MANAGEMENT OF INTER-DEPENDENT CONFIGURATIONS OF VIRTUAL MACHINES IN A CLOUD

• US 20130185715A1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Seago, Scott Wayne, Lalancette, Christopher, McLeod, Ian Scott, Dunning, John, Trieloff, Carl C., Blomquist, Greg D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,784 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 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements

Abstract

A server computer system determines that configuring a first virtual machine in a cloud depends on a configuration result of configuring a second virtual machine. The server computer system configures the second virtual machine in the cloud and configures the first virtual machine in the cloud using the configuration result of the second virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a server computer system, that configuring a first virtual machine in a cloud depends on a configuration result of configuring a second virtual machine;

configuring the second virtual machine in the cloud; and

configuring the first virtual machine in the cloud using the configuration result of the second virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that configuring the first virtual machine depends on configuring the second virtual machine comprises:

searching application deployment data associated with the first virtual machine for indicators identifying one or more parameter values are dependent on the configuration result of configuring the second virtual machine,

wherein the application deployment data comprises at least one of a description of a service to be provided by a virtual machine, a description of a service to be used by a virtual machine, a description of at least one parameter value provided by a virtual machine, or a description of at least one parameter value to be used by a virtual machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the second virtual machine comprises:

sending a script to an agent executing on the second virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to generate a value for at least one parameter to be used in configuring the first virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the first virtual machine comprises:

receiving at least one parameter value from an agent executing on the second virtual machine; and

sending a script comprising the at least one parameter value to an agent executing on the first virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to configure the first virtual machine using the at least one parameter value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that configuring the first virtual machine depends on at least one user-provided parameter value; and

requesting the at least one user-provided parameter value from a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification from an agent executing on at least one of the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine indicating the corresponding virtual machine is configured; and

sending a notification that configuration of the corresponding virtual machine is complete.

7. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory to

determine that configuring a first virtual machine depends on a configuration result of configuring a second virtual machine;

configure the second virtual machine in the cloud; and

configure the first virtual machine in the cloud using the configuration result of the second virtual machine.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein to determine that configuring the first virtual machine depends on configuring the second virtual machine comprises:

searching application deployment data associated with the first virtual machine for indicators identifying one or more parameter values are dependent on the configuration result of configuring the second virtual machine,

wherein the application deployment data comprises at least one of a description of a service to be provided by a virtual machine, a description of a service to be used by a virtual machine, a description of at least one parameter value provided by a virtual machine, or a description of at least one parameter value to be used by a virtual machine.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein to configure the second virtual machine comprises:

sending a script to an agent executing on the second virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to generate a value for at least one parameter to be used in configuring the first virtual machine.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein to configure the first virtual machine comprises:

receiving at least one parameter value from an agent executing on the second virtual machine; and

sending a script comprising the at least one parameter value to an agent executing on the first virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to configure the first virtual machine using the at least one parameter value.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further to:

determine that configuring the first virtual machine depends on at least one user-provided parameter value; and

request the at least one user-provided parameter value from a user.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive a notification from an agent executing on at least one of the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine indicating the corresponding virtual machine is configured; and

send a notification that configuration of the corresponding virtual machine is complete.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a set of operations comprising:

determining, by the computer system, that configuring a first virtual machine in a cloud depends on a configuration result of configuring a second virtual machine;

configuring the second virtual machine in the cloud; and

configuring the first virtual machine in the cloud using the configuration result of the second virtual machine.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the second virtual machine comprises:

sending a script to an agent executing on the second virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to generate a value for at least one parameter to be used in configuring the first virtual machine.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that configuring the first virtual machine depends on configuring the second virtual machine comprises:

searching application deployment data associated with the first virtual machine for indicators identifying one or more parameter values are dependent on the configuration result of configuring the second virtual machine,

wherein the application deployment data comprises at least one of a description of a service to be provided by a virtual machine, a description of a service to be used by a virtual machine, a description of at least one parameter value provided by a virtual machine, or a description of at least one parameter value to be used by a virtual machine.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the first virtual machine comprises:

receiving at least one parameter value from an agent executing on the second virtual machine; and

sending a script comprising the at least one parameter value to an agent executing on the first virtual machine, wherein the agent runs the script to configure the first virtual machine using the at least one parameter value.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that configuring the first virtual machine depends on at least one user-provided parameter value; and

requesting the at least one user-provided parameter value from a user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a notification from an agent executing on at least one of the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine indicating the corresponding virtual machine is configured; and

sending a notification that configuration of the corresponding virtual machine is complete.

19. A method comprising:

providing, by an agent executing in a first virtual machine, a unique identifier representing the first virtual machine to a server;

receiving a post-boot configuration script from the server, the post-boot configuration script associated with the unique identifier of the first virtual machine;

generating a value for at least one parameter to be used in configuring a second virtual machine by executing the post-boot configuration script; and

providing the at least one parameter value to the server.

20. A method comprising:

providing, by an agent executing in a first virtual machine, a unique identifier representing the first virtual machine to a server;

receiving a post-boot configuration script from the server, the post-boot configuration script associated with the unique identifier of the first virtual machine and comprising at least one parameter value generated by a second virtual machine; and

adding the at least one parameter value to configuration information of the first virtual machine.