Allocating all or a portion of the memory in a cache module in each hypervisor in a pool of hypervisors to form a shared cache module to be utilized by the virtual machines run by the pool of hypervisors

• US 9,311,132 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bernal, Edward R., Heninger, Ivan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US14/498,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20160092255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 718101-108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for efficiently utilizing a virtual file system cache across cloud computing nodes. A determination is made as to which hypervisors will be able to share all or a portion of the memory in its cache module (look-aside cache) to become a hypervisor in a “pool of hypervisors” based on the workload of the virtual machines run by the hypervisor. All or a portion of the memory in the cache module in each hypervisor in the pool of hypervisors that is available to be utilized by other virtual machines is allocated to form a “shared cache module” to be utilized by virtual machines run by the pool of hypervisors. In this manner, the look-aside cache available to the hypervisor will be utilized more effectively since any available memory can be utilized by other virtual machines running on different hypervisors on different cloud computing nodes.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently utilizing a virtual file system cache across cloud computing nodes, the method comprising:

identifying which hypervisors in a cluster of cloud computing nodes have a look-aside cache available to it;

determining, by a processor, which of said hypervisors in said cluster of cloud computing nodes will share all or a portion of memory in said lookaside cache to become a hypervisor in a pool of hypervisors based on input/output operations of virtual machines running by said hypervisor in said cluster of cloud computing nodes;

allocating all or a portion of said memory in said look-aside cache in each hypervisor in said pool of hypervisors available to be utilized by other virtual machines run by different hypervisors on different cloud computing nodes to form a shared cache module to be utilized by virtual machines run by said pool of hypervisors;

migrating a virtual machine from a first cloud computing node to a second cloud computing node; and

facilitating movement of said virtual machine from said first cloud computing node to said second cloud computing node by having said migrated virtual machine continue to utilize said shared cache module.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said shared cache module is a flash cache module.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said shared cache module is a solid-state device.

4. A computer program product for efficiently utilizing a virtual file system cache across cloud computing nodes, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:

identifying which hypervisors in a cluster of cloud computing nodes have a look-aside cache available to it;

determining which of said hypervisors in said cluster of cloud computing nodes will share all or a portion of memory in said look-aside cache to become a hypervisor in a pool of hypervisors based on input/output operations of virtual machines running by said hypervisor in said cluster of cloud computing nodes;

allocating all or a portion of said memory in said look-aside cache in each hypervisor in said pool of hypervisors available to be utilized by other virtual machines run by different hypervisors on different cloud computing nodes to form a shared cache module to be utilized by virtual machines run by said pool of hypervisors;

migrating a virtual machine from a first cloud computing node to a second cloud computing node; and

facilitating movement of said virtual machine from said first cloud computing node to said second cloud computing node by having said migrated virtual machine continue to utilize said shared cache module.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 4, wherein said shared cache module is a flash cache module.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said shared cache module is a solid-state device.

7. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for efficiently utilizing a virtual file system cache across cloud computing nodes; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising;

identifying which hypervisors in a cluster of cloud computing nodes have a look-aside cache available to it;

determining which of said hypervisors in said cluster of cloud computing nodes will share all or a portion of memory in said lookaside cache to become a hypervisor in a pool of hypervisors based on input/output operations of virtual machines running by said hypervisor in said cluster of cloud computing nodes;

allocating all or a portion of said memory in said lookaside cache in each hypervisor in said pool of hypervisors available to be utilized by other virtual machines run by different hypervisors on different cloud computing nodes to form a shared cache module to be utilized by virtual machines run by said pool of hypervisors;

migrating a virtual machine from a first cloud computing node to a second cloud computing node; and

facilitating movement of said virtual machine from said first cloud computing node to said second cloud computing node by having said migrated virtual machine continue to utilize said shared cache module.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said shared cache module is a flash cache module.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said shared cache module is a solid-state device.