Linked Clone VM Migration for Remote Desktop Latency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Remote desktop connections from mobile devices often experience poor network performance due to the distance between the client device and the virtual machine hosting site, leading to a suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
The technique involves migrating a linked clone virtual machine to a hosting site proximate to the client device's location, using a 'cold' migration method that transfers only the redo log, allowing for faster connectivity and improved performance by maintaining active and passive links to base VMs at different locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the VM remains hosted at the original remote server location, then the VM can maintain stable provisioning and configuration, but network performance deteriorates due to long-distance connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic VM migration by monitoring client device locations and automatically relocating VMs to hosting sites proximate to the clients. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the VM to maintain stable provisioning through automated orchestration while improving network speed through geographic proximity, transforming a static provisioning model into an adaptive one that responds to changing client locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a location-based orchestration system as an intermediary that manages VM placement between client devices and hosting sites. This intermediary monitors client locations, identifies optimal hosting sites, and coordinates VM migration, thereby resolving the contradiction by mediating between the need for stable provisioning and the requirement for fast network connectivity through intelligent intermediation.
2Speed
If a full VM migration is performed to relocate the VM to a proximate hosting site, then network performance improves, but data transfer time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the VM into two components: the base VM image that remains at the original hosting site, and the incremental changes (delta) that are migrated to the proximate hosting site. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing the critical connectivity improvement through minimal data transfer while maintaining the bulk of VM data in place, thereby reducing migration time and resource consumption while still achieving faster network performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of only the necessary VM components (incremental changes and configuration data) rather than migrating the entire VM. This copying approach resolves the contradiction by transferring minimal data to achieve the connectivity improvement, significantly reducing migration time and resource consumption while still enabling the VM to run from the proximate hosting site with improved network performance.
3Ease of operation
If the VM is migrated to follow the client device location, then network performance and user experience improve, but system complexity increases due to migration management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically monitors client device locations, identifies optimal hosting sites, and executes VM migrations without manual intervention. This self-service approach resolves the contradiction by automating the complex migration management processes, thereby improving user experience through consistent performance while hiding the underlying system complexity from users and operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors client device locations and performance metrics, using this information to automatically trigger and manage VM migrations. This feedback-driven approach resolves the contradiction by creating a self-regulating system that adapts to changing conditions, improving user experience through responsive performance management while automating the complexity of migration decision-making and execution.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for migrating a linked clone virtual machine (VM) based on a location of a client device. In one embodiment, a client device transmits its location to a VM management center, and a migration application running thereon determines whether the client device and a linked clone VM to which the client device is attempting to connect are at the same location. If the client device and the linked clone VM are not at the same location, the migration application identifies a VM hosting site proximate to the client device, and instructs a hypervisor to "cold" migrate the linked clone VM and its associated redo log to a VM host and a storage device, respectively, at the identified VM hosting site. The link clone VM may then be "actively" linked to a base VM at the VM hosting site, while maintaining "passive" links to base VM(s) at other locations.