Automatic configuration of a recovery service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720456-B2
Application number	US-202117524199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2021
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A secondary location is configured as a recovery service for a primary location of the service. The secondary location is maintained in a warm state that is configured to replace the primary location in a case of a failover. During normal operation, the secondary location is automatically updated to reflect a current state of the primary location that is actively servicing user load. Content changes to the primary location are automatically reflected to the secondary location. System changes applied to the primary location are automatically applied to the secondary location. For example, removing/adding machines, updating machine/role assignments, removing adding/database are automatically applied to the secondary location such that the secondary location substantially mirrors the primary location. After a failover to the secondary location, the secondary location becomes the primary location and begins to actively service the user load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for establishing and maintaining a recovery network for a service configured to provide content for one or more customers, comprising:
deploying a secondary location of a service that provides services for users, wherein the secondary location acts as a recovery network for a primary location of the service and substantially mirrors the primary location, wherein the primary location of the service and the secondary location of the service comprise databases and machines performing different operations within at least one network;
executing a first script to apply a first system change to the primary location, wherein the first system change comprises adding a database, removing a database, or both;
applying a second system change to the primary location but not to the second system while the primary location is active;
automatically applying to the secondary location content changes made to the primary location while the primary location is active to maintain the substantial mirroring, wherein automatically applying the content changes comprises replicating a transaction log from the primary location to the secondary location, initiating a timer responsive to replicating the transaction log, and triggering an alert when the timer exceeds a predetermined value;
detecting a failure of the primary location of the service; and
setting the secondary location of the service as the primary location in response to detecting the failure of the primary location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically applying content changes and system changes comprises determining when one or more operations occur at the primary location including:
adding, removing, or updating a machine;
adding, removing, or updating a database; and
in response to an occurrence of the one or more operations at the primary location automatically applying the one or more operations to the secondary location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically applying content changes and system changes comprises:
creating transaction logs at the primary location in response to a database upgrade; and
replicating the transaction logs to the secondary location to upgrade a corresponding database at the secondary location.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the transaction logs created at the primary location in response to the database upgrade are replayed at the secondary location while the database is being upgraded at the primary location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically applying the content changes and system changes made to the primary location of the service to the secondary location comprises updating a new server farm at the primary location and the secondary location before transferring requests to the new server farm at the primary location.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
verifying the content changes and the system changes applied to the primary location and the secondary location.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
periodically and automatically updating a site map of the secondary location using data that is stored at the secondary location.

8. A system for establishing and maintaining a recovery network for a service configured to provide content for one or more customers, comprising:
a processor and a computer-readable medium;
an operating environment stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor; and
a cloud manager operative to perform actions, comprising:
deploying a secondary location of a service that provides services for users, wherein the secondary location acts as a recovery network for a primary location of the service and substantially mirrors the primary location, wherein the primary location of the service and the secondary location of the service comprise databases and machines performing different operations within at least one network;
executing a first script to apply a first system change to the primary location, wherein the first system change comprises adding a database, removing a database, or both;
applying a second system change to the primary location but not to the second system while the primary location is active;
automatically applying to the secondary location content changes made to the primary location while the primary location is active to maintain the substantial mirroring, wherein automatically applying the content changes comprises replicating a transaction log from the primary location to the secondary location, initiating a timer responsive to replicating the transaction log, and triggering an alert when the timer exceeds a predetermined value;
detecting a failure of the primary location of the service; and
setting the secondary location of the service as the primary location in response to detecting the failure of the primary location.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein automatically applying content changes and system changes comprises determining when one or more operations occur at the primary location including:
adding, removing, or updating a machine;
adding, removing, or updating a database; and
in response to an occurrence of the one or more operations at the primary location automatically applying the one or more operations to the secondary location.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein automatically applying content changes and system changes comprises:
creating transaction logs at the primary location in response to a database being upgraded; and
replicating the transaction logs to the secondary location to upgrade a corresponding database at the secondary location.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the transaction logs created at the primary location in response to the database upgrade are replayed at the secondary location while the database is being upgraded at the primary location.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein automatically applying the content changes and system changes made to the primary location of the service to the secondary location comprises updating a new server farm at the primary location and the secondary location before transferring requests to the new server farm at the primary location.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
verifying the content changes and the system changes applied to the primary location and the secondary location.

14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
periodically and automatically updating a site map of the secondary location using data that is stored at the secondary location.

15. A computer-readable storage medium on which are stored instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a programmable device to perform operations of:
deploying a secondary location of a service that provides services for users, wherein the secondary location acts as a recovery network for a primary location of the service and substantially mirrors the primary location, wherein the primary location of the service and the secondary location of the service comprise databases and machines performing different operations within at least one network;
executing a first script to apply a first system change to the primary location, wherein the first system change comprises adding a database, removing a database, or both;
applying a second system change to the primary location but not to the second system while the primary location is active;
automatically applying to the secondary location content changes made to the primary location while the primary location is active to maintain the substantial mirroring, wherein automatically applying the content changes co

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Taranov Viktoriya
• Blood Daniel
• Hopmann Alexander
• Shah Sid R
• Sevilmis Tarkan
• Voronkov Nikita
• Somasundaram Ramanathan
• Kokhan Artsiom
• Doshi Bhavesh

Classifications

• G06F11/2038 Primary

  with a single idle spare processing component · CPC title

• G06F11/2028

  eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare · CPC title

• G06F11/2097

  maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated (initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G06F11/1658

  Data re-synchronization of a redundant component, or initial sync of replacement, additional or spare unit · CPC title

• G06F11/2046

  where the redundant components share persistent storage (G06F11/2043 takes precedence) · CPC title