Systems and methods for efficiently managing and configuring virtual servers

• US 8,601,375 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RightScale Incorporated (Flexera Software LLC)
• Original Assignee: RightScale Incorporated (Flexera Software LLC)
• Inventors: von Eicken, Thorsten, Saavedra, Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US13/538,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 715/735, 715/736
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

The present invention is related to providing faster and more efficient ways to deploy and manage virtual server configurations in a hosted virtual server service. Broadly, a web interface allows a user to set conditions upon which specific types of virtual servers will be instantiated or terminated on a third-party hosted virtual server service. For example, the user may wish to instantiate a new virtual server each time the load on existing virtual servers exceeds a predetermined threshold. The web interface may also allow a user to select from among a plurality of hosted virtual server services. The web interface may further allow a user to incorporate dynamic variables into configurations of instantiated virtual servers.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently deploying and managing configurable virtual server instances in a hosted virtual server service, the method comprising:

a. receiving from a user an identification of a policy to be associated with a virtual server configuration selected from a plurality of virtual server configurations and to be used for deciding when to instantiate or destroy virtual server instances corresponding to the configuration;

b. invoking, by a virtual server manager, the policy;

c. retrieving periodically, by the virtual server manager, a result from the policy;

d. transmitting, by the virtual server manager to a virtual hosting service, responsive to the retrieved result, instructions to instantiate a first virtual server instance and a second virtual server instance, both corresponding to the associated virtual server configuration; and

e. configuring, by the virtual server manager, the first virtual server instance with information dependent on the second virtual server instance, wherein configuring comprises;

i. transmitting incomplete configuration information to the instantiated first virtual server instance, the incomplete configuration information missing at least one item of information dependent on the second virtual server instance;

ii. obtaining, from the instantiated second virtual server instance, the at least one item of information missing from the incomplete configuration information; and

iii. transmitting, subsequent to transmitting incomplete configuration information, the obtained item of information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the user a virtual server image and a boot script associated with the virtual server configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a policy from the user comprises receiving a policy comprising an elasticity threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein retrieving periodically comprises retrieving periodically an instruction from the policy to instantiate or destroy a virtual server configuration.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying virtual server instance usage statistics to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating an execution environment for the identified policy and executing the identified policy in the created environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting periodically a request for a result to the identified policy.

8. The method of claim 7 further creating an execution environment for the identified policy and executing the identified policy in the created environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the incomplete configuration information comprises an indicator for the missing at least one item of information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual server instance requires configuration information dependent on the first virtual server instance.

11. A system for efficiently deploying and managing configurable virtual server instances in a hosted virtual server service, the system comprising:

a. means for receiving from a user an identification of a policy to be associated with a virtual server configuration selected from a plurality of virtual server configurations and to be used for deciding when to instantiate or destroy virtual server instances corresponding to the configuration;

b. means for invoking the policy;

c. means for retrieving periodically, by the virtual server manager, a result from the policy;

d. means for transmitting, to a virtual hosting service, responsive to the retrieved result,

an instruction to instantiate a first virtual server instance corresponding to the associated virtual server configuration and

an instruction to instantiate a second virtual server instance corresponding to the associated virtual server configuration; and

e. means for configuring the first virtual server instance with information dependent on the second virtual server instance, wherein configuring comprises;

i. transmitting incomplete configuration information to the instantiated first virtual server instance, the incomplete configuration information missing at least one item of information dependent on the second virtual server instance;

ii. obtaining, from the instantiated second virtual server instance, the at least one item of information missing from the incomplete configuration information; and

iii. transmitting, subsequent to transmitting incomplete configuration information, the obtained item of information.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for receiving a selection from the user identifying a virtual server image and a boot script associated with the virtual server configuration.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein receiving a policy from the user comprises receiving a policy comprising an elasticity threshold.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the retrieving means retrieves an instruction to instantiate or destroy a virtual server instance corresponding to the virtual server configuration.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for displaying virtual server instance usage statistics to the user.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for creating an execution environment for the identified policy and means for executing the identified policy in the created environment.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for transmitting periodically a request for a result to the identified policy.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for creating an execution environment for the identified policy and executing the identified policy in the created environment.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the incomplete configuration information comprises an indicator for the missing at least one item of information.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the second virtual server instance requires configuration information dependent on the first virtual server instance.