Systems and methods for efficiently booting and configuring virtual servers

• US 9,116,715 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• 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): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): FABBRI, ANTHONY E
• Application Number:
  US12/025,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

Techniques for providing faster and more efficient ways to deploy virtual server configurations in a hosted virtual server service are described. Broadly, a base machine image is created with essential or standard virtual server functionality, and a configuration manager, which allows the virtual server to be customized after instantiation. This post-instantiation customization, which can include network or system parameters, software upgrades or modifications, role specification, specification of locations of other virtual servers, software installation, and loading of application data, allows virtual servers to be customized without the need for separate machine images for each virtual server instance.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the creation of configurable virtual server instances from machine images, the method comprising:

a. generating a first bootable base machine image, specifying a subset of desired virtual server capabilities and a configuration manager;

b. transmitting first instructions to a virtual server service to instantiate a first virtual server, wherein the first virtual server includes;

(i) a first instantiation of the subset of desired virtual server capabilities specified by the first bootable base machine image and (ii) a first instantiation of the configuration manager specified by the first bootable base machine image;

c. determining that the first instantiation of the configuration manager of the instantiated first virtual server is ready to receive first configuration information;

d. transmitting, to the first instantiation of the configuration manager, first configuration information to configure with first functionality the first instantiated virtual server;

e. generating a second bootable base machine image from the configured first instantiated virtual server, wherein the second bootable base machine image specifies the subset of desired virtual capabilities and the configuration manager;

f. transmitting second instructions to the virtual server service to instantiate a second virtual server, wherein the second virtual server includes;

(i) a second instantiation of the subset of desired virtual server capabilities specified by the second bootable base machine image, (ii) a second instantiation of the configuration manager specified by the second bootable base machine image, and (iii) the first functionality;

g. determining that the second instantiation of the configuration manager of the instantiated second virtual server is ready to receive second configuration information;

h. transmitting, to the second instantiation of the configuration manager, second configuration information to configure the second instantiated virtual server to replace the first functionality with second functionality that is different from the first functionality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises transmitting first instructions to a virtual server management service to instantiate the first virtual server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises transmitting, to the first instantiation of the configuration manager, first configuration information to configure with first functionality the first instantiated virtual server, the configuration information selected based upon a source IP address or key of the instantiated virtual server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted first configuration information comprises at least one script.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the script comprises executable instructions for downloading at least one file.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one attached file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface, the user interface accepting input from a user specifying the bootable subset of desired virtual server capabilities and accepting input of the first configuration information to be transmitted to the first instantiated virtual server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises receiving a request from the first configuration manager of the first instantiated virtual server for configuration information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises receiving an indication from a service instantiating the first bootable base machine image that the instantiation is complete.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises transmitting, to the first instantiation of the configuration manager, first configuration information for the first instantiated virtual server, the configuration information dependent on the state of at least one other virtual server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises transmitting first instructions to a virtual server management service to instantiate a first virtual server;

and further comprising displaying a user interface, the user interface accepting input from a user specifying the bootable subset of desired virtual server capabilities and accepting input of first configuration information to be transmitted to the first instantiated virtual server; and

embodying the configuration information in at least one script.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

i. determining that the second virtual server is to be reconfigured based on a state of the first virtual server;

j. transmitting, to the second virtual server, configuration information dependent on the state of the first virtual server.

13. A system for facilitating the creation of configurable virtual server instances from machine images, the system comprising:

a machine image generator creating a first bootable base machine image comprising a subset of desired virtual server capabilities and a configuration manager;

a transmitter sending to a second computing device, instructions to instantiate a first virtual server, wherein the first virtual server includes;

(i) a first instantiation of the subset of desired virtual server capabilities specified by the first bootable base machine image and (ii) a first instantiation of the configuration manager specified by the first bootable base machine image,

generate a second bootable base machine image from the configured first instantiated virtual server, wherein the second bootable base machine image specifies the subset of desired virtual capabilities and the configuration manager; and

instantiate a second virtual server, wherein the second virtual server includes;

(i) a second instantiation of the subset of desired virtual server capabilities specified by the second bootable base machine image and (ii) a second instantiation of the configuration manager specified by the second bootable base machine image; and

a receiver receiving, from the first instantiation of the configuration manager of the instantiated first virtual server, a request for first configuration information and receiving from the second instantiation of the configuration manager of the instantiated second virtual server a request for second configuration information;

wherein the transmitter transmits first configuration information to configure with the first instantiated first virtual server with first functionality, and transmits second configuration information to configure the second instantiated virtual server with second functionality that is different from the first functionality.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second computing device executes the first instantiation of the first bootable base machine image and the first instantiation of the configuration manager to process the received configuration information.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first computing device transmits instructions to a virtual server management service to instantiate the first bootable base machine image.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first computing device transmits, to the first instantiation of the configuration manager, configuration information for the first virtual server, the configuration information selected based upon a source IP address or key of the first virtual server.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one script.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the script comprises executable instructions for downloading at least one file.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one attached file.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display, in communication with the first computing device, which displays a user interface, the user interface accepting input from a user specifying the bootable subset of desired virtual server capabilities.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display, in communication with the first computing device, which displays a user interface, the user interface accepting input of the first configuration information to be transmitted to the first virtual server.