Virtualized logical server cloud

• US 20030051021A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Surgient, Inc. (Quest Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirschfeld, Robert A., McCrory, Dave D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,880,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A virtualized logical server cloud that enables logical servers to exist independent of physical servers that instantiate the logical servers. Servers are treated as logical resources in order to create a logical server cloud. The logical attributes of a logical server are non-deterministically allocated to physical resources creating a cloud of logical servers over the physical servers. Logical separation is facilitated by the addition of a server cloud manager, which is an automated multi-server management layer. Each logical server has persistent attributes that establish its identity. Each physical server includes or is coupled to physical resources including a network resource, a data storage resource and a processor resource. At least one physical server executes virtualization software that virtualizes physical resources for logical servers. The server cloud manager maintains status and instance information for the logical servers including persistent and non-persistent attributes that link each logical server with a physical server.

Claims

1. A virtualized logical server cloud, comprising:

a plurality of logical servers, each having persistent attributes that establish its identity;

a network system;

a plurality of physical servers, each coupled to physical resources including a network resource for interfacing the network system, a data storage resource and a processor resource, and each physical server executing virtualization software that virtualizes one or more of the physical resources for logical servers that are linked to that physical server; and

a server cloud manager, interfaced to the plurality of physical servers, that establishes and maintains status and instance information for the plurality of logical servers including the persistent and non-persistent attributes that link each logical server with a physical server.

2. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein the data storage resource comprises a non-volatile storage resource and volatile memory resource.

3. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

a user database, coupled to the server cloud manager, that includes mapping information between users, the plurality of logical servers and the plurality of physical servers; and

the server cloud manager including a user interface that enables access and control of any one or more of the physical and logical servers by users;

wherein the server cloud manager receives user credential information via the user interface and provides control and access of a corresponding one or more of the physical and logical servers.

4. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

each logical server incorporating a KVM resource;

the virtualization software of each physical server implementing a virtual KVM function to enable access to each KVM resource of each logical server linked to that physical server; and

the SCM providing KVM redirection between a user KVM client and the virtual KVM function of each physical server.

5. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 4, wherein the server cloud manager provides KVM mapping information to the user KVM client that enables direct access to a selected logical server by the user KVM client.

6. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 4, wherein the server cloud manager comprises:

a KVM service that interfaces a user KVM client; and

a KVM client, interfaced to the KVM service and a virtual KVM function of a physical server, that maps KVM functions between the KVM service and the virtual KVM function.

7. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein the persistent attributes include a media access control (MAC) address, a boot disk image, a system identifier, a processor type and access credentials.

8. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 7, wherein the persistent attributes further include semi-persistent attributes including an internet protocol (IP) address, a logical name, a server cloud manager identifier, user account information, a non-boot disk image and network connections.

9. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein the non-persistent attributes include processor resource information, memory resource information, KVM resources and disk redundancy level.

10. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein each logical server executes a separate operating system.

11. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising a shared storage system coupled to the network system.

12. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 11, wherein the shared storage system stores at least one logical server template that is configured to enable replication of a logical server on a physical server.

13. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

each physical server including at least one physical server agent that is controlled by the server cloud manager in order to manage physical resources for each logical server linked to the physical server.

14. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 13, wherein the physical server agent runs as a service on an operating system of the physical server.

15. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 13, wherein each physical server agent is capable of controlling physical server functions and associated physical resources via interfaces to virtualization software of a corresponding physical server.

16. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

each logical server including a logical server agent that extends control of a corresponding logical server to the server cloud manager.

17. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 16, wherein at least one logical server agent runs as a service on an operating system of the corresponding logical server.

18. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

each physical server including at least one physical server agent that is controlled by the server cloud manager in order to manage physical resources for each logical server linked to the physical server;

each logical server including a logical server agent that extends control of each logical server to the server cloud manager; and

the server cloud manager interfacing and controlling each physical server agent and each logical server agent.

19. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein the server cloud manager orchestrates a move procedure for moving a logical server from a first physical server to a second physical server, and wherein the move procedure includes copying a disk image from the first physical server to the second physical server, copying logical server configuration from the first physical server to the second physical server, and remapping KVM functions from the first physical server to the second physical server.

20. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 19, wherein the move procedure includes remapping network requests for the moved logical server from the first physical server to the second physical server.

21. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, further comprising:

a physical server agent operating on a physical server;

a virtual KVM function implemented by the virtualization software of the physical server;

the server cloud manager instructing the physical server agent to replicate a logical server on the physical server, and after the logical server is activated, redirecting a KVM client to the virtual KVM function;

the physical server agent, as controlled by the server cloud manager, retrieving and locally storing a logical server template, creating logical server configuration information from the logical server template, activating a logical server from the logical server configuration information, and relaying instructions from the server cloud manager to a logical server agent of the activated logical server; and

the logical server agent completing activation of the logical server via commands from the server cloud manager.

22. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 1, wherein the server cloud manager operates at a maximum security level with administrative rights over logical server administrative access and multiple physical server administrative access to enable logical server instancing.

23. The virtualized logical server cloud of claim 22, wherein said logical server instancing includes moving a logical server from a first physical server to a second physical server.

24. A server cloud management system that virtualizes a plurality of logical servers of a bank of physical servers into a logical server cloud, comprising:

virtualization software, executed on at least one physical server, that enables linkage of logical servers with the physical server;

an attribute database that maintains status and instance information for each of the plurality of logical servers including persistent and non-persistent attributes of each logical server;

a user database that includes mapping information between users, the plurality of logical servers and the physical servers;

a user interface that establishes a portal for users and that receives user credential information; and

a server cloud manager that provides access and control of a logical server by a user session from which valid user credential information is received.

25. The server cloud management system of claim 24, further comprising:

each physical server executing a physical server agent, interfaced to the server cloud manager, that enables management of physical resources for each logical server linked to a corresponding physical server.

26. The server cloud management system of claim 24, further comprising:

each logical server executing a logical server agent, interfaced to the server cloud manager, that enables management and control of logical attributes of the logical server by the server cloud manager.

27. The server cloud management system of claim 24, wherein the server cloud manager operates at a maximum security level with administrative rights over logical server administrative access and multiple physical server administrative access to enable logical server instancing.

28. A method of virtualizing a plurality of logical servers into a logical server cloud linked to a plurality of physical servers, comprising:

providing a virtual KVM function on each physical server for mapping KVM information to logical servers linked to the physical server;

maintaining attributes of each logical server by a server cloud manager interfaced to the plurality of physical servers, the attributes establishing an identity of and defining resources for each logical server;

mapping, by the server cloud manager, each logical server with a physical server and user information;

forwarding, by the server cloud manager, KVM information between remote clients and the virtual KVM functions of each physical server; and

managing, by the server cloud manager via a physical server agent, physical resources of a physical server on behalf of each logical server linked to that physical server.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

managing, by the server cloud manager via a logical server agent executing on a logical server, logical attributes of the logical server.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising moving a logical server from a first physical server to a second physical server, including copying a disk image from the first physical server to the second physical server, copying a logical server configuration from the first physical server to the second physical server, and remapping KVM functions from the first physical server to the second physical server.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said moving further comprises remapping network requests for the moved logical server from the first physical server to the second physical server.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising replicating a logical server on a physical server, including retrieving and storing a logical server template on the physical server, creating logical server configuration information from the logical server template, activating a logical server from the logical server configuration information, linking a logical server agent on the activated logical server with the server cloud manager, and redirecting a KVM client to the virtual KVM function of the physical server.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said replicating further comprises creating a unique identity for the replicated logical server.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said replicating further comprises mapping network requests for the replicated logical server.