Policy-Based Hypervisor Configuration Management

• US 20100070970A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: KUNNATUR, Sandhya, HU, Jeffrey, SEN, Saurav, KAMATH, Kiran
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

At least one target configuration of a host at a virtualization software level is automatically assembled based on a source configuration. A policy based profile describing the source configuration is processed. A configuration specification describing the target configuration is automatically created, based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration. The configuration specification is automatically applied to target configurations, such that the target configuration(s) are compliant with the policy based profile.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for automatically assembling at least one target configuration of a host at a virtualization software level based on a source configuration of a host at a virtualization software level, the method comprising the steps of:

processing a policy based profile describing the source configuration;

automatically creating a configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration; and

automatically applying the configuration specification to the at least one target configuration, such that the at least one target configuration is based on the policy based profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically applying the configuration specification to the at least one target configuration further comprises performing at least one step from a group of steps comprising:

configuring at least one target across a network;

configuring at least one target as part of a boot process, in a network based boot environment;

utilizing at least one physical computer readable medium as a delivery device to configure at least one target; and

utilizing at least one virtual computer readable medium as a delivery device to configure at least one target.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically creating a compliance specification for the at least one target configuration based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration, the compliance specification comprising at least one check to verify that a target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile; and

utilizing the compliance specification to determine whether the at least one target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, responsive to determining that at least one target configuration is in not compliance with the policy based profile, performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

determining a delta between a target configuration not in compliance and a compliant target configuration;

alerting a user that the at least one target configuration is not in compliance with the policy based profile;

generating a report concerning the at least one target configuration that is not in compliance with the policy based profile; and

automatically updating the at least one target configuration such that the at least one target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically creating an updated configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on an updated policy based profile describing the source configuration; and

automatically applying the updated configuration specification to the at least one target configuration, such that the at least one target configuration is based on the policy based profile.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically creating an updated configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on an updated policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises:

automatically creating an updated configuration specification describing a delta between an existing target configuration and an updated target configuration, and at least one operation to alter the target configuration to eliminate the delta.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining that at least one modification has been made to the source configuration; and

in responsive to the at least one modification, creating the updated policy based profile describing the source configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration, the policy based profile representing a complete configuration of a host at a virtualization software level.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises:

mapping each of a plurality of individual configuration settings to a configuration profile policy.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically ensuring that specific contents of the configuration profile is kept within boundaries specified by a set of applicable and valid policies.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises specifying at least one policy type from a group of policy types including:

deferred policies;

conditional policies;

composite policies;

requirement based policies; and

allocated resource policies.

12. At least one computer readable medium containing a computer program product for automatically assembling at least one target configuration of a host at a virtualization software level based on a source configuration of a host at a virtualization software level, the computer program product comprising:

program code for processing a policy based profile describing the source configuration;

program code for automatically creating a configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration; and

program code for automatically applying the configuration specification to the at least one target configuration, such that the at least one target configuration is based on the policy based profile.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the program code for automatically applying the configuration specification to the at least one target configuration further comprises program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps comprising:

configuring at least one target across a network;

configuring at least one target as part of a boot process, in a network based boot environment;

utilizing at least one physical computer readable medium as a delivery device to configure at least one target; and

utilizing at least one virtual computer readable medium as a delivery device to configure at least one target.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code for automatically creating a compliance specification for the at least one target configuration based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration, the compliance specification comprising at least one check to verify that a target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile; and

program code for utilizing the compliance specification to determine whether the at least one target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising, program code for, responsive to determining that at least one target configuration is in not compliance with the policy based profile, performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

determining a delta between a target configuration not in compliance and a compliant target configuration;

alerting a user that the at least one target configuration is not in compliance with the policy based profile;

generating a report concerning the at least one target configuration that is not in compliance with the policy based profile; and

automatically updating the at least one target configuration such that the at least one target configuration is in compliance with the policy based profile.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code for automatically creating an updated configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on an updated policy based profile describing the source configuration; and

program code for automatically applying the updated configuration specification to the at least one target configuration, such that the at least one target configuration is based on the policy based profile.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the program code for automatically creating an updated configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on an updated policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises:

program code for automatically creating an updated configuration specification describing a delta between an existing target configuration and an updated target configuration, and at least one operation to alter the target configuration to eliminate the delta.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

program code for determining that at least one modification has been made to the source configuration; and

program code for, in responsive to the at least one modification, creating the updated policy based profile describing the source configuration.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code for creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration, the policy based profile representing a complete configuration of a host at a virtualization software level.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the program code for creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises:

program code for mapping each of a plurality of individual configuration settings to a configuration profile policy.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

program code for automatically ensuring that specific contents of the configuration profile is kept within boundaries specified by a set of applicable and valid policies.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the program code for creating the policy based profile describing the source configuration further comprises program code for specifying at least one policy type from a group of policy types including:

deferred policies;

conditional policies;

composite policies;

requirement based policies; and

allocated resource policies.

23. A computer system for automatically assembling at least one target configuration of a host at a virtualization software level based on a source configuration of a host at a virtualization software level, the computer system comprising:

means for processing a policy based profile describing the source configuration;

means for automatically creating a configuration specification for the at least one target configuration based on the policy based profile describing the source configuration; and

means for automatically applying the configuration specification to the at least one target configuration, such that the at least one target configuration is based on the policy based profile.