Technique For Scaling An Application Having A Set Of Virtual Machines

• US 20180046477A1
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Aelken, Joerg, El Khayat, Ibtissam, Lindgren, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US15/557,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20180046477A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3428 Benchmarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45529 Embedded in an application, e.g. JavaScript in a Web browser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A technique for scaling an application with a set of one or more virtual machines is described. The technique may be performed during runtime of the application and responsive to a determination that a scaling operation is required for the application. That determination can be based on at least one first performance measurement result for the application. A method implementation of the technique comprises calculating a scaling magnitude for the required scaling operation taking into account at least one second performance measurement result for the application. The scaling magnitude is indicative of a resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application. The method further comprises triggering generation of a scaling request. The scaling request is directed at a scaling of the application on the basis of the calculated scaling magnitude.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method of triggering scaling of an application having a set of one or more virtual machines, wherein the method comprises the following steps performed during runtime of the application and responsive to a determination that a scaling operation is required for the application, wherein the determination is based on at least one first performance measurement result obtained for the application:

calculating a scaling magnitude for the required scaling operation taking into account at least one second performance measurement result obtained for the application, wherein the scaling magnitude is indicative of a resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application; and

triggering generation of a scaling request, wherein the scaling request is directed at a scaling of the application based on the calculated scaling magnitude.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

an operating target is defined for a performance indicator underlying the second performance measurement result; and

the scaling magnitude is calculated based on a present or expected relationship between the performance indicator and the operating target.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

a scaling factor is determined from the present or expected relationship between the performance indicator and the operating target; and

the scaling magnitude is calculated from the scaling factor and a resource quantity presently allocated to the application.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the scaling magnitude is calculated taking into account multiple second performance measurement results obtained for multiple performance indicators, wherein for each performance indicator a dedicated operating target is defined; and

wherein the scaling magnitude is calculated based on present or expected relationships between the performance indicators and the associated operating targets.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein

there exists a known correlation between the second performance measurement result and the resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application;

and

the correlation is taken into account in the calculation of the scaling magnitude.

30. The method of claim 29:

wherein an operating target is defined for a performance indicator underlying the second performance measurement result;

wherein the scaling magnitude is calculated based on a present or expected relationship between the performance indicator and the operating target; and

wherein the scaling magnitude is determined from the correlation and the relationship between the operating target and the performance indicator.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the correlation is a functional relationship or a mapping.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the correlation has been determined prior to runtime of the application.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the second performance measurement result is indicative of a system performance of the application having the set of virtual machines.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second performance measurement result has been obtained by aggregating individual performance measurements over the set of virtual machines.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first measurement result and the second measurement result is indicative of a load of the application.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first measurement result and the second measurement result is independent of the number of virtual machines associated with the application.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the first measurement result is used as the second measurement result in the calculation of the scaling magnitude.

38. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining that a scaling operation is required by subjecting the first performance measurement result to at least one threshold decision.

39. The method of claim 38:

wherein an operating target is defined for a performance indicator underlying the second performance measurement result;

wherein the scaling magnitude is calculated based on a present or expected relationship between the performance indicator and the operating target; and

wherein a lower threshold and an upper threshold are defined, and wherein the operating target lies between the lower threshold and the upper threshold.

40. The method of claim 25, further comprising

verifying the calculated scaling magnitude;

and

adjusting the calculated scaling magnitude dependent on a result of the verification;

wherein the scheduling request is triggered to be generated to be indicative of the adjusted scaling magnitude.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein verifying the calculated scaling magnitude comprises comparing the calculated scaling magnitude with at least one configuration parameter.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein the resource quantity is indicative of at least one of a number of virtual machines and an amount of infrastructure resources of the virtual machines.

43. The method of claim 41:

wherein the resource quantity is indicative of at least one of a number of virtual machines and an amount of infrastructure resources of the virtual machines;

wherein the at least one configuration parameter is selected from the parameter set comprising;

a maximum number of allowed virtual machines for the application;

a minimum number of allowed virtual machines for the application;

a maximum amount of allowed infrastructure resources for an individual virtual machine;

a minimum amount of allowed infrastructure resources for an individual virtual machine.

44. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a computer program product for triggering scaling of an application having a set of one or more virtual machines, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on processing circuitry of a computing device, causes the computing device to perform the following steps during runtime of the application and responsive to a determination that a scaling operation is required for the application, wherein the determination is based on at least one first performance measurement result obtained for the application:

calculate a scaling magnitude for the required scaling operation taking into account at least one second performance measurement result obtained for the application, wherein the scaling magnitude is indicative of a resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application; and

trigger generation of a scaling request, wherein the scaling request is directed at a scaling of the application based on the calculated scaling magnitude.

45. An arrangement configured to trigger scaling of an application having a set of one or more virtual machines, the arrangement comprising:

processing circuitry;

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the arrangement is operative to perform the following operations during runtime of the application and responsive to a determination that a scaling operation is required for the application, wherein the determination is based on at least one first performance measurement result obtained for the application;

calculate a scaling magnitude for the required scaling operation taking into account at least one second performance measurement result obtained for the application, wherein the scaling magnitude is indicative of a resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application; and

trigger generation of a scaling request, wherein the scaling request is directed at a scaling of the application based on the calculated scaling magnitude.

46. A system, comprising

an arrangement configured to trigger scaling of an application having a set of one or more virtual machines, the arrangement comprising:

processing circuitry;

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the arrangement is operative to perform the following operations during runtime of the application and responsive to a determination that a scaling operation is required for the application, wherein the determination is based on at least one first performance measurement result obtained for the application;

calculate a scaling magnitude for the required scaling operation taking into account at least one second performance measurement result obtained for the application, wherein the scaling magnitude is indicative of a resource quantity to be added to or removed from the application; and

trigger generation of a scaling request, wherein the scaling request is directed at a scaling of the application based on the calculated scaling magnitude.

the application having the set of one or more virtual machines.