Dummy VM Precheck Workflow for Hybrid Cloud HCI Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prechecks for live storage migrations in hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) computing environments fail to reliably identify issues, leading to disruptions during VM migrations, particularly in complex hybrid deployments.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the instantiation of a dummy VM with matching configurations to the target VM, followed by a migration simulation to the destination host, analyzing communication and performance metrics, and adjusting migration parameters based on precheck results to ensure seamless transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional prechecks are performed before VM migration, then some issues can be identified, but many issues remain undetected leading to migration failures and disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a dummy migration of a test VM before the actual VM migration to proactively identify compatibility issues. This preliminary action includes copying the test VM to the destination host and verifying network connectivity and storage accessibility, thereby detecting potential problems before they affect the actual migration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of a test VM (dummy migration) that replicates the configuration and environment of the target VM. This copy is used to simulate and validate the migration process, network configurations, and storage access without affecting the actual VM, allowing issues to be identified and resolved beforehand
2Productivity
If network configurations are not verified before migration, then migration can proceed quickly, but network incompatibility causes migration failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs network connectivity verification as part of the dummy migration process before actual migration. It tests whether the destination host can communicate with storage resources and verifies network configuration compatibility, ensuring network readiness before committing to the actual migration
Solution Approach 2:
The test VM acts as an intermediary to validate network configurations and connectivity between the destination host and external resources such as storage. By using this intermediate test object, the system can verify network compatibility without directly risking the actual VM migration
3Productivity
If storage accessibility is not verified before migration, then migration can start immediately, but storage issues cause migration failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent verifies storage accessibility during the dummy migration phase by attempting to access storage resources from the destination host before actual migration. This ensures that storage paths, credentials, and connectivity are validated in advance, preventing storage-related migration failures
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of migrating an executing virtual machine, VM, from a source host computer (150-1) to a destination host computer (170-1), includes the steps of: issuing a first instruction to the source host computer (150-1) to instantiate a dummy VM (154-1) having a plurality of network configurations that match a corresponding plurality of network configurations of a target VM (154-2, 154-3); issuing second instructions to the source (150-1) and destination host computers (170-1) to migrate the dummy VM (154-1) from the source host computer (150-1) to the destination host computer (170-1); determining that the dummy VM (154-1) that has been migrated to the destination host computer (170-1) is able to communicate with the target VM (154-2, 154-3); and in response to determining that the migrated dummy VM (154-1) is able to communicate with the target VM (154-2, 154-3), issuing third instructions to the source (150-1) and destination host computers (170-1) to migrate the target VM (154-2, 154-3) from the source host computer (150-1) to the destination host computer (170-1).