Performing maintenance operations on cloud computing node without requiring to stop all virtual machines in the node

• US 9,015,325 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abbondanzio, Antonio, Ashok, Rohith K., Brabson, Roy F., Hockett, Hugh E., Hogstrom, Matt R., Howard, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/858,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for performing maintenance operations on a cloud computing node. An administrative server receives an indication that a maintenance operation is to be performed on a cloud computing node. The administrative server identifies which virtual machine(s) on the cloud computing node will be affected by the maintenance operation. The administrative server relocates the virtual machine(s) to be affected by the maintenance operation to other suitable cloud computing node(s) prior to the maintenance operation being performed. The administrative server then performs the maintenance operation on the cloud computing node. The virtual machine(s) may be relocated back to the cloud computing node after the maintenance operation is completed in response to a need to rebalance resources in such a manner. In this manner, maintenance operations may be performed on a cloud computing node without requiring to stop all the virtual machines in the node.

Claims

1. A method for performing maintenance operations on a cloud computing node, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a maintenance operation is to be performed on said cloud computing node;

identifying one or more virtual machines in said cloud computing node that will be affected by said maintenance operation;

relocating said one or more virtual machines to one or more other cloud computing nodes prior to said maintenance operation;

performing, by a processor, said maintenance operation on said cloud computing node; and

relocating one or more of said one or more virtual machines back to said cloud computing node and/or to one or more other cloud computing nodes after said maintenance operation on said cloud computing node is completed in response to a need to rebalance resources in such a manner.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

notifying a user that one or more of said one or more virtual machines can be relocated if said user temporarily overrides a policy until said maintenance operation is completed.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

overriding said policy until said maintenance operation is completed.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

presenting a user with a choice of one or more other virtual machines to be suspended in response to one or more of said one or more virtual machines being able to be relocated if not for a lack of resources in a cloud computing environment.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more of said one or more other virtual machines to be suspended;

suspending said selected one or more other virtual machines until said maintenance operation is completed; and

resuming said suspended one or more other virtual machines after said maintenance operation is completed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

presenting a user with a choice of one or more other virtual machines to be terminated in response to one or more of said one or more virtual machines being able to be relocated if not for a lack of resources in a cloud computing environment.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more of said one or more other virtual machines to be terminated; and

terminating operation of said selected one or more other virtual machines.