LOAD BALANCING IN MULTI-SERVER VIRTUAL WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20120096461A1
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Goswami, Kumar, Peercy, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5022 Workload threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration

Abstract

Virtual workplace server software may perform load balancing functionality in a multi-server desktop virtualization system. One or more virtualization servers may receive and maintain common state information for the desktop virtualization system, and may independently execute one or more load balancing functions based on the common state information. Each server may independently analyze the common state information and determine whether it will execute a load balancing function based on the analysis, thereby allowing the servers to coordinate actions using distributed load balancing algorithms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first server executing desktop virtualization software, state information for a desktop virtualization system comprising a plurality of desktop virtualization servers, said plurality of desktop virtualization servers including the first server;

executing, by the desktop virtualization software of the first server, a load balancing algorithm based on the desktop virtualization system state information, wherein the load balancing algorithm determines;

(a) a load balancing action for the desktop virtualization system; and

(b) a target server in the plurality of desktop virtualization servers to perform the load balancing action;

determining, by the desktop virtualization software of the first server, whether the first server is the target server to perform the load balancing action; and

based on a determination that the first server is the target server to perform the load balancing action, performing the load balancing action at the first server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received state information for the desktop virtualization system comprises:

data identifying each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system;

data identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

data identifying a set of virtual machine base images stored at each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

identifying a first virtual machine base image stored in a memory of one or more of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system, the first virtual machine base image associated with a first virtual machine template supported by the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a number of virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine template to be provided by the desktop virtualization system;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to transfer the first virtual machine base image to at least one additional desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one additional desktop virtualization server to receive the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the at least one target server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination to transfer the first virtual machine base image is based on a cost of transferring the first virtual machine base image to the at least one target server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to create one or more virtual machines in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to allocate one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image in the memory of at least one desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one desktop virtualization server at which to allocate the one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to connect to a client device to a virtual machine in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to establish a connection between the client device and one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) a target server corresponding to the desktop virtualization server to be connected to the client device, wherein the determination of the target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the desktop virtualization software of the first server, an event indication corresponding to at least one of;

an indication that at least one new desktop virtualization server has been added to the desktop virtualization system; and

an indication that at least one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers has been removed from the desktop virtualization system,

wherein the execution of the load balancing algorithm is triggered based on receiving the event indication.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a second server executing desktop virtualization software in the plurality of desktop virtualization servers, the same state information for the desktop virtualization system;

executing, by the desktop virtualization software of the second server, the same load balancing algorithm based on the same desktop virtualization system state information; and

determining, by the desktop virtualization software of the second server, whether the second server is the target server to perform the load balancing action,

wherein only one of the first server and the second server is the target server to perform the load balancing action.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first server and the second server are not configured to communicate via a shared memory.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first server and the second server are remotely located and configured to communicate via a wide area network (WAN).

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor controlling at least some operations of the computing device; and

a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to;

receive state information for a desktop virtualization system comprising a plurality of desktop virtualization servers;

execute, using desktop virtualization software on the apparatus, a load balancing algorithm based on the desktop virtualization system state information, wherein the load balancing algorithm determines;

(a) a load balancing action for the desktop virtualization system; and

(b) a target server in the plurality of desktop virtualization servers to perform the load balancing action;

determine whether the apparatus is the target server to perform the load balancing action; and

based on a determination that the apparatus is the target server to perform the load balancing action, perform the load balancing action.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received state information for the desktop virtualization system comprises:

data identifying each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system;

data identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

data identifying a set of virtual machine base images stored at each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

identifying a first virtual machine base image stored in a memory of one or more of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system, the first virtual machine base image associated with a first virtual machine template supported by the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a number of virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine template to be provided by the desktop virtualization system;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to transfer the first virtual machine base image to at least one additional desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one additional desktop virtualization server to receive the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the at least one target server.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to create one or more virtual machines in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to allocate one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image in the memory of at least one desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one desktop virtualization server at which to allocate the one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to connect to a client device to a virtual machine in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to establish a connection between the client device and one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) a target server corresponding to the desktop virtualization server to be connected to the client device, wherein the determination of the target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, the memory storing further computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:

receive an event indication corresponding to at least one of;

an indication that at least one new desktop virtualization server has been added to the desktop virtualization system; and

an indication that at least one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers has been removed from the desktop virtualization system,

wherein the execution of the load balancing algorithm is triggered based on receiving the event indication.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computer server, perform:

receiving state information for a desktop virtualization system comprising a plurality of desktop virtualization servers;

executing a load balancing algorithm based on the desktop virtualization system state information, wherein the load balancing algorithm determines;

(a) a load balancing action for the desktop virtualization system; and

(b) a target server in the plurality of desktop virtualization servers to perform the load balancing action;

determining whether the computer server is the target server to perform the load balancing action; and

based on a determination that the computer server is the target server to perform the load balancing action, performing the load balancing action on the computer server.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the received state information for the desktop virtualization system comprises:

data identifying each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system;

data identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

data identifying a set of virtual machine base images stored at each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

identifying a first virtual machine base image stored in a memory of one or more of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system, the first virtual machine base image associated with a first virtual machine template supported by the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a number of virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine template to be provided by the desktop virtualization system;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to transfer the first virtual machine base image to at least one additional desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers in the desktop virtualization system; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one additional desktop virtualization server to receive the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the at least one target server.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to create one or more virtual machines in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to allocate one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image in the memory of at least one desktop virtualization server in the desktop virtualization system;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) at least one target server corresponding to the at least one desktop virtualization server at which to allocate the one or more new virtual machines corresponding to the first virtual machine base image, wherein the determination of the at least one target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein executing the load balancing algorithm comprises:

receiving a request to connect to a client device to a virtual machine in the desktop virtualization system corresponding to a first virtual machine template;

identifying a plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing a first virtual machine base image corresponding to the first virtual machine template;

determining (a) a load balancing action corresponding to a determination to establish a connection between the client device and one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image;

identifying a current resource capacity for each of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image; and

determining (b) a target server corresponding to the desktop virtualization server to be connected to the client device, wherein the determination of the target server is based on the current resource capacity of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers storing the first virtual machine base image.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, storing further computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computer server, perform:

receiving an event indication corresponding to at least one of;

an indication that at least one new desktop virtualization server has been added to the desktop virtualization system; and

an indication that at least one of the plurality of desktop virtualization servers has been removed from the desktop virtualization system,

wherein the execution of the load balancing algorithm is triggered based on receiving the event indication.