SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING MIGRATION OF VIRTUAL MACHINES AMONG A PLURALITY OF PHYSICAL MACHINES

• US 20100161922A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Hanquez, Vincent, Ludlam, Jonathan James, Sharp, Richard William, Scott, David Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/340,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A method for facilitating migration of virtual machines among a plurality of physical machines includes associating a virtual machine with at least one physical resource inaccessible by a first subset of the plurality of physical machines and available to a second subset of the plurality of physical machines, the virtual machine executing on a first physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines. The method includes receiving a request to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the plurality of physical machines. The method includes identifying a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines. The method includes migrating the virtual machine to the second physical machine.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating migration of virtual machines among a plurality of physical machines, the method comprising:

associating a virtual machine with at least one physical resource inaccessible by a first subset of the plurality of physical machines and available to a second subset of the plurality of physical machines, the virtual machine executing on a first physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines;

receiving a request to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the plurality of physical machines;

identifying a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines; and

migrating the virtual machine to the second physical machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a request to migrate the virtual machine to a physical machine in the first subset of the plurality of physical machines.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising migrating the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising denying the request to migrate the virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a processor type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a network storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a plurality of resources.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying, in response to a migration event, a second physical machine having access to the at least one physical resource.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the migration event comprises a software installation on the first physical machine.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the migration event comprises a patch installation on the first physical machine.

12. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon that when executed provide a method for facilitating migration of virtual machines among a plurality of physical machines, the computer readable media comprising:

instructions to associate virtual machine with at least one physical resource inaccessible by a first subset of the plurality of physical machines and available to a second subset of the plurality of physical machines, the virtual machine executing on a first physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines;

instructions to receive a request to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the plurality of physical machines;

instructions to identify a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines; and

instructions to migrate the virtual machine to the second physical machine.

13. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions to receive further comprise instructions to receive a request to migrate the virtual machine to a physical machine in the first subset of the plurality of physical machines.

14. The computer readable media of claim 13 further comprising instructions to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines.

15. The computer readable media of claim 13 further comprising instructions to deny the request to migrate the virtual machine.

16. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions to receive further comprise instructions to receive a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a processor type.

17. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions to receive further comprise instructions to receive a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a network.

18. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions to receive further comprise instructions to receive a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a network storage device.

19. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions to receive further comprise instructions to receive a request identifying a virtual machine associated with at least one physical resource comprising a plurality of resources.

20. A system for facilitating migration of virtual machines among a plurality of physical machines comprising:

a management component i) associating a virtual machine with at least one physical resource inaccessible by a first subset of the plurality of physical machines and available to a second subset of the plurality of physical machines, the virtual machine executing on a first physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines, ii) receiving a request to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the plurality of physical machines, and iii) identifying a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines; and

a hypervisor receiving, from the management component, an identification of the second physical machine and migrating the virtual machine to the second physical machine.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the management component further comprises a user interface receiving a request to migrate the virtual machine to a physical machine in the first subset of the plurality of physical machines.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the management component further comprises means for directing the hypervisor to migrate the virtual machine to a second physical machine in the second subset of the plurality of physical machines.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the management component further comprises means for denying the request to migrate the virtual machine.