MULTIPLE-CLOUD-COMPUTING-FACILITY AGGREGATION

• US 20140006581A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raghu, Jagannath N.
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

The present application is directed to a multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation that provides multi-cloud aggregation and that includes a cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes that cooperate to provide services that are distributed across multiple clouds. These services include the transfer of virtual-machine containers, or workloads, between two different clouds and remote management interfaces.

Claims

1. A multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprising:

multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities;

a cloud-connector server that provides an electronic cloud-aggregation management interface and that is installed within one of the multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities; and

multiple cloud-connector nodes, a cloud-connector node installed in a virtual data center management server, cloud director, or management system within each cloud-computing facility of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, each cloud-connector node providing an electronic interface through which the cloud-connector server accesses services provided by the cloud-connector node and that each accesses a cloud-management interface within the cloud-computing facility in which the cloud-connector node is installed through which the cloud-connector node accesses local cloud-management services on behalf of the cloud-connector server.

2. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a virtual-data-center server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the virtual-data-center server.

3. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility that includes two or more organization virtual data centers managed by a cloud director; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the cloud director.

4. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server.

5. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein each cloud-connector node is a virtual appliance and wherein a cloud-connector node comprises:

an application program interface through which the cloud-connector server requests services provided by the cloud-connector node;

an authorization service that authorizes access to the cloud-connector node and to services provided by the cloud-connector node;

service routines that, when executed in response to a request received through the application program interface, carry out the request and provide a response to the request;

a database that stores configuration data for the cloud-connector node;

adapters that provide access by the cloud-connector node to a file system and a management interface of a cloud-computing-facility management system; and

a messaging protocol and network transfer services that together provide for transfer of data files to remote cloud-connector nodes.

6. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 5 wherein the cloud-connector node wherein the messaging protocol and network transfer services provide for checkpoint-restart of interrupted or failed data-transfer operations.

7. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 6 wherein the cloud-connector node provides, through the application program interface, a login service, a parameterized service request that invokes a particular parameter-specified service, a data-upload service that receives and stores data transmitted to the cloud-connector node by the cloud-connector server, a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from the cloud-connector node to a different cloud-connector node;

and a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from a different cloud-connector node to the cloud-connector node.

8. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 7 wherein the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface provides electronic display of:

a current operational status of each cloud-connector node;

a current operational status of each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation;

events and alarms reported by each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation; and

remote cloud-computing management interfaces.

9. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 7 wherein the cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes together provide distributed management operations and services that include:

a get-status request issued by the VCC server to a particular VCC node;

posting of configuration updates to remote VCC nodes;

deployment of catalogs that provide access by remote cloud-computing facilities to virtual appliances, operating-system executables, and virtual-appliance templates;

virtual-data-center backup facility that allows an entire virtual data center, or components within the virtual data center, to be backed up to a second, different, remote virtual data center;

configuration of high-bandwidth secure-communications links between two different remote cloud-computing facilities; and

full or partial failover of one remote virtual data center to another virtual data center.

10. A method that configures and manages a multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, the method comprising:

deploying a cloud-connector server that provides an electronic cloud-aggregation management interface within one of the multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities;

deploying, registering, and configuring a multiple cloud-connector node in a virtual data center management server, cloud director, or management system within each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in each cloud-computing facility of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, each cloud-connector node providing an electronic interface through which the cloud-connector server accesses services provided by the cloud-connector node and that each accesses a cloud-management interface within the cloud-computing facility in which the cloud-connector node is installed through which the cloud-connector node accesses local cloud-management services on behalf of the cloud-connector server; and

invoking distributed management operations through the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface to configure and control operation of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a virtual-data-center server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the virtual-data-center server.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility that includes two or more organization virtual data centers managed by a cloud director; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the cloud director.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein each cloud-connector node is a virtual appliance and wherein a cloud-connector node comprises:

an application program interface through which the cloud-connector server requests services provided by the cloud-connector node;

an authorization service that authorizes access to the cloud-connector node and to services provided by the cloud-connector node;

service routines that, when executed in response to a request received through the application program interface, carry out the request and provide a response to the request;

a database that stores configuration data for the cloud-connector node;

adapters that provide access by the cloud-connector node to a file system and a management interface of a cloud-computing-facility management system; and

a messaging protocol and network transfer services that together provide for transfer of data files to remote cloud-connector nodes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the cloud-connector node wherein the messaging protocol and network transfer services provide for checkpoint-restart of interrupted or failed data-transfer operations.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the cloud-connector node provides, through the application program interface, a login service, a parameterized service request that invokes a particular parameter-specified service, a data-upload service that receives and stores data transmitted to the cloud-connector node by the cloud-connector server, a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from the cloud-connector node to a different cloud-connector node;

and a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from a different cloud-connector node to the cloud-connector node.

