MULTITENANT HOSTED VIRTUAL MACHINE INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20090327471A1
• Filed: 05/02/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skytap Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skytap Incorporated
• Inventors: Sakelly, Roxanne Camille, Janakiraman, Gopalakrishnan, Slioussar, Nikolai, Weeks, Jonathan, Astete, Nicholas Luis, Richardson, David William, Kotelnikov, Alexander, Goldberg, Joseph Michael, Hutchinson, Anthony A. JR., Brethorst, Aaron Benjamin, Hanlon, Matthew, Novodvorskiy, Petr
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• 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 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A multi-tenant virtual machine infrastructure (MTVMI) allows multiple tenants to independently access and use a plurality of virtual computing resources via the Internet. Within the MTVMI, different tenants may define unique configurations of virtual computing resources and unique rules to govern the use of the virtual computing resources. The MTVMI may be configured to provide valuable services for tenants and users associated with the tenants.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A plurality of hardware computer systems each including at least one processor, comprising:

a network connection via which a user associated with a principal may interact with the hardware computer systems via a public network, the principal not owning any of the other computer systems of the plurality;

a configuration creation module executing on at least one of the processors, the configuration creation module;

receiving input via the network connection from a user associated with the principal specifying a configuration of one or more virtual machines, and

in response to receiving the input, creating configuration state for the principal incorporating the specified configuration; and

a configuration management module executing on at least one of the processors, the configuration management module;

receiving input via the network connection from a user associated with the principal requesting execution of the virtual machines of the configuration specified by the created configuration state, and

in response to receiving input;

executing each of the virtual machines of the configuration specified by the created configuration state on one of the hardware computer systems; and

providing output via the communication link to a user associated with the principal generated by at least one of the executing virtual machines.

39. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 38, further comprising:

a storage device connected to one of the hardware computer systems; and

a storage management module executing on at least one of the processors, the storage management module that;

receives via the network connection data from a computer system used directly by a user associated with the principal, and

persistently stores the received data on the storage device,

and wherein one of the executing virtual machines reads the data from the storage device.

40. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 38, further comprising:

a storage device connected to one of the hardware computer systems; and

a storage management module executing on at least one of the processors, the storage management module;

receiving data read from an instance of computer-readable media by a computer system used directly by a user associated with the principal, and

persistently storing the received data on the storage device,

and wherein one of the executing virtual machines reads the data from the storage device.

41. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 40, further comprising:

loading the persistently stored data into a virtual machine; and

executing the virtual machine containing the loaded data.

42. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 41 wherein the persistently stored data is loaded into the virtual machine as removable computer-readable media, wherein the virtual machine boots from the persistently stored data loaded into the virtual machine as removable computer-readable media.

43. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 38, further comprising:

a storage device connected to one of the hardware computer systems; and

a storage management module executing on at least one of the processors, the storage management module;

storing data on the storage device, and

enabling at least one of the executing virtual machines to read data from the storage device and write data to the storage device.

44. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 43 wherein the data stored on the storage device by the storage management module is received as network traffic.

45. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 43 wherein the storage management module sends the stored data to a computer system for direct use by a user.

46. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 43 wherein the storage management module enables at least one of the executing virtual machines to read data from the storage device and write data to the storage device as network attached storage.

47. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 38, further comprising:

a display module executing on at least one of the processors, the display module;

providing to a user associated with the principal via a network connection a console display generated by a distinguished one of the executing virtual machines,

in connection with the console display generated by the distinguished virtual machine, providing to the user a visual indication of each of the plurality of executing virtual machines,

receiving from the user via the network connection input selecting one of the visual indications, and

providing to a user associated with the principal via a network connection a console display generated by the virtual machine indicated by the selected visual indication.

48. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 47 wherein the display module provides console displays to the user in a window, and wherein the visual indications of each of the plurality of executing virtual machines provided to the user by the display module are provided as tabs attached to the window.

49. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 47, further comprising:

a user input module executing on at least one of the processors, user input module;

receiving from the user via the network virtual machine input, and

providing the received virtual machine input to the one of the executing virtual machines whose console display is being provided to the user by the display module.

50. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 38, further comprising:

an automatic suspension module executing on at least one of the processors, the automatic suspension module automatically suspending execution of at least one of the plurality of virtual machines in response to the satisfaction of a suspension criterion.

51. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 50 wherein the automatic suspension module further receives input via the network connection from user associated with the principal specifying the suspension criterion that is satisfied.

52. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 50 wherein the suspension criterion that is satisfied is a threshold amount of idle time.

53. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 50 wherein the suspension criterion that is satisfied is an absolute present time that is later than an absolute suspension time.

54. The plurality of hardware computer systems of claim 50 wherein the suspension criterion that is satisfied is exhaustion of a resource quota.

55. A method in a computing system having a processor for sharing access to the console of a virtual machine, comprising:

generating a unique URL corresponding to the virtual machine;

providing the generated URL to a user specifically authorized to access the virtual machine;

receiving an HTTP request specifying the provided URL; and

in response to the HTTP request, without attempting to determine the identity of a user who issued the HTTP request, providing access to the console of the virtual machine.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the user who issued the HTTP request is not the authorized user.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the output of the console of the virtual machine is provided in response to the HTTP request, but no input for the console of the virtual machine is accepted in connection with the http request.

58. The method of claim 55 wherein, in response to the HTTP request, the user who issued the http request receives the output of the console of the virtual machine and is permitted to provide input from the console of the virtual machine.

59. The method of claim 55, further comprising receiving from the user specifically authorized access the virtual machine input specifying timing restrictions on access to the virtual machine using the provided URL, and wherein accesses only provided in connection with the HTTP request if HTTP request is received at a time consistent with the specified timing restrictions.

60. A method in a computing system including at least one processor for managing virtual machines, comprising:

for each of a plurality of virtual machines, displaying a visual indication of the virtual machine that includes (1) identifying information for the virtual machine and (2) a set of individual controls usable to take management action with respect to the virtual machine;

simultaneously with displaying the visual indications of the virtual machines, displaying a set of general controls usable to take management action with respect to more than one of the virtual machines of the plurality.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for beginning execution in one or more virtual machines.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for suspending execution in one or more virtual machines.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for ending execution in one or more virtual machines.

64. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for persistently storing the state of one or more virtual machines.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for deal locating one or more virtual machines.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein the displayed set of general controls and displayed set of individual controls all include a control for changing settings for one or more virtual machines.

67. The method of claim 60 wherein, for each of the plurality of virtual machines, the displayed indication further includes a selection control that may be manipulated by a user to either have a selected state such that the general controls take action with respect to the virtual machine or deselected state such that the general controls to not take action with respect to the virtual machine.

68. The method of claim 60 further comprising, simultaneously with displaying the visual indications of the virtual machines, displaying (1) a first control for changing the selection controls of all of the virtual machines of the plurality to the selected state and (2) a second control for changing the selection controls of all of the virtual machines of the plurality to the deselected state.

69-89. -89. (canceled)