Hypervisor Desired State Management for Compatible Host Updates

Solution Overview

Problem

Managing the lifecycle of hypervisors in virtualized computing systems is cumbersome and error-prone due to complex inter-dependencies between software components, making it challenging to update or remove components without introducing incompatibilities.

Innovation Solution

A management computer system that retrieves hypervisor binaries from hosts, identifies installed software components, and generates desired state documents to simplify the management process, avoiding incompatibilities by selecting software combinations already installed on the hosts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual compositing of software components is performed to create desired state files, then flexibility in selecting software components is improved, but complexity and error-proneness of the process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in selecting software componentsVSAvoidcomplexity of compositing process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates desired state files by extracting software component information from host inventories and comparing against target configurations. This self-service approach eliminates manual compositing while maintaining flexibility, as the system autonomously handles the complex task of composing valid software configurations based on actual host states and desired targets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of software component dependencies and compatibility before generating desired state files. By pre-validating software combinations and storing this information in inventories, the system avoids the complexity of real-time dependency checking during manual compositing, while still enabling flexible component selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual compositing of software components is performed to create desired state files, then customization of software configurations is improved, but time consumption and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization of software configurationsVSAvoidtime consumption for creating desired state files

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates desired state files by extracting software component information from host inventories and comparing against target configurations. This self-service approach eliminates manual compositing while maintaining flexibility, as the system autonomously handles the complex task of composing valid software configurations based on actual host states and desired targets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses compliance checking to provide feedback on whether hosts match desired states, and uses this feedback to guide automatic generation of updated desired state files. This closed-loop approach enables rapid iteration and customization without manual intervention, significantly improving productivity while maintaining configuration precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If desired state files are generated from existing host configurations, then compatibility and reliability of software updates is improved, but manual control over software selection is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility of software updatesVSAvoidmanual control over software selection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses compliance checking to provide feedback on whether hosts match desired states, and uses this feedback to guide automatic generation of updated desired state files. This closed-loop approach enables rapid iteration and customization without manual intervention, significantly improving productivity while maintaining configuration precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the balance between automated generation and manual control based on user needs. While the default behavior emphasizes reliability through automated generation from actual host states, the system allows administrators to override specific configurations and provide manual input when customization is required, making the control mechanism flexible rather than rigid.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4682709A1Transitioning hosts to desired state-based management

Publication Date: 2026.01.21 VMWARE INC

Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 2D

AI summary

A management computer is configured to manage a desired state for hypervisors of a plurality of host computers, by performing the steps of: retrieving from each of the host computers, a plurality of binary files of a hypervisor executing on the host computer; for the hypervisor of each of the host computers, identifying installed software from the retrieved plurality of binary files, including: (1) a version of a base software image of the hypervisor, and (2) one or more of: a driver of the hypervisor, firmware of the hypervisor, and a software component for a software solution of the hypervisor; and in response to a selection of the identified installed software for the hypervisor of a first host computer: generating a desired state document including the selected installed software; and determining, for each of the host computers, a compliance status of the host computer with the generated desired state document.