Mailbox-Based Communications for Cross-Environment Server Migration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for migrating server images between physical, virtual, and cloud environments are manual, time-consuming, error-prone, and limited by existing automated tools that do not support cross-environment migrations, particularly between cloud servers and corporate LAN environments.

Innovation Solution

A mailbox-based communications mechanism and a system comprising a capture agent, deploy agent, and migration manager that facilitate the migration of server images by capturing, storing, and deploying images across different server types, including physical, virtual, and cloud servers, while navigating security firewalls and ensuring scalability and fault-tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated migration tools are used, then productivity is improved, but they are limited to specific virtualization environments and cannot perform cross-environment migrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration automationVSAvoidcross-environment migration capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The migration system is designed to work across multiple virtualization environments (VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, Xen) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) through a universal agent architecture. The migration manager can orchestrate migrations between any supported source and destination environments, making the system versatile rather than environment-specific.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a file server with mailbox-based communication as an intermediary component that enables the migration manager to communicate with capture and deploy agents across firewall boundaries. This intermediary mechanism allows coordinated migration operations between different environments without requiring direct peer-to-peer communication that would be blocked by security firewalls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If direct communication between management processes is used, then ease of operation is improved, but security firewalls block communications between cloud servers and corporate LAN

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement communicationVSAvoidfirewall blocking

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from direct point-to-point communication to a file-based communication model where the migration manager uploads migration files to a file server, which then makes them available to agents. This dimensional shift from direct communication to indirect file-based communication allows the system to bypass firewall restrictions while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If manual migration processes are used, then adaptability to different environments is improved, but loss of time and productivity are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironment flexibilityVSAvoidmigration duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The capture agent performs preliminary actions by surveying the source server environment, capturing the server image, and preparing migration files before the actual migration occurs. The deploy agent similarly performs preliminary surveying of the target environment. This preliminary preparation enables automated execution while maintaining adaptability to different environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The migration system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the capture agent surveys the source environment, the deploy agent surveys the target environment, and the migration manager uses this information to orchestrate the migration process. This feedback loop ensures the automated process adapts to the specific characteristics of each environment while maintaining efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9258262B2Mailbox-based communications system for management communications spanning multiple data centers and firewalls

Publication Date: 2016.02.09 RACEMI

AI summary

System and methods for effecting communications between a trusted management process and one or more managed processes in a distributed computing environment where direct communications between processes via a data communications network is blocked by a firewall or other security system. The method includes a file server that is accessible to all communicating processes. The file server provides a secure mailbox for each managed process. The mailbox is used to hold messages that are stored as individual files. The management and managed processes communicate by writing and reading files in the mailbox of the managed process. The stateless manner of the message-based communications makes it easy to replicate the management process in order to provide scalability and fault-tolerance for the management functions.