System and method for multiple virtual teams

• US 8,060,875 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lambeth, Walter Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente; Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huaracha; Willy W
• Application Number:
  US11/441,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 718/1, 718/101, 718/104, 718/105, 709/250, 709/238, 709/223, 709/224, 709/235, 709/246, 370/229
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

A system and method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces. A first virtual machine is assigned to a network interface according to a first rule and a second virtual machine is assigned to a network interface according to a second rule. The assignment rules are dependent on network conditions as determined through at least one of the network interfaces. The first rule and the second rule may specify assignments differently, such that the same network conditions may result in different assignments for the first and second virtual machines.

Claims

1. A method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first virtual machine operating in a computer system to a first network interface of said computer system;

assigning a second virtual machine operating in said computer system to said first network interface;

determining a first set of network conditions through said first network interface;

responsive to said first set of network conditions, reassigning said first virtual machine to a second network interface of said computer system and reassigning said second virtual machine to a third network interface of said computer system; and

wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface comprises connecting a first virtual network interface card to said first network interface and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said first network interface comprises connecting a second virtual network interface card to said first network interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a second set of network conditions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface is responsive to said second set of network conditions, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said first network interface is responsive to said second set of network conditions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface further comprises determining if said first set of network conditions are different from said second set of network conditions.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface and reassigning said second virtual machine to said third network interface is responsive to said first set of network conditions and said second set of network conditions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface is responsive to a first rule and said reassigning said second virtual machine to said third network interface is responsive to a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different assignments responsive to said first set of network conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface comprises querying said first network interface for network conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a virtual switch of said computer system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a virtual machine monitor of said computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in an operating system kernel of said computer system.

11. A method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first virtual machine operating in a computer system to a first network interface of said computer system;

assigning a second virtual machine operating in said computer system to a second network interface of said computer system;

determining a first set of network conditions through said first network interface;

responsive to said first set of network conditions, reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface; and

wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface comprises connecting a first virtual network interface card to said first network interface and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second network interface comprises connecting a second virtual network interface card to said second network interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to said first set of network conditions, reassigning said second virtual machine to a third network interface.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a second set of network conditions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface is responsive to said second set of network conditions, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second network interface is responsive to said second set of network conditions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface further comprises determining if said first set of network conditions are different from said second set of network conditions.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface is responsive to said first set of network conditions and said second set of network conditions.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface is responsive to a first rule and said assigning said second virtual machine to said first network interface is responsive to a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different reassignments responsive to said first set of network conditions.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface comprises querying said first network interface for network conditions.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed in a virtual switch of said computer system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed in a virtual machine monitor of said computer system.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed in an operating system kernel of said computer system.

22. A method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first virtual machine operating in a computer system to a first set of network interfaces of said computer system, said first set of network interfaces comprising a first network interface and a second network interface;

assigning a second virtual machine to a second set of network interfaces of said computer system, said second set of network interfaces comprising said second network interface and a third network interface;

determining a first set of network conditions through said first network interface;

responsive to said first set of network conditions, reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface, and reassigning said second virtual machine to said third network interface; and

wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first set of network interfaces comprises connecting a first virtual network interface card to said first network interface and said second network interface, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second set of network interfaces comprises connecting a second virtual network interface card to said second network interface and said third network interface.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a second set of network conditions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first set of network interfaces is responsive to said second set of network conditions, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second set of network interfaces is responsive to said second set of network conditions.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface further comprises determining if said first set of network conditions are different from said second set of network conditions.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface and reassigning said second virtual machine to said third network interface is responsive to said first set of network conditions and said second set of network conditions.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said reassigning said first virtual machine to said second network interface is responsive to a first rule and said reassigning said second virtual machine to said third network interface is responsive to a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different assignments responsive to said first set of network conditions.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein said determining said first set of network conditions through said first network interface comprises querying said first network interface for network conditions.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is performed in a virtual switch of said computer system.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is performed in a virtual machine monitor of said computer system.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is performed in an operating system kernel of said computer system.

32. A method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

determining network conditions through a first set of network interfaces of a computer system;

assigning a first virtual machine operating in said computer system to said first set of network interfaces, wherein said assignment is responsive to said network conditions and a first rule;

assigning a second virtual machine operating in said computer system to a second set of network interfaces of said computer system, wherein said assignment is responsive to said network conditions and a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different assignments responsive to said network conditions; and

wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first set of network interfaces comprises connecting a first virtual network interface card to said first set of network interfaces, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second set of network interfaces comprises connecting a second virtual network interface card to said second set of network interfaces.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said first set of network interfaces comprises a plurality of network interfaces, said plurality of network interfaces comprising at least a first network interface and a second network interface.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

assigning said first virtual machine to said first network interface.

35. A system for connecting a virtual machine to a network, the system comprising:

a first virtual network interface card;

a second virtual network interface card;

a first physical network interface card;

a second physical network interface card; and

a virtual switch, configured to determine network conditions through said first physical network interface card, connecting said first virtual network interface card to said first physical network interface card according to a first rule, and connecting said second virtual network interface card to said second network interface card according to a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different connections responsive to said network conditions.

36. The system of claim 35, additionally comprising:

a first virtual machine configured to transmit data through said first virtual network interface card; and

a second virtual machine configured to transmit data through said second virtual network interface card.

37. A non-transitory computer storage medium for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces, the non-transitory computer storage medium comprising a first computer-readable medium, the first computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for determining network conditions through a first set of network interfaces of a computer system;

computer code for assigning a first virtual machine operating in said computer system to said first set of network interfaces, wherein said assignment is responsive to said network conditions and a first rule;

computer code for assigning a second virtual machine operating in said computer system to a second set of network interfaces of said computer system, wherein said assignment is responsive to said network conditions and a second rule, wherein said first rule and said second rule specify different assignments responsive to said network conditions; and

wherein said assigning said first virtual machine to said first set of network interfaces comprises connecting a first virtual network interface card to said first set of network interfaces, and wherein said assigning said second virtual machine to said second set of network interfaces comprises connecting a second virtual network interface card to said second set of network interfaces.