Live Migration Virtual Environments Zero Window Pause

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual environment migration technologies often result in downtime and packet loss due to the need to reset or shut down connections during the migration process, failing to meet stringent service level agreements for high availability and low latency requirements.

Innovation Solution

A method for live migration of virtual environments that maintains a single session by communicating an acknowledgement packet with a zero window credit or size to pause data transfer, allowing seamless transfer of virtual environment information and state between host systems without dropping packets, and maintaining a heartbeat to keep the connection active.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If virtual environment migration is performed using existing technologies, then the migration process can be completed, but downtime and packet loss occur due to connection reset or shutdown

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoiddowntime during migration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pausing data transmission before the migration process begins. The source host system sends a pause indication to the peer system, which stops sending data packets. This allows the virtual environment to be migrated without packet loss, as no new packets are generated during the transfer, while maintaining the connection alive through heartbeat messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent maintains continuity of useful action by keeping the connection between the peer system and host system alive throughout the migration process. Instead of shutting down connections, the system uses heartbeat messages to maintain the session, ensuring continuous service availability and eliminating downtime during the migration from source to target host.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Loss of information

If virtual environment migration is performed using existing technologies, then the migration can be executed, but packet loss occurs due to connection reset

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket lossVSAvoidmigration process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If connection is maintained alive during migration using heartbeat messages, then service availability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidconnection management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses heartbeat messages as an intermediary mechanism to maintain the connection between the peer system and host system during migration. These periodic keep-alive messages ensure the session remains active without requiring complex connection management, as they are simple, standardized protocol messages that automatically maintain the connection state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10540196B2Techniques to enable live migration of virtual environments

Publication Date: 2020.01.21 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Embodiments may be generally directed to techniques to receive an indication to perform a migration of a virtual environment and services from a first host system to a second host system, initiate the migration of the virtual environment and services by communicating information associated with the virtual environment and services from the first host system to a second host system, and communicate a data structure having a value to a peer system, the value set to cause the peer system to halt communication of information for the virtual environment to the first host system.