Applying a platform code level update to an operational node

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9674105-B2
Application number	US-201313922190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for applying a platform code level update to update a source partition in a computing system. Computational resources in the computing system are allocated to a destination partition. A code load is applied to the destination partition to implement an updated platform code level comprising an update to the platform code level on the source partition while the source partition is operational and processing computing requests. Submission of new transactions to the source partition is blocked in response to applying the code load to the destination partition. An operational environment and system state at the source partition are migrated to the destination partition in response to blocking submission of new transactions to the source partition. Transactions are directed to the destination partition intended for the source partition in response to migrating the operational environment and system state to the destination partition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for performing a code load update to update a source partition in a computing system, wherein the source partition implements a platform code level, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that is executable to perform operations, the operations comprising:
allocating computational resources in the computing system to a destination partition;
applying a code load to the destination partition comprising an updated platform code level for the source partition while the source partition is operational and processing computing requests, wherein the destination partition operates with the updated platform code level as an active storage partition;
blocking submission of new transactions to the source partition in response to applying the code load to the destination partition;
migrating an operational environment at the source partition comprising system, memory and device state at the source partition to the destination partition in response to blocking submission of new transactions to the source partition; and
directing transactions to the destination partition intended for the source partition in response to migrating the operational environment to the destination partition.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the source partition and the destination partition comprise logical partitions implemented in the computing system.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the computational resources allocated to the destination partition match the computational resources allocated to the source partition.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises a storage node managing Input/Output (I/O) transactions from host systems to a coupled storage, and wherein the source partition comprises a source storage partition implementing one of a plurality of storage subsystems providing redundant storage subsystem services for a storage facility.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
assigning a destination name to the destination partition that is different from a source name assigned to the source partition;
renaming the destination partition to the source name to have operations directed to the destination partition renamed as the source name; and
removing the source partition in response to the destination partition being determined operational.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
recording transactions at the source partition while applying the code load to the destination partition, wherein migrating the operational environment to the destination partition further comprises migrating the recorded transactions that have not completed to the destination partition.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
validating the migration of the operational environment, including system, memory and device state information to the destination partition, wherein the transactions are migrated to the destination partition in response to the validating the migration of the system, memory and device state information to the destination partition.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises a first computing system, the source partition comprises a first source partition and the destination partition comprises a first destination partition, wherein the operations further comprise:
allocating computational resources in a second computing system to a second destination partition;
applying a code load to the second destination partition to implement the updated platform code level on a second source partition while the first source partition is operational and processing transactions, wherein the first and second source partitions provide redundant access to a computer related service;
blocking submission of new transactions to the second source partition in response to applying the code load to the second destination partition;
migrating an operational environment at the second source partition to the second destination partition in response to blocking submission of new transactions to the second source partition; and
directing operations to the second destination partition intended for the second source partition in response to migrating the operational environment to the second destination partition.

9. A system for performing a code load update to update a source partition in a computing system, wherein the source partition implements a platform code level, comprising:
a processor;
a computer readable storage medium having program code executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
allocating computational resources in the computing system to a destination partition;
applying a code load to the destination partition comprising an updated platform code level for the source partition while the source partition is operational and processing computing requests, wherein the destination partition operates with the updated platform code level as an active storage partition;
blocking submission of new transactions to the source partition in response to applying the code load to the destination partition;
migrating an operational environment at the source partition comprising system, memory and device state at the source partition to the destination partition in response to blocking submission of new transactions to the source partition; and
directing transactions to the destination partition intended for the source partition in response to migrating the operational environment to the destination partition.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computational resources allocated to the destination partition match the computational resources allocated to the source partition.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing system comprises a storage node managing Input/Output (I/O) transactions from host systems to a coupled storage, and wherein the source partition comprises a source storage partition implementing one of a plurality of storage subsystems providing redundant storage subsystem services for a storage facility.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
assigning a destination name to the destination partition that is different from a source name assigned to the source partition;
renaming the destination partition to the source name to have operations directed to the destination partition renamed as the source name; and
removing the source partition in response to the destination partition being determined operational.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
recording transactions at the source partition while applying the code load to the destination partition, wherein the migrating the operational environment to the destination partition further comprises migrating the recorded transactions that have not completed to the destination partition.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
validating the migration of the operational environment, including system, memory and device state information to the destination partition, wherein the transactions are migrated to the destination partition in response to the validating the migration of the system, memory and device state information to the destination partition.

15. A computer implemented method for performing a code load update to update a source par

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Groover Michael P
• Han Robin
• Su Yan
• Tang Wei
• Zhao Ming Z
• Zhou Yi

Classifications

• H04L47/70 Primary

  Admission control; Resource allocation · CPC title

• G06F9/5077 Primary

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• G06F8/67

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F8/656

  while running · CPC title