Automatic load and balancing for virtual machines to meet resource requirements

• US 20080082977A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Michael, Michael, Araujo, Nelson S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• 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 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

The embodiments contemplate a system and method for a provisioning, retirement and configuration of virtual machines. A predefined policy may include a desired target state of the virtual machines, as well as an action to initiate in order to reach the desired state. The action may be initiated if the state varies from the desired level by a predetermined amount or percentage over a predetermined period of time. Data from the virtual machines is analyzed to determine if the desired state of the virtual machines is satisfied. The analysis may be continuous or periodic. If it is determined that the desired state is not satisfied, then predefined actions are performed until the desired state is attained. The predefined actions may be the removal or addition of one or more virtual machines or other actions necessary to reach the desired state.

Claims

1. A provisioning method with regard to a computing device having at least one virtual machine instantiated therein and a virtual machine provisioning system, the provisioning method being performed by the virtual machine provisioning system to efficiently employ each virtual machine on the computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a policy related to each of the at least one of the virtual machines of the computing device, the policy specifying a requirement with regard to each of the at least one of the virtual machines, an input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines, the input corresponding to the requirement, and an action to be taken with regard to at least one of the virtual machines, the action corresponding to the requirement and for being taken if the requirement is violated according to the input;

receiving the input of the policy from each of the at least one of the virtual machines or devices;

determining from the input whether the requirement of the policy is violated; and

if the policy is violated, taking the action of the policy in response to the violation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises adding additional virtual machines in response to the violation, wherein the violation comprises an excess of the requirement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises removing at least one virtual machine in response to the violation, wherein the violation comprises a shortage of the requirement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirement is an amount of traffic of the at least one of the virtual machines.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises taking the action of the policy in response to the violation if the violation persists for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises taking the action of the policy in response to the violation if the violation exceeds or lacks the requirement by a predetermined amount.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to a user of the computing device, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises taking the action of the policy if instructed by the user of the computing device.

8. A computing device, comprising:

at least one virtual machine instantiated therein; and

a virtual machine provisioning system for efficiently employing each virtual machine on the computing device according to a policy, the policy specifying a requirement with regard to each of the at least one of the virtual machines, an input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines, the input corresponding to the requirement, and an action to be taken with regard to at least one of the virtual machines, the action corresponding to the requirement and for being taken if the requirement is violated according to the input, the virtual machine provisioning system comprising;

a monitoring agent for collecting the input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines or devices; and

an enforcement agent for taking the action if the policy requirement is violated.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the virtual machine provisioning system further comprises a policy administrator for creating the policy.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the monitoring agent provides an indication to the enforcement agent when the requirement is violated.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the action to be taken if the requirement is violated is at least one of (i) adding a virtual machine;

(ii) deleting a virtual machine;

(iii) stopping a virtual machine;

(iv) pausing a virtual machine for a predetermined amount of time;

(v) archiving a virtual machine;

(vi) sending a notification to an owner of a virtual machine and/or a policy administrator;

(vii) adding memory to a virtual machine;

(viii) adding a virtual processor to a virtual machine;

(ix) dedicating more CPU to a virtual machine;

(x) dedicating less CPU to a virtual machine;

(xi) saving a state of a virtual machine;

(xii) quarantining a virtual machine; and

(xiii) migrating a virtual machine to a host server.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the action to be taken if the requirement is violated is one of (i) migrating a virtual machine to a host server;

and (ii) migrating one or more other virtual machines of the at least one of the virtual machines to a host server to satisfy the requirement.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines comprises an amount of traffic.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines comprises a number of users.

15. The computing device of claim 8, wherein a requirement violation is one of (i) an excess of the requirement and (ii) a shortage of the requirement, wherein the excess and shortage deviate from the requirement by a predetermined amount for a predetermined period of time.

16. A computer-readable medium having program code stored therein for use in a computing device having at least one virtual machine instantiated therein and a virtual machine provisioning system, the program code, when executed, causing the virtual machine provisioning system to perform a provisioning method to efficiently employ each virtual machine on the computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a policy related to each of the at least one of the virtual machines of the computing device, the policy specifying a requirement with regard to each of the at least one of the virtual machines, an input from each of the at least one of the virtual machines, the input corresponding to the requirement, and an action to be taken with regard to at least one of the virtual machines, the action corresponding to the requirement and for being taken if the requirement is violated according to the input;

receiving the input of the policy from each of the at least one of the virtual machines;

determining from the input whether the requirement of the policy is violated; and

if the policy is violated, taking the action of the policy in response to the violation.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises at least one of (i) adding an additional virtual machine in response to the violation, wherein the violation comprises an excess of the requirement;

and (ii) removing one of the at least one of the virtual machines in response to the violation, wherein the violation comprises a shortage of the requirement.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the requirement is at least one of (i) a predefined network activity;

(ii) an amount of traffic;

(iii) a target usage of a particular number of web pages per minute per server;

(iv) a target server count;

(v) a number of servers to achieve a target usage;

(vi) a number of servers to remove upon detection of low usage;

(vii) a number of servers to add upon detection of high usage; and

(viii) a usage threshold indicating a need to add or remove a server.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises taking the action of the policy in response to the violation if the violation persists for a predetermined period of time and if the violation exceeds or lacks the requirement by a predetermined amount.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for sending a notification to a user of the computing device, wherein taking the action of the policy in response to the violation comprises taking the action of the policy if instructed by the user of the computing device.