SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE OF A VIRTUAL ASSEMBLY BUILDER

• US 20130042239A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Spotswood, Mark, Mousseau, Richard p., Nelson, Mark, Richards, Jon, Schulz, Troy, Kelleman, Keith, Berkowitz, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• 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 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A virtual assembly builder for use in virtualization environments, which can be used as a tool for virtualizing installed components in a reference environment, modifying those components if necessary, and then deploying them into another/target environment. Using the virtual assembly builder, a user (e.g., an administrator) can capture the configuration and product/component binaries of existing software components into software appliance artifacts. Appliances can be grouped, and their relationships defined, into software assembly artifacts. Logical connections between appliances within an assembly can be reconfigured by a process of assembly editing. When a desired assembly configuration has been achieved, the assembly can be prepared for, and deployed into, the target environment.

Claims

1. A system including a virtual assembly builder for use with a virtualization environment, which can be used for virtualizing installed components in a reference environment, comprising:

a virtual assembly builder that is used to introspect a reference environment including a plurality of installed components, and prepare one or more assemblies for subsequent deployment into one or more virtualized resource pools according to various configurations,

wherein a software appliance (appliance) represents a single software component and its local execution environment, and

wherein a software assembly (assembly) is a collection of interrelated software appliances that are dynamically configured to work together upon deployment; and

a studio console or graphical user interface that allows a user to introspect the reference environment for appliances therein, and to configure, prepare, and deploy the one or more assemblies to a target environment that includes the virtualized resource pools.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used as part of a multi-phase process, including

an introspection phase, wherein configuration information is captured from a reference deployment for components that make up appliances within an assembly;

a configuration phase, wherein relationships are established among the appliances and any external resources;

a preparation phase, wherein deployment artifacts necessary for the assembly and relevant to a particular virtualization platform are used to create virtual machine disk images; and

a deployment phase, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used to deploy the assembly into a target environment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein during the deployment phase, the virtual assembly builder discovers resource pools available on the target environment, for use with the deployed assembly.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the virtual assembly builder includes customized deployment configurations for assemblies that override base configuration properties for appliances within the assembly, and/or accommodate late-binding or scalability of appliances.

5. A method including use of a virtual assembly builder with a virtualization environment, for virtualizing installed components in a reference environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a virtual assembly builder for use in introspecting a reference environment including a plurality of installed components, and preparing one or more assemblies for subsequent deployment into one or more virtualized resource pools according to various configurations,

wherein a software appliance (appliance) represents a single software component and its local execution environment, and

wherein a software assembly (assembly) is a collection of interrelated software appliances that are dynamically configured to work together upon deployment; and

receiving instructions via a studio console or graphical user interface from a user to introspect the reference environment for appliances therein, and to configure, prepare, and deploy the one or more assemblies to a target environment that includes the virtualized resource pools.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used as part of a multi-phase process, including

an introspection phase, wherein configuration information is captured from a reference deployment for components that make up appliances within an assembly;

a configuration phase, wherein relationships are established among the appliances and any external resources;

a preparation phase, wherein deployment artifacts necessary for the assembly and relevant to a particular virtualization platform are used to create virtual machine disk images; and

a deployment phase, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used to deploy the assembly into a target environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein during the deployment phase, the virtual assembly builder discovers resource pools available on the target environment, for use with the deployed assembly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual assembly builder includes customized deployment configurations for assemblies that override base configuration properties for appliances within the assembly, and/or accommodate late-binding or scalability of appliances.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon which, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method including use of a virtual assembly builder with a virtualization environment, for virtualizing installed components in a reference environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a virtual assembly builder for use in introspecting a reference environment including a plurality of installed components, and preparing one or more assemblies for subsequent deployment into one or more virtualized resource pools according to various configurations,

wherein a software appliance (appliance) represents a single software component and its local execution environment, and

wherein a software assembly (assembly) is a collection of interrelated software appliances that are dynamically configured to work together upon deployment; and

receiving instructions via a studio console or graphical user interface from a user to introspect the reference environment for appliances therein, and to configure, prepare, and deploy the one or more assemblies to a target environment that includes the virtualized resource pools.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used as part of a multi-phase process, including

an introspection phase, wherein configuration information is captured from a reference deployment for components that make up appliances within an assembly;

a configuration phase, wherein relationships are established among the appliances and any external resources;

a preparation phase, wherein deployment artifacts necessary for the assembly and relevant to a particular virtualization platform are used to create virtual machine disk images; and

a deployment phase, wherein the virtual assembly builder is used to deploy the assembly into a target environment.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein during the deployment phase, the virtual assembly builder discovers resource pools available on the target environment, for use with the deployed assembly.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the virtual assembly builder includes customized deployment configurations for assemblies that override base configuration properties for appliances within the assembly, and/or accommodate late-binding or scalability of appliances.