Instance Host Configuration via Control Server Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of managing and configuring large-scale computing resources in data centers, particularly due to the overhead of administrative control operations, impacts the responsiveness of virtualized resources and requires a more efficient approach to minimize administrative burdens.
Innovation Solution
A modular control software architecture that offloads configuration processing from instance hosts to control servers, using a layered approach with a workflow manager, command communicator, and remote command executor to perform low-level configuration commands, thereby reducing the administrative overhead and allowing for remote configuration of instance hosts across multiple geographical locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If virtualization technologies are used to share physical computing machines among multiple users, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but administrative control operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control server as an intermediary between users and physical computing machines. The control server handles all administrative control operations including receiving user requests, selecting appropriate physical machines, provisioning virtual machines, and managing configuration changes. This mediator approach allows multiple users to share physical resources efficiently while the control server absorbs the complexity of administrative operations, preventing this complexity from directly impacting user experience and system performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fleet of hardware platforms is expanded to support growing functionality, then service capability is improved, but configuration operation overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control server is designed as a universal platform capable of managing diverse hardware platforms through standardized interfaces. It can provision and configure virtual machines across different physical computing machine types, operating systems, and hardware configurations. This multi-functionality allows the system to expand its service capability to support various functionalities and hardware platforms while the control server handles all configuration operations centrally, preventing overhead from increasing linearly with fleet expansion.
3Manufacturing precision
If administrative control operations are performed directly on instance hosts, then configuration precision is maintained, but system responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts administrative control operations from instance hosts and consolidates them on dedicated control servers. The control server receives all configuration requests, performs precise configuration operations, and manages the entire lifecycle of virtual machines. This extraction ensures that configuration precision is maintained through centralized control while instance hosts remain focused on executing user workloads, thereby preventing administrative overhead from impacting system responsiveness and user-perceived performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatus for instance host configuration are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of instance hosts configurable for resource instances of a network-accessible service, and control servers to manage remote configuration of the instance hosts. In response to an instance configuration request from a client, a selected control server transmits, to a selected instance host, a sequence of one or more commands. The selected instance host instantiates a remote command executor. The remote command executor initiates configuration operations corresponding to the command sequence, and terminates. The selected control server provides a response to the instance configuration request, based at least in part on results of the operations initiated by the executor.