Virtual systems management

• US 20070043860A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ToutVirtual, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ToutVirtual, Inc.
• Inventors: Pabari, Vipul
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• 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 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 : Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• 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 67/1017 : based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 : using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

Automatic configuration management of a network is provided by determining an inventory of resources at a virtualization layer of a node of the network, assigning prioritization to members of a set of network configuration elements, allocating virtual resources among the set of network configuration elements, establishing a network configuration. The configuration is managed by determining real time performance metrics for the configuration, producing a reallocation of the virtual resources based on the performance metrics that are estimated to change the established configuration, change the performance metrics, and initiating the reallocation of the virtual resources. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement that allows a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for automatic management of a virtualization environment in a computer network, the method comprising:

determining an inventory of network resources and virtual assets available to a virtualization environment of the computer network;

assigning prioritization to members of the available inventory for the virtualization environment;

provisioning virtual assets from among the available inventory, thereby establishing a provisioned virtualization environment;

determining real time performance metrics for the provisioned virtualization environment;

producing a reallocation of the virtual assets automatically in response to the real time performance metrics; and

initiating the reallocation of the virtual assets.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input that specifies parameters to be considered with the real time performance metrics in producing the reallocation of assets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received user input comprises a Knowledge Block that determines one or more of the reallocation parameters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the received user input specifies parameters that detect operational degradation of a member of the available inventory.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the available inventory member that is detected as degraded is removed from the available inventory.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the available inventory that is detected as degraded is moved from the available inventory to a debug inventory pool.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein log files are retrieved from the available inventory that is detected as degraded.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the log files are stored in an archive and an alert message is sent to a network administrator with an identification of the log file archive location.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the available inventory that is detected as degraded is halted and is removed from the available inventory to a debug inventory pool.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the halted available inventory is removed from the debug inventory pool.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the Knowledge Block specifies parameters that send an alert message to an administrator of the network in response to an alert condition.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the Knowledge Block specifies parameters that receive an instruction from an administrator of the network in response to an alert condition.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the Knowledge Block specifies parameters that identify a last known acceptable virtual machine image that includes one or more applications from the set of available inventory.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the Knowledge Block specifies parameters that deploy an instance of an application selected from among the available inventory.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the received user input specifies a priority for one or more of the available inventory.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input specifies a time period during which the reallocation will be applied.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface through which user input can be received and wherein the user input adjusts scheduling of producing the reallocation.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a reallocation comprises adding a new application instance to the available inventory.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a reallocation comprises updating the available inventory to include any changes made by the reallocation.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of available inventory includes one or more application programs.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the application programs comprises a network load balancer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the application programs comprises a network server.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining, by an Asset Manager Component, an inventory of available network resources and virtual assets;

assigning prioritization to the available inventory and provisioning virtual assets from among the available inventory, performed by a Provisioning Manager component;

determining, by a Performance Manager component, a real time performance metrics; and

automatically producing and initializing, by an Optimizer component, a reallocation of the virtual assets.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein automatically producing a reallocation of the virtual assets comprises forecasting future system needs, which is performed by a Capacity Planning Manager component.

25. A method for automatic management of a virtualization environment in a computer network, the method comprising:

performing one or more functions from the group of functions consisting of

(1) identification and management of network resources and virtual assets,

(2) provisioning of virtual assets in response to network workflow demands,

(3) dynamic deployment of virtual assets across the computer network,

(4) performance measurement and reporting of resources and virtual assets, and

(5) planning and forecasting of resource demands and asset utilization of the virtualization environment;

wherein such functions are carried out without regard to processors, operating systems, virtualization platforms, and application software of the virtualization environment.

26. A method of managing a virtualization environment in a computer network, the method comprising:

providing a virtualization environment at a computer in communication with the computer network;

determining an inventory of network resources and virtual assets available to the virtualization environment;

performing at least one function from among the group of functions consisting of

(1) identification and management of network resources and virtual assets,

(2) provisioning of virtual assets in response to network workflow demands,

(3) dynamic deployment of virtual assets across the computer network,

(4) performance measurement and reporting of resources and virtual assets, and

(5) planning and forecasting of resource demands and asset utilization of the virtualization environment,

wherein such functions are carried out without regard to processors, operating systems, virtualization platforms, and application software of the virtualization environment.

27. An apparatus that performs automatic management of a virtualization environment in a computer network, the method comprising:

a network communications unit that enables communications between the apparatus and the computer network;

an operating system of the apparatus that supports a virtualization environment in communication with the apparatus; and

a Virtual Mapping layer that determines an inventory of network resources and virtual assets available to the virtualization environment, wherein the Virtual Mapping layer determines the inventory without regard to processors, operating systems, virtualization platforms, and application software of the virtualization environment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising one or more components that receive the inventory of available resources and assets from the Virtual Mapping layer and perform one or more functions from the group of functions consisting of:

(1) identification and management of network resources and virtual assets,

(2) provisioning of virtual assets in response to network workflow demands,

(3) dynamic deployment of virtual assets across the computer network,

(4) performance measurement and reporting of resources and virtual assets, and

(5) planning and forecasting of resource demands and asset utilization of the virtualization environment;

wherein such functions are carried out without regard to processors, operating systems, virtualization platforms, and application software of the virtualization environment.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a component selected from a group consisting of:

an Asset Manager component that determines an inventory of available network resources and virtual assets;

a Provisioning Manager component that assigns a prioritization to the available inventory and provisions virtual assets from among the available inventory;

a Performance Manager component that determines real time performance metrics; and

an Optimizer component that automatically produces a reallocation of the virtual assets and initiates the reallocation.