Orphan Virtual Machine Discovery and VNF Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cloud platforms adopting Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), orphan Virtual Machines (VMs) created prior to NFV implementation are not visible to the controller, leading to inefficient resource management, waste, and unmanageable scaling operations due to lack of visibility and manual matching challenges.
Innovation Solution
A controller discovers and maps orphan VMs to corresponding Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) using available information, enabling visibility and automatic organization, thus allowing for scale in/scale out operations and policy application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual matching of orphan VMs to VNFs is performed, then visibility of orphan VMs is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic discovery and mapping of orphan VMs to VNFs through self-service mechanisms. The controller autonomously identifies orphan VMs by analyzing resource usage patterns and network traffic, then automatically maps them to corresponding VNFs without requiring manual intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between visibility improvement and time consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of matching VMs to VNFs with an automated information processing system. The controller uses discovery mechanisms to automatically detect orphan VMs and applies mapping algorithms to associate them with VNFs based on resource correlations, substituting human-operated mechanical matching with automated computational processes
2Stability of the object's composition
If orphan VMs are left undiscovered, then system operation continues without interruption, but resource management efficiency deteriorates and resource wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors resource usage patterns and network traffic to discover orphan VMs. This feedback loop enables the system to identify previously unknown VMs, map them to VNFs, and optimize resource allocation, thereby preventing resource wastage while maintaining system operation continuity through gradual integration rather than disruptive changes
3Speed
If scaling operations are performed without visibility of orphan VMs, then scaling speed is maintained, but accuracy of scaling operations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary discovery and mapping of orphan VMs before scaling operations are executed. By pre-identifying all VMs including orphans and establishing their mappings to VNFs, the system ensures accurate resource inventory is available when scaling decisions are made, thereