Managing an independent virtual disk

• US 9,032,402 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Yufeng, Zhang, Xiaopeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US13/829,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing an independent virtual disk. The method includes creating an independent virtual disk; in response to the creating the independent virtual disk, creating a first virtual machine; and attaching an independent virtual disk to the first virtual machine; and managing the independent virtual disk by controlling the first virtual machine that is attached to the independent virtual disk.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing an independent virtual disk, said computer-implemented method comprising:

creating an independent virtual disk;

in response to said creating said independent virtual disk, creating a first virtual machine, wherein said first virtual machine is a shell virtual machine created solely for holding said independent virtual disk;

attaching an independent virtual disk to said first virtual machine; and

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said first virtual machine that is attached to said independent virtual disk.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said creating an independent virtual disk further comprises:

creating an independent internal virtual disk.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said creating an independent virtual disk further comprises:

creating an independent external virtual disk.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said first virtual machine further comprises:

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said first virtual machine by a virtual infrastructure management system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said first virtual machine further comprises:

managing a plurality of independent virtual disks by controlling said first virtual machine.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said first virtual machine further comprises:

moving said independent virtual disk from a first data store to a second data store by moving said first virtual machine from said first data store to said second data store.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk further comprises:

deleting said independent virtual disk.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

destroying said first virtual machine in response to detaching said independent virtual disk from said first virtual machine.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

attaching said independent virtual disk to a second virtual machine.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a universal unique identifier of said independent virtual disk with a universal unique identifier of said first virtual machine.

11. A computer-implemented method for managing an independent virtual disk, said computer-implemented method comprising:

detaching an independent virtual disk from a virtual machine;

in response to said detaching said independent virtual disk, automatically creating a shell virtual machine solely for holding said independent virtual disk; and

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine attached to said independent virtual disk.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said detaching an independent virtual disk further comprises:

detaching an independent internal virtual disk.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said detaching an independent virtual disk further comprises:

detaching an external virtual disk.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine further comprises:

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine by a virtual infrastructure management system, wherein said virtual infrastructure management system would not be able to manage said independent virtual disk otherwise.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied therein when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for managing an independent virtual disk, said method comprising:

detaching an independent virtual disk from a virtual machine;

automatically creating a shell virtual machine solely for holding said independent virtual disk; and

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine attached to said independent virtual disk.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk further comprises:

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine by a virtual infrastructure management system, wherein said virtual infrastructure management system would not be able to manage said independent virtual disk otherwise.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein said managing said independent virtual disk further comprises:

migrating said independent virtual disk from a first data store to a second data store by migrating said first machine virtual machine from said first data store to said second data store.

18. A computer-implemented method for managing an independent virtual disk, said computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring virtual machine events in a computing environment;

determining there is an independent virtual disk unattached to a first virtual machine based on said virtual machine events;

automatically creating a shell virtual machine solely for holding said unattached independent virtual disk; and

managing said independent virtual disk by controlling said shell virtual machine attached to said independent virtual disk.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that said independent virtual disk is attached to a second virtual machine.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

destroying said shell virtual machine in response to said determining that said independent virtual disk is attached to said second virtual machine.