Application migration between clouds

• US 9,444,896 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zheng, Yuan, Armour, David James, Baron, Stephen Jason, Nystrm, Erik Stefan, Welch, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pant, Ranjan
• Application Number:
  US13/706,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to reinitiating an application on a target computing cloud and to evaluating potential target cloud computing systems. In one scenario, a computing system receives an indication that identifies a target cloud for application migration. The target cloud computing system includes a specified set of hardware and/or environment specifications, associated configuration settings and an assigned rating that indicates how well the application will perform on the target cloud computing system. The computing system determines that the application is to be reconfigured for compatibility with the target cloud computing system and reconfigures some or all of the application to comply with the hardware and/or environment specifications and configuration settings of the target cloud computing system. The computing system also identifies and transfers specified portions of the application to the target cloud, and indicates that the application is to be re-instantiated using the transferred application portions.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing system to perform a method for reinitiating an application on a target computing cloud, the method comprising the following;

receiving an indication that identifies a target cloud computing system to which an application is to be migrated, the target cloud computing system including a specified set of hardware specifications, a set of environment settings, one or more associated configuration settings and an assigned rating that indicates how well the application will perform on the target cloud computing system;

determining differences between the specified set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of the target host cloud and a set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of a current host cloud;

determining, based on the determined differences and at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system, that the application is to be reconfigured for compatibility with the target cloud computing system;

based on the determination, reconfiguring one or more portions of the application to comply with at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system;

identifying which one or more portions of the application are to be transferred to the target cloud computing system based on the reconfiguration;

transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system; and

indicating to the target cloud computing system that the application is to be re-instantiated on the target cloud computing system using the transferred application portions.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein re-initiating the application includes mapping the application to an existing application on the target cloud computing system.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein mapping the application to an existing application on the target cloud computing system comprises:

determining, based on at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system, that the application is to be mapped to one or more portions of an existing application on the target cloud computing system;

based on the determination, mapping the application to the one or more portions of the existing application on the target cloud computing system;

identifying which one or more portions of the application are to be transferred to the target cloud computing system based on the mapping;

transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system; and

indicating to the target cloud computing system that the application is to be re-instantiated on the target cloud computing system using the mapped and transferred application portions.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein one or more previous mappings are used to map the application to the one or more portions of the existing application on the target cloud computing system.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein user-confirmed mappings are used on subsequent application transfers for applications that are determined to be substantially similar.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the assigned rating is generated based on one or more criteria including security, reliability, price and energy savings.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein a plurality of target cloud computing systems are evaluated using the one or more criteria to determine an optimal target cloud on which the application is to be reinitiated.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the target cloud computing system comprises at least one of a private cloud and a public cloud.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of applications are reconfigured and reinitiated on the target cloud computing system simultaneously.

10. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more subsequent actions that are to be performed to reinitiate the application on the target cloud computing system; and

performing the determined one or more subsequent actions to reinitiate the application on the target cloud computing system.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system comprises transferring only application data.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system comprises transferring the application as a whole.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system comprises transferring a virtual disk on which the application is running.

14. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing system to perform a method for evaluating potential target cloud computing systems, the method comprising the following;

determining that one or more cloud computing systems are available for hosting an application;

evaluating the one or more cloud computing systems to determine which cloud computing system an application is to be migrated to, each cloud computing system including a specified set of hardware specifications, a set of environment settings, and associated configuration settings, the evaluation comprising determining a service rating for each cloud computing system that indicates whether the application is hostable by the target cloud computing system and how well the application will perform on the target cloud computing system; and

determining differences between the specified set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of the each cloud computing system and a set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of a current host cloud;

presenting the available cloud computing systems to one or more users via a user interface, each cloud computing system being presented with its corresponding service rating indicating how well the application will perform on the each cloud computing system.

15. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an indication that identifies at least one of the cloud computing systems as a target cloud computing system to which the application is to be migrated;

determining, based on at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings, and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system, whether the application is to be reconfigured for migration to the target cloud computing system or whether the application is to be mapped to an existing application on the target cloud computing system;

based on the determination, performing at least one of the following;

reconfiguring one or more portions of the application to comply with at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system; and

mapping the application to one or more portions of an existing application on the target cloud computing system;

identifying which one or more portions of the application are to be transferred to the target cloud computing system based on the mapping or reconfiguration;

transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system; and

indicating to the target cloud computing system that the migrated application is to be re-instantiated on the target cloud computing system using the transferred application portions.

16. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising receiving one or more user preferences from a user indicating the relative importance of each of a plurality of hosting criteria.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the service rating is determined using the user'"'"'s preferences in addition to the specified set of hardware specifications, the environment settings and associated configuration settings.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the user interface prompts the user to indicate one or more preferences that the user is willing to compromise.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the service rating is determined based on the specified set of hardware specifications, the environment settings, the associated configuration settings of the cloud and an identified workload resulting from the application that is to be reinitiated on the target cloud.

20. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing system to perform a method for evaluating potential target cloud computing systems, the method comprising the following;

determining that one or more cloud computing systems are available for hosting an application;

evaluating the one or more cloud computing systems to determine which cloud computing system an application is to be migrated to, each cloud computing system including a specified set of hardware specifications, a set of environment settings and associated configuration settings, the evaluation comprising determining a service rating for each cloud computing system that indicates whether the application is hostable by the target cloud computing system and how well the application will perform on the target cloud computing system;

presenting the available cloud computing systems to one or more users in a user interface, each cloud computing system being presented with its corresponding service rating as determined by the evaluation;

receiving at the user interface an indication that identifies at least one of the cloud computing systems as a target cloud computing system to which the application is to be migrated;

determining differences between the specified set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of the target host cloud and a set of hardware specifications, set of environment settings, and one or more associated configuration settings of a current host cloud for the application;

determining, based on the determined differences and at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system, whether the application is to be reconfigured for migration to the target cloud computing system or whether the application is to be mapped to an existing application on the target cloud computing system;

based on the determination, performing at least one of the following;

reconfiguring one or more portions of the application to comply with at least one of the hardware specifications, the environment settings and the configuration settings of the target cloud computing system, and

mapping the application to one or more portions of an existing application on the target cloud computing system;

identifying which one or more portions of the application are to be transferred to the target cloud computing system based on the mapping or reconfiguration;

transferring the identified application portions to the target cloud computing system; and

indicating to the target cloud computing system that the migrated application is to be re-instantiated on the target cloud computing system using the transferred application portions.