Guest-Driven Virtual Machine Snapshot Interface

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual machine snapshot generation systems often fail to capture the most opportune moments for snapshot creation due to external initiation, lacking adequate information about the execution of applications within the virtual machine, which can lead to missed opportunities for snapshot initiation before risky operations.

Innovation Solution

A guest-driven snapshot interface is provided within the virtual machine, allowing applications to request snapshots directly through an API, with an admission controller filtering requests based on authorization, priority, and network bandwidth to ensure timely and efficient snapshot creation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If snapshot initiation is controlled by external systems, then system control and management is simplified, but the ability to capture opportune moments for snapshots is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesnapshot initiation controlVSAvoidsnapshot timing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual machine is equipped with a snapshot interface that enables it to autonomously initiate snapshot requests based on its own execution state and internal conditions, without requiring external system intervention for timing decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The snapshot interface monitors the virtual machine's execution state and provides feedback to determine optimal snapshot timing, allowing the system to capture snapshots at opportune moments based on actual runtime conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If external systems monitor virtual machine execution, then system-wide coordination is improved, but information completeness about application execution is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem coordination efficiencyVSAvoidapplication execution information

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The snapshot functionality is segmented into a dedicated interface within the virtual machine, separating the information-gathering function from the external monitoring system and enabling direct access to internal execution state

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If snapshot requests are filtered by admission controller, then system resource management is improved, but snapshot request responsiveness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidsnapshot request processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The admission controller pre-establishes filtering criteria and authorization rules before snapshot requests arrive, enabling rapid evaluation and decision-making without complex real-time analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11461121B2Guest-driven virtual machine snapshots

Publication Date: 2022.10.04 RED HAT INC

AI summary

Systems and methods include a snapshot interface to receive, from an application executing within a virtualized execution environment, a request to generate a snapshot of the virtualized execution environment. The snapshot interface forwards the request to generate the snapshot to a virtualization manager. The snapshot interface then receives, from the virtualization manager, a result of the request to generate the snapshot, the result indicating whether the snapshot was generated. Finally, the snapshot interface forwards, to the application, the result of the request.