Automatic reconfiguration of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device

• US 10,402,217 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shanley, Dave, Van Der Walt, Mornay, Riewrangboonya, Wit
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy, Sanjoy
• Application Number:
  US14/279,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45591 Monitoring or debugging support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

In a computer-implemented method for automatic reconfiguration of a computing device for supporting a virtualization infrastructure, wherein the computing device comprises independent server nodes, upon initialization of the computing device, functioning independent server nodes of the independent server nodes self-register with one another, wherein one of the independent server nodes is a default primary independent server node comprising virtualization infrastructure management software. In response to the default primary independent server node not self-registering with the functioning independent server nodes, one of the functioning independent server nodes is automatically reconfigured as a new primary independent server node.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatic reconfiguration of a computing device, including requisite physical hardware and software, for supporting a virtualization infrastructure, wherein said computing device comprises independent physical server nodes, each of said independent physical server nodes disposed at a designated location within said computing device, said method comprising:

upon initialization of said computing device, including said requisite physical hardware and said software for supporting said virtualization infrastructure, self-registering functioning independent physical server nodes of said independent physical server nodes with one another, wherein one of said independent physical server nodes is a default primary independent physical server node physically located within said computing device, wherein each of said independent physical server nodes is isolated from one another and independent of one another, and wherein said computing device does not include a backplane such that said independent physical server nodes are isolated from another and independent of one another within said computing device, and comprising virtualization infrastructure management software, wherein said computing device comprises a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, said pre-configured hyper-converged computing device further comprising;

pretested, pre-configured and pre-integrated storage, server and network components, including software, that are located in an enclosure; and

a hypervisor that supports a virtualization infrastructure; and

in response to said default primary independent physical server node being non-functional and not self-registering with said functioning independent physical server nodes, automatically reconfiguring one of said functioning independent physical server nodes as a new primary independent physical server node.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an image of said virtualization infrastructure management software in each of said independent physical server nodes.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said new primary independent physical server node is one of said functioning independent physical server nodes that is the furthest distance, within said computing device, from said default primary independent physical server node.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said new primary independent physical server node is one of said functioning independent physical server nodes that is the furthest distance horizontally and vertically, within said computing device, from said default primary independent physical server node.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said automatically reconfiguring one of said functioning independent physical server nodes as a new primary independent physical server node further comprises:

deploying said virtualization infrastructure management software to said new primary independent physical server node.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said new primary independent physical server node is reconfigured in response to said default primary independent physical server node not self-registering within a pre-determined amount of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically recognizing said reconfigured one of said functioning independent physical server nodes as said new primary independent physical server node.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions, at said new primary independent physical server node, from a user, for configuring said computing device via said new primary independent physical server node.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said computing device is a two rack unit-four node (2U/4N) device.