Container Policy-Based Provisioning in Virtualized Cloud
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current container provisioning systems do not allow users to select operational characteristics of the underlying platform for container execution, limiting user control over resource allocation and configuration.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for provisioning containers within a virtualized computing environment based on compute, storage, and network policies, allowing users to specify characteristics such as CPU, RAM, storage, and network settings through container placement policies, using a cloud director to identify and configure suitable virtual machines, disk files, and network interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If container provisioning is automated without user selection capability, then provisioning speed is improved, but user control over platform characteristics is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining container placement policies that include compute, storage, and network characteristics before actual container provisioning occurs. Users configure these policies in advance, specifying desired platform characteristics such as CPU requirements, storage types, and network configurations. When a container needs to be provisioned, the cloud director automatically matches available platforms against these pre-defined policies, enabling both user control and automated rapid provisioning without requiring user intervention during the actual provisioning process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users can select platform characteristics for container execution, then adaptability is improved, but provisioning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud director serves as an intermediary between users and the complex platform provisioning system. Users interact with the cloud director through simplified policy definitions, specifying their desired container placement criteria without needing to understand the underlying complexity of platform configurations. The cloud director then handles the complex task of matching container requirements against available platforms, evaluating compute, storage, and network characteristics, and automatically selecting appropriate platforms. This intermediary approach shields users from system complexity while maintaining full adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The container placement policy is segmented into distinct, manageable components: compute policies (CPU, memory requirements), storage policies (storage type, capacity, performance characteristics), and network policies (network bandwidth, connectivity requirements). Each segment can be independently configured and evaluated. This segmentation allows users to control specific platform characteristics without being overwhelmed by the entire system's complexity, as each policy component can be defined and managed separately by the cloud director.
3Manufacturing precision
If container placement policies include detailed compute, storage, and network specifications, then manufacturing precision is improved, but policy configuration difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud director implements a universal policy configuration interface that handles multiple policy types (compute, storage, network) through a single unified mechanism. Users define container placement policies using a consistent set of parameters and syntax that applies across all three policy domains. The cloud director's match-making functionality serves multiple purposes: it evaluates compute requirements, storage characteristics, and network configurations using the same underlying policy matching engine. This multi-functional approach enables precise container placement across diverse platform characteristics without requiring users to learn separate configuration methods for each policy type.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for placing containers in a cloud (e.g., into virtual machines (“VMs”)) based on container policies. The container policies may specify compute-related qualities, storage-related quality, and/or network-related qualities that are to be met by the underlying software and hardware that supports execution of the virtual machines. A cloud director or other entity receives requests to place containers in a particular virtual machine based on the container policies and directs placement of the virtual machine based on the policies. The cloud director may migrate and/or reconfigure VMs, virtual machine disk files, and/or virtual network interface controllers to satisfy the container placement policy. After placement, the cloud director may disable migration to maintain the VM in a desired state.