17. The method of claim of claim 10 wherein the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface provides electronic display of:

a current operational status of each cloud-connector node;

a current operational status of each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation;

events and alarms reported by each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation; and

remote cloud-computing management interfaces.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes together provide distributed management operations and services that include:

a get-status request issued by the VCC server to a particular VCC node;

posting of configuration updates to remote VCC nodes;

deployment of catalogs that provide access by remote cloud-computing facilities to virtual appliances, operating-system executables, and virtual-appliance templates;

virtual-data-center backup facility that allows an entire virtual data center, or components within the virtual data center, to be backed up to a second, different, remote virtual data center;

configuration of high-bandwidth secure-communications links between two different remote cloud-computing facilities; and

full or partial failover of one remote virtual data center to another virtual data center.

19. A computer-readable data-storage medium that stores computer instructions that encode a method that configures and manages a multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, the method comprising:

deploying a cloud-connector server that provides an electronic cloud-aggregation management interface within one of the multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities;

deploying, registering, and configuring a multiple cloud-connector node in a virtual data center management server, cloud director, or management system within each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in each cloud-computing facility of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, each cloud-connector node providing an electronic interface through which the cloud-connector server accesses services provided by the cloud-connector node and that each accesses a cloud-management interface within the cloud-computing facility in which the cloud-connector node is installed through which the cloud-connector node accesses local cloud-management services on behalf of the cloud-connector server; and

invoking distributed management operations through the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface to configure and control operation of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation.

20. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 19 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a virtual-data-center server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the virtual-data-center server.

21. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 19 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility that includes two or more organization virtual data centers managed by a cloud director; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the cloud director.

22. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 19 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:

at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server; and

additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server.

23. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 19 wherein each cloud-connector node is a virtual appliance and wherein a cloud-connector node comprises:

an application program interface through which the cloud-connector server requests services provided by the cloud-connector node;

an authorization service that authorizes access to the cloud-connector node and to services provided by the cloud-connector node;

service routines that, when executed in response to a request received through the application program interface, carry out the request and provide a response to the request;

a database that stores configuration data for the cloud-connector node;

adapters that provide access by the cloud-connector node to a file system and a management interface of a cloud-computing-facility management system; and

a messaging protocol and network transfer services that together provide for transfer of data files to remote cloud-connector nodes.

24. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 23 wherein the cloud-connector node wherein the messaging protocol and network transfer services provide for checkpoint-restart of interrupted or failed data-transfer operations.

25. The computer-readable data-storage medium of claim 23 wherein the cloud-connector node provides, through the application program interface, a login service, a parameterized service request that invokes a particular parameter-specified service, a data-upload service that receives and stores data transmitted to the cloud-connector node by the cloud-connector server, a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from the cloud-connector node to a different cloud-connector node;

and a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from a different cloud-connector node to the cloud-connector node.

26. The method of claim of claim 19 wherein the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface provides electronic display of:

a current operational status of each cloud-connector node;

a current operational status of each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation;

events and alarms reported by each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation; and

remote cloud-computing management interfaces.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein the cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes together provide distributed management operations and services that include:

a get-status request issued by the VCC server to a particular VCC node;

posting of configuration updates to remote VCC nodes;

deployment of catalogs that provide access by remote cloud-computing facilities to virtual appliances, operating-system executables, and virtual-appliance templates;

virtual-data-center backup facility that allows an entire virtual data center, or components within the virtual data center, to be backed up to a second, different, remote virtual data center;

configuration of high-bandwidth secure-communications links between two different remote cloud-computing facilities; and

full or partial failover of one remote virtual data center to another virtual data center.