager application to said remote manager application, a list of said active ones of said plurality of agent applications that responded to said pinging.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

establishing said manager application in one or more of said plurality of end nodes.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said manager application, a user command to be executed by specified ones of said plurality of agent applications;

sending said user command from said manager application to said specified ones of said plurality of agent applications; and

receiving within said manager application a response from said specified ones of said agent applications in response to said specified ones of said agent applications executing said user command.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

registering, by said manager application, its presence in said network with said subnet administrator by creating a Service Record in said subnet administrator's database in said subnet end node.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a command by said manager application to identify said plurality of agent applications.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving by said manager application a report from ones of said plurality of agent applications that identifies an active/inactive status for said ones of said plurality of agent applications.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

maintaining, by said subnet manager, a list of all manager applications that are registered with said subnet administrator;

obtaining, by one of said plurality of agent applications, said list;

registering, by said one of said plurality of agent applications, its presence with each one of said manager applications that are included in said list.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving, within one of said plurality of agent applications, a request to stop executing;

transmitting to said manager application a notice that said one of said plurality of agent applications will be stopped; and

removing, by said manager application, a registration of a presence of said one of said plurality of agent applications.

10. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:

updating said list of registered ones of said plurality of agent applications to include only said active ones of said plurality of agent applications.

11. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:

maintaining, by said manager application, a current list of active agent applications; and

utilizing said list by said manager application to locate said specified ones of said plurality of agent applications.

12. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:

associating a lease period with said Service Record, said Service Record being automatically deleted from said database upon an expiration of said lease period.

13. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

adding, by said manager application, a name of each active one of said plurality of agents to a list that is maintained by said manager application of active agents; and

removing, by said manager application, a name of each inactive one of said plurality of agents from said list.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:

re-registering, by said manager application, its presence in said network with said subnet administrator prior to an expiration of said lease period.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

sending, from said manager application, a confirmation command to each active one of said plurality of agent applications to confirm a status of each active one of said plurality of agent applications;

receiving, by said manager application, replies to said confirmation command; and

updating, by said manager application, said list.