METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS TO REMOTELY START A VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20160127509A1
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Uriel, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 10,079,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to remotely start a virtual machine are disclosed herein. An example method to remotely start a virtual machine includes requesting, at a network device, allocation of a network address to the network device, the network address formerly being allocated to the virtual machine and generating, with the network device, a user interface. The user interface presents an option to start at least one of the virtual machine and an operating system installed in the virtual machine. Some example methods also include requesting, at the network device, release of the network address based on a selection of the option to start the virtual machine. Release of the network address causes the network address to be available for re-allocation to the virtual machine. The example methods can further include generating an instruction to start the virtual machine when the option to start the virtual machine is selected.

Claims

1. A method to start a virtual machine, the method comprising:

requesting, at a network device, allocation of a network address to the network device, the network address formerly being allocated to the virtual machine;

generating, with the network device, a user interface, the user interface presenting an option to start at least one of the virtual machine and an operating system installed in the virtual machine; and

requesting, at the network device, release of the network address based on a selection of the option to start the virtual machine, release of the network address causing the network address to be available for re-allocation to the virtual machine.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating an instruction to start the virtual machine when the option to start the virtual machine is selected, release of the network address being requested before the virtual machine is started.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining, at the network device, whether the virtual machine is non-responsive, allocation of the network address being requested when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive, determining whether the network address is still allocated to the virtual machine; and

if the network address is still allocated to the virtual machine, causing the network address to be released from allocation to the virtual machine.

5. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a starter module assigned to start the virtual machine; and

notifying the starter module when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein requesting allocation of the network address to the network device comprises sending a request from the network device to a DHCP server.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein generating the instruction to start the virtual machine when the option to start the virtual machine is selected includes sending an instruction to a hypervisor associated with the virtual machine, the hypervisor to respond to the instruction by starting the virtual machine.

8. A tangible machine readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

request a network address be assigned to a virtual machine starter, the network address formerly being assigned to a virtual machine;

generate a user interface at the virtual machine starter, the user interface presenting an option to start the virtual machine; and

request the network address be released from assignment to the virtual machine starter based on a selection of the option to start the virtual machine.

9. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to start the virtual machine when the option to start the virtual machine is selected.

10. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 9 wherein the instruction to start the virtual machine comprises an instruction to reboot a guest operating system installed in the virtual machine.

11. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine whether the virtual machine is non-responsive, assignment of the network address being requested when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive.

12. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive, determine whether the network address is still allocated to the virtual machine; and

if the network address is still allocated to the virtual machine, cause the network address to be released from allocation to the virtual machine.

13. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 wherein the request for assignment of the network address is sent to a dynamic host configuration protocol server.

14. An apparatus to start a virtual machine, the apparatus comprising:

an identity requestor to request assignment of an IP address formerly assigned to the virtual machine;

a user interface generator to generate a user interface presenting an option to start the virtual machine; and

an identity releaser to release the IP address based on start of the virtual machine.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein the identity releaser is further to release the IP address from assignment to the virtual machine, if the request for assignment of the IP address is denied.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a starter module, the starter module to cause the virtual machine to start based on selection of the option to start the virtual machine.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the starter module is to generate a start instruction for transmission to a hypervisor associated with the virtual machine.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a monitor to determine whether the virtual machine is non-responsive, the identity requestor to request assignment of the IP address when the virtual machine is determined to be non-responsive.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein the virtual machine is a first virtual machine of a plurality of virtual machines, the IP address is a first IP address of a plurality of IP addresses, and the monitor is to monitor the responsiveness of the plurality of virtual machines, the apparatus further comprising:

a starter manager to transmit information identifying the first IP address to the identity requestor based on a determination by the monitor that the operational status of the first virtual machine is non-responsive.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of virtual machines is assigned a respective IP address, the apparatus further comprising:

a data storage to store information identifying the virtual machines and respective IP addresses, the starter manager to access the data storage to identify a respective one of the IP addresses assigned to one of the plurality of virtual machines that the monitor has determined to be non-responsive.