Live Virtual Machine Migration with Network Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual machine migration techniques experience downtime and performance issues due to lost or delayed network notifications during the migration process, leading to incomplete network reconfiguration and disruptions in guest operating systems and applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of live virtual machine migration mechanisms that copy the virtual machine's execution state from an origin host to a destination host without disrupting the guest operating system, involving initial and final stages of migration, where network reconfiguration is ensured by transmitting data and verifying its completion before finalizing the migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional virtual machine migration techniques are used, then the virtual machine can be moved from one host to another, but network notifications may be lost or delayed causing downtime and performance issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing network reconfiguration at the destination host before actually transferring the virtual machine. The destination host is pre-configured with the virtual machine's network information (MAC address, IP address) and network devices are updated in advance. This ensures that when the virtual machine is transferred, network connectivity is immediately established without loss or delay of notifications, thus eliminating downtime while maintaining migration reliability.
2Productivity
If network reconfiguration is performed during migration, then network connectivity can be maintained, but network notifications may be lost or delayed causing incomplete reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the traditional migration sequence. Instead of transferring the virtual machine first and then configuring the network (which causes notification loss), the patent configures the network at the destination host first, then transfers the virtual machine. This inverted approach ensures network devices are ready to immediately recognize and communicate with the virtual machine upon arrival, maintaining both continuous operation and complete reconfiguration reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the destination host monitors and confirms successful network reconfiguration before finalizing the virtual machine transfer. The system verifies that network devices have been properly updated with the virtual machine's information and that connectivity is established. This feedback loop ensures complete and reliable network reconfiguration while maintaining continuous virtual machine operation throughout the process.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure provide for mechanisms for virtual machine migration. A method of the disclosure includes: initiating migration of a virtual machine from an origin computer system to a destination computer system; determining, by a processing device, whether network reconfiguration has been completed for the migration of the virtual machine; stopping, by an origin hypervisor running on the origin computer system, the virtual machine on the origin computer system in response to determining that the network reconfiguration has been completed; and starting, by a destination hypervisor running on the destination computer system, the virtual machine on the destination computer system. In some embodiments, determining whether the network reconfiguration has been completed includes determining whether the designation hypervisor has received a threshold amount of data addressed to the virtual machine.