Method, apparatus, and program for the discovery of resources in a computing environment

• US 20120110014A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Snelling, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,712,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/776
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a detector apparatus for detecting a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource in a computer network, the computer network including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource. A detector apparatus embodying the present invention comprises a sensor data receptor operable to receive sensor data output by the environment sensors, a pattern extractor operable to extract a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource, and a pattern matcher, wherein the pattern matcher is operable to compare the extracted pattern with a unique pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and to detect that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found.

Claims

1. A detector apparatus for detecting a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource in a computing environment, the computing environment including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource;

the detector apparatus comprising;

a sensor data receptor operable to receive sensor data output by the environment sensors;

a pattern extractor operable to extract a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource; and

a pattern matcher;

wherein

the pattern matcher is operable to compare the extracted pattern with an identifier pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and to detect that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found.

2. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory storing a list of virtual resources and, for each, the unique pattern it is known to generate.

3. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a query receptor operable to receive a query identifying a virtual resource and requesting detection of a physical resource employed in providing that virtual resource; and

a response generator operable, when a match is found by the pattern matcher using the virtual resource identified in the query as the particular virtual resource, to generate and output a response identifying that the physical resource is employed in providing the virtual resource identified in the query.

4. The detector apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the pattern matcher is operable to derive the unique pattern based on the identification of the virtual resource in the query.

5. The detector apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the query also identifies a physical resource currently employed in providing the identified virtual resource;

the sensor data receptor is operable to gather sensor data from the identified physical resource over a prescribed time period during which it is known that the identified physical resource remains employed in providing the identified virtual resource; and

the pattern extractor is operable to extract a pattern from the gathered sensor data as the identifier pattern known to be generated by the identified virtual resource.

6. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor data receptor is operable to receive sensor data from a physical resource having more than one environment sensor each outputting sensor data representing changes in a different operating property.

7. A network controller having the detector apparatus according to claim 1.

8. A computer network including:

a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing the virtual resources, and each having an environment sensor operable to output sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource; and

a detector apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The computer network according to claim 8, in which:

the virtual resources provided in the computer network are each operable to run a probe module, the probe module being operable to artificially generate an identifier pattern in the sensor data of a physical resource employed in providing the respective virtual resource.

10. The computer network according to claim 9, wherein the pattern is periodic.

11. The computer network according to claim 9, wherein the probe module is operable to artificially generate the identifier pattern in the sensor data of a physical resource by causing a change in the operating property of the physical resource.

12. The computer network according to claim 8, wherein the identifier pattern is a binary sequence representing a unique identifier of the respective virtual resource.

17. A computer network including:

a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing the virtual resources, and each having an environment sensor operable to output sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource; and

a network controller according to claim 7.

13. A probe module for running on a virtual resource in a computer network, the computer network including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource, and a detector apparatus, wherein the detector apparatus is operable to detect a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource in the computing environment, and comprises a sensor data receptor operable to receive sensor data output by the environment sensors, a pattern extractor operable to extract a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource, and a pattern matcher, wherein the pattern matcher is operable to compare the extracted pattern with an identifier pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and to detect that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found;

and wherein

the probe module is operable to artificially generate an identifier pattern in the sensor data of a physical resource employed in providing the respective virtual resource.

14. A method for detecting a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource in a computer network in which physical resources are operable to provide virtual resources, the computer network including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource;

the method comprising;

receiving sensor data output by the environment sensors;

extracting a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource; and

comparing the extracted pattern with an identifier pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and detecting that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found.

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a computing apparatus in a computer network in which physical resources are operable to provide virtual resources, causes the computing apparatus to perform a method for detecting a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource, the computer network including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data output by the environment sensors;

extracting a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource; and

comparing the extracted pattern with an identifier pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and detecting that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found.

16. A method of identifying a virtual resource in a computer network in which physical resources are operable to provide virtual resources, the computer network including a plurality of physical resources each being operable to be employed in providing virtual resources and having an environment sensor outputting sensor data representing changes in an operating property of the physical resource, and a detector apparatus, wherein the detector apparatus is operable to detect a physical resource employed in providing a particular virtual resource in the computing environment, and comprises a sensor data receptor operable to receive sensor data output by the environment sensors, a pattern extractor operable to extract a pattern from the received sensor data from a physical resource, and a pattern matcher, wherein the pattern matcher is operable to compare the extracted pattern with an identifier pattern known to be generated by a particular virtual resource, and to detect that the physical resource is employed in providing the particular virtual resource when a match is found;

the method comprising;

artificially generating an identifier pattern in the sensor data of a physical resource employed in providing the respective virtual resource.