METHOD AND CLOUD MANAGEMENT NODE FOR ENABLING A VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20150331707A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hellkvist, Stefan, Mngs, Jan-Erik, Haln, Joacim
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/827 Aggregation of resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method and a cloud management node for enabling usage of a virtual machine in a distributed cloud of resources for processing and storing of data. When receiving a VM image from a client with a set of files of an operating system for running the virtual machine, the cloud management node distributes the VM image to a plurality of local data centers forming the distributed cloud. In return, the cloud management node receives local identifications of the VM image from the local data centers, and creates a mapping between the received local identifications and a global identification of the VM image. The global identification is then returned to the client, thereby enabling the client to change the VM image in the local data centers by referring to the global identification in communication with the cloud management node.

Claims

1. A method performed by a cloud management node for enabling usage of a virtual machine in a distributed cloud of resources for processing and storing of data, the method comprising:

receiving a VM image from a client, the VM image comprising a set of files of an operating system for running the virtual machine;

distributing the VM image to a plurality of local data centers forming the distributed cloud;

receiving local identifications of the VM image from the local data centers;

creating a mapping between the received local identifications and a global identification of the VM image; and

returning the global identification to the client, thereby enabling the client to change the VM image in the local data centers by referring to the global identification in communication with the cloud management node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VM image is distributed to the local data centers by means of local image service agents associated with the respective local data centers, the local image service agents being adapted to translate between a global protocol for Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) operations on the VM image used by the cloud management node and a local protocol for the CRUD operations used by each respective local data center.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VM image is distributed to the local image service agents which are situated in the respective local data centers or in the cloud management node.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VM image is represented by a reference of a generic data block and at least one adaptation block, the generic data block already being installed in the local data centers, and wherein the VM image is distributed by distributing the at least one adaptation block to the local data centers.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the generic data block comprises a read-only block and the at least one adaptation block comprises a writable block.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the VM image is updated by adding a new adaptation block.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the VM image is updated by adding a chain of successive new adaptation blocks.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VM image is distributed based on a peer-to-peer download procedure where the cloud management node acts as a tracker by providing availability information to the local data centers about where the VM image or parts thereof can be found, enabling the local data centers to download the VM image or parts thereof based on the availability information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VM image is locked from reading and writing during periods when the VM image is being updated or installed.

10. A cloud management node configured to enable usage of a virtual machine in a distributed cloud of resources for processing and storing of data, the cloud management node comprising:

a communicating unit adapted to receive a VM image from a client, the VM image comprising a set of files of an operating system for running the virtual machine;

a distributing unit adapted to distribute the VM image to a plurality of local data centers forming the distributed cloud, and to receive local identifications of the VM image from the local data centers; and

a mapping unit adapted to create a mapping between the received local identifications and a global identification of the VM image,

wherein the communicating unit is further adapted to return the global identification to the client, thereby enabling the client to change the VM image in the local data centers by referring to the global identification in communication with the cloud management node.

11. The cloud management node according to claim 10, wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to distribute the VM image to the local data centers by means of local image service agents associated with the respective local data centers, the local image service agents being adapted to translate between a global protocol for Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) operations on the VM image used by the cloud management node and a local protocol for the CRUD operations used by each respective local data center.

12. The cloud management node according to claim 10, wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to distribute the VM image to the local image service agents which are situated in the respective local data centers or in the cloud management node.

13. The cloud management node according to claim 10, wherein the VM image is represented by a reference of a generic data block and at least one adaptation block, the generic data block already being installed in the local data centers, and wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to distribute the VM image by distributing the at least one adaptation block to the local data centers.

14. The cloud management node according to claim 13, wherein the generic data block comprises a read-only block and the at least one adaptation block comprises a writable block.

15. The cloud management node according to claim 13, wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to update the VM image by adding a new adaptation block.

16. The cloud management node according to claim 15, wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to update the VM image by adding a chain of successive new adaptation blocks.

17. The cloud management node according to claim 10, wherein the distributing unit is further adapted to distribute the VM image based on a peer-to-peer download procedure where the cloud management node acts as a tracker by providing availability information to the local data centers about where the VM image or parts thereof can be found, enabling the local data centers to download the VM image or parts thereof based on the availability information.

18. The cloud management node according to claim 10, wherein the cloud management node is adapted to lock the VM image from reading and writing during periods when the VM image is being updated or installed.