Dynamically managing a system of servers

摘要

A method and system manage a plurality of servers coupled to a network. Each of the servers is identified by a server name. At least one of the servers is identified by an old server name. The method notifies at least some of the plurality of servers that at a specified time the old server name will be changed to a new server name.

主权项

1. A method of managing a plurality of hardware servers coupled to a network, said method comprising:
receiving, by a first server, an update message specifying a plurality of servers to be updated in accordance with an update at corresponding specified times, the update message identifying a server type of each of the plurality of servers, wherein, for each specified server, the update message identifies a corresponding old server name of the specified server prior to the update and a corresponding new server name of the specified server after the update; identifying, by the first server, a first plurality of servers of the plurality of servers based on the first server being a consumer of services provided by a server type corresponding to each server of the first plurality of servers; determining, by the first server from the first plurality of servers, a second plurality of servers that have a corresponding old server name within a local configuration of the first server; for each of the second plurality of servers, scheduling, by the first server, local configuration changes to update the corresponding old server names with corresponding new server names at the corresponding specified times; responsive to removing old servers of the second plurality of servers and replacing the removed old servers with corresponding new servers, replacing, by the first server and based on the scheduled local configuration changes, each corresponding old server name with corresponding new server names; notifying at least some of a plurality of servers that an old server name will be changed to a new server name at a specified time in the future; wherein each of said plurality of servers are identified by a respective server name, and one of said servers is identified by the old server name; and wherein at least one of the plurality of servers responds to receipt of a notification of the change in server name by autonomously replacing the old server name, at the specified time, with the new server name in a local configuration listing the names of other servers with which the at least one server communicates.