Hypervisor Packet Timestamping for Virtualization Performance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current performance measurement methods in communication networks fail to account for the impact of virtualization, making it difficult to determine and localize performance degradation between nodes, especially when one or both nodes run a hypervisor executing a virtual machine.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a hypervisor intercepts packets between a virtual machine and a peer node, inserting time stamps to enable performance measurement, allowing for the differentiation of network and virtualization-related delays, and facilitating system diagnostics without affecting the virtual machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard performance measurement protocols (TWAMP, OWAMP) are used between two nodes, then network performance parameters (RTT, packet loss) can be measured, but the impact of virtualization on performance cannot be determined or localized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (hypervisor timestamping mechanism) that operates between the virtual machine and the physical network interface. This intermediary adds timestamp information at multiple points (VM level, hypervisor level, physical interface level) without requiring changes to the standard TWAMP/OWAMP protocols, thereby enabling virtualization impact measurement while maintaining protocol compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the performance measurement process into distinct measurable segments by adding timestamps at multiple levels: virtual machine level timestamps, hypervisor level timestamps, and physical interface level timestamps. This segmentation allows isolation and measurement of performance characteristics at each layer, enabling identification of where virtualization impacts performance
2Productivity
If virtualization is implemented to share hardware resources and increase utilization, then resource efficiency improves, but performance degradation due to virtualization cannot be detected or localized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where timestamp data collected at multiple levels is analyzed to provide information about virtualization-induced performance degradation. The system compares timestamps from different levels (VM vs. hypervisor vs. physical interface) to calculate and report virtualization overhead, enabling operators to detect and measure the impact of virtualization on performance
Solution Approach 2:
The hypervisor timestamping mechanism serves as an intermediary that captures performance data without disrupting the virtualized environment. It transparently adds timestamp information to measurement packets passing through the virtualization layer, enabling detection of virtualization impact while maintaining the benefits of resource sharing and hardware utilization
3Measurement precision
If the hypervisor intercepts and processes measurement packets to add timestamp information, then virtualization impact can be measured, but additional processing overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the hypervisor establish timestamping capabilities and identify measurement packets before they require full processing. By pre-marking measurement packets and preparing timestamp structures in advance, the hypervisor minimizes the processing time required during actual measurement operations, reducing the overhead introduced by interception and timestamping
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a hypervisor executing a virtual machine for enabling a performance measurement between the virtual machine and a peer node, and a method performed by a physical machine comprising the hypervisor are provided. The method performed by the hypervisor comprises intercepting a packet transmitted from, or destined to, the virtual machine, the packet comprising a destination address to the virtual machine or to the peer node, and determining whether to insert a hypervisor time stamp or not in the packet. The method further comprises, when it is determined to insert the hypervisor time stamp in the packet, inserting a hypervisor time stamp in the packet, and forwarding the packet to its destination according to the destination address.