System, method and program for managing communication with multiple configurations for virtual machine

• US 20080086726A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCormick, James P., Osisek, Damian L., White, William Romney, Griffith, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• 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: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

System, method and program product for managing a plurality of configurations of a first virtual machine. A command is received to set the configuration of the first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines to a configuration exhibited by the first virtual machine which first subsequently prepares to receive the next incoming interaction. The configuration exhibited by the first virtual machine which first prepared to receive the next incoming interaction is determined. The first virtual machine configuration which first prepared to receive the next incoming interaction processes the next incoming interaction.

Claims

1. A method for managing incoming interactions with a first virtual machine having a plurality of configurations, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines to a configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepares to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received;

determining said configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received; and

said first virtual machine configuration which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction processing said next incoming interaction.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said configurations specifies at least two of the following:

a number of virtual processors, an amount of virtual machine memory, addresses and types of virtual devices, and an associated operating system name or boot device.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines comprises the step of receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least two protocols from one or more other virtual machines.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said two protocols comprise IUCV and VMCF protocols.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by declaring a buffer to receive said incoming interaction and/or an interrupt notifying said first virtual machine of said next incoming interaction.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by authorizing itself to receive said next incoming interaction and identifying an interruption buffer.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one protocol is a connection-oriented protocol, and said incoming interaction is a connection request.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one protocol is a connectionless protocol, and said incoming interaction is a message.

9. A system for managing a plurality of configurations of a first virtual machine, said system comprising:

means for receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines to a configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepares to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received;

means for determining said configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received; and

said first virtual machine configuration which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction including means for processing said next incoming interaction.

10. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said configurations specifies at least two of the following:

a number of virtual processors, an amount of virtual machine memory, addresses and types of virtual devices, and an associated operating system name or boot device.

11. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the means for receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines comprises means for receiving a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least two protocols from one or more other virtual machines.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said two protocols comprise IUCV and VMCF protocols.

13. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by declaring a buffer to receive said incoming interaction and/or an interrupt notifying said first virtual machine of said next incoming interaction.

14. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by authorizing itself to receive said next incoming interaction and identifying an interruption buffer.

15. A computer program product for managing a plurality of configurations of a first virtual machine, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable media;

first program instructions to receive a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least one protocol from one or more other virtual machines to a configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepares to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received;

second program instructions to determine said configuration exhibited by said first virtual machine which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction after said command was received; and

third program instructions for execution within said first virtual machine configuration which first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction to process said next incoming interaction; and

wherein

said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

16. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 wherein each of said configurations specifies at least two of the following:

a number of virtual processors, an amount of virtual machine memory, addresses and types of virtual devices, and an associated operating system name or boot device.

17. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first program instructions comprise fourth program instructions to receive a command to set the configuration of said first virtual machine for processing a next incoming interaction and subsequent incoming interactions of at least two protocols from one or more other virtual machines;

and wherein

said fourth program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

18. A computer program product as set forth in claim 17 wherein said two protocols comprise IUCV and VMCF protocols.

19. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by declaring a buffer to receive said incoming interaction and/or an interrupt notifying said first virtual machine of said next incoming interaction.

20. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 wherein a configuration of said first virtual machine first prepared to receive said next incoming interaction by authorizing itself to receive said next incoming interaction and identifying an interruption buffer.