Dynamic Virtual Machine Deployment via Linked Clone Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual machine deployment methods, such as Full Clone and Linked Clone, face inefficiencies in terms of speed and resource utilization, with Full Clones taking minutes to deploy and Linked Clones becoming computationally slow in write-intensive environments due to continuous disk segment allocation and management.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic virtual machine deployment system that initially deploys as a Linked Clone and gradually copies additional virtual memory segments using look-ahead functions, transitioning to a Full Clone when resources are available, pausing or adjusting based on resource utilization thresholds to optimize performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Full Clone virtual machine is deployed by copying entire virtual disk from master image, then the virtual machine runs at optimal speed, but deployment time takes several minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtual disk copying process into multiple phases: initial Linked Clone phase (copying only changed pages), intermediate phase (copying additional segments as needed), and final Full Clone phase (completing the copy). This segmentation allows the system to balance deployment speed with performance optimization by transitioning between clone types based on resource availability and performance requirements.
2Loss of time
If Linked Clone virtual machine is deployed by copying only changed pages, then deployment time is reduced to seconds and initial disk size is minimized, but write operations become computationally slow due to continuous segment allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic deployment approach where the virtual machine starts as a Linked Clone and dynamically transitions to a Full Clone based on resource availability and performance requirements. The system monitors resource thresholds and automatically adjusts the clone type, making the deployment process adaptive rather than static. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize for speed initially, then transition to performance optimization when resources permit.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Linked Clone virtual machine continuously allocates and manages new disk segments during write operations, then the virtual disk grows to accommodate changes, but computational overhead increases causing slow performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-allocating and copying additional virtual memory segments from the master image before they are actually needed by the application. The look-ahead functions identify segments that will be accessed soon and proactively copy them, reducing the need for continuous segment allocation during write operations and thereby improving performance while maintaining adaptability.
4Productivity
If additional virtual memory segments are copied proactively using look ahead functions, then the virtual machine becomes fully functional faster, but resource utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring resource utilization thresholds and using look-ahead functions to predict future segment access patterns. The system continuously feedback on resource availability and adjusts the copying rate accordingly, pausing when resources are constrained and resuming when resources become available. This feedback-driven approach balances functionality deployment speed with resource conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual machine data handling system includes a data handling system, a hypervisor, and a dynamically deployed virtual machine. The data handling system includes a plurality of physical computing resources (e.g., a processor and a memory). The hypervisor is implemented by the processor and the memory and deploys virtual machines from a master image. The dynamically deployed virtual machine is initially deployed by the hypervisor as a Linked Clone of the master image. The dynamically deployed virtual machine is subsequently dynamically deployed by the hypervisor copying a plurality of virtual memory segments from the master image until the dynamically deployed virtual machine is an independent Full Clone of the master image. The hypervisor may copy the plurality of virtual memory segments from the master image if at least one of the physical resources is operating below a utilization threshold.