Provisioning of computer systems using virtual machines

• US 10,248,445 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khandekar, Dilip, Petkovic, Dragutin, Subrahmanyam, Pratap, Le, Bich Cau
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/716,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A provisioning server automatically configures a virtual machine (VM) according to user specifications and then deploys the VM on a physical host. The user may either choose from a list of pre-configured, ready-to-deploy VMs, or he may select which hardware, operating system and application(s) he would like the VM to have. The provisioning server then configures the VM accordingly, if the desired configuration is available, or it applies heuristics to configure a VM that best matches the user'"'"'s request if it isn'"'"'t. The invention also includes mechanisms for monitoring the status of VMs and hosts, for migrating VMs between hosts, and for creating a network of VMs.

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtualized computer system, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a desired computer configuration to deploy a virtual machine thereon, the information comprising characteristics of a desired hardware platform;

based on the received information, selecting a staged virtual machine from a plurality of staged virtual machines, the plurality of staged virtual machines are created from pre-configured model virtual machines, wherein the plurality of staged virtual machines having at least one model virtual machine identifier removed;

based on the characteristics of the desired hardware platform, selecting, from a plurality of physical host platforms, a physical host platform that is compatible with the staged virtual machine and comprises the desired computer configuration; and

automatically configuring and deploying, on the physical host platform, the staged virtual machine according to the information, wherein the configuring and deploying comprises installing an application in the staged virtual machine when the application is requested via the information and the application is not pre-installed in the staged virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating suggested changes if none of the plurality of physical host platforms comprise the desired computer configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of available hardware configurations; and

receiving a selection by a requester of a desired one of the hardware configurations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a requester of an intended task to be executed by the staged virtual machine; and

wherein a compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the intended task and the staged virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a user-specified performance goal for the staged virtual machine to execute the intended task;

and

wherein the compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the user-specified performance goal, the intended task, and the staged virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating suggested changes if the desired computer configuration is not compatible with the staged virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a requestor of an intended task to be executed; and

providing a plurality of computer configurations to implement the intended task.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of physical host platforms; and

a processor programmed to;

receive information identifying a desired computer configuration to deploy a virtual machine thereon, the information comprises characteristics of a desired hardware platform;

based on the received information, select a staged virtual machine from a plurality of staged virtual machines, the plurality of staged virtual machines are created from pre-configured model virtual machines, wherein the plurality of staged virtual machines having at least one model virtual machine identifier removed;

based on the characteristics of the desired hardware platform, select, from one or more of the plurality of physical host platforms, a physical host platform that is compatible with the staged virtual machine and comprises the desired computer configuration; and

automatically configuring and deploying on the physical host platform, the staged virtual machine according to the information, wherein the configuring and deploying comprises installing an application in the staged virtual machine when the application is requested via the information and the application is not pre-installed in the staged virtual machine.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to generate suggested changes if the desired computer configuration is not compatible with the staged virtual machine.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

display a list of available hardware configurations; and

receive a selection by a requester of a desired one of the hardware configurations.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive input from a requester of an intended task to be executed by the staged virtual machine; and

wherein a compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the intended task and the staged virtual machine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a user-specified performance goal for the staged virtual machine to execute the intended task; and

wherein the compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the user-specified performance goal, the intended task, and the staged virtual machine.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the staged virtual machine incorporates a configuration that is requested via the information.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive input from a requestor of an intended task to be executed; and

provide a plurality of computer configurations to implement the intended task.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that cause a processor to:

receive information identifying a desired computer configuration to deploy a virtual machine thereon, the information comprising characteristics of a desired hardware platform;

based on the received information, select a staged virtual machine from a plurality of staged virtual machines, the plurality of staged virtual machines are created from pre-configured model virtual machines, wherein the plurality of staged virtual machines having at least one model virtual machine identifier removed;

based on the characteristics of the desired hardware platform, select, from a plurality of physical host platforms, a physical host platform that is compatible with the staged virtual machine and comprises the desired computer configuration; and

automatically configuring and deploying on the physical host platform, the staged virtual machine according to the information, wherein the configuring and deploying comprises installing an application in the staged virtual machine when the application is requested via the information and the application is not pre-installed in the staged virtual machine.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to generate suggested changes if the desired computer configuration is not compatible with the staged virtual machine.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

display a list of available hardware configurations; and

receive a selection by a requester of a desired one of the hardware configurations.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receive input from a requester of an intended task to be executed by the staged virtual machine; and

wherein a compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the intended task and the staged virtual machine.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a user-specified performance goal for the staged virtual machine to execute the intended task; and

wherein the compatibility of the physical host platform is based on the user-specified performance goal, the intended task, and the staged virtual machine.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receive input from a requestor of an intended task to be executed; and

provide a plurality of computer configurations to implement the intended task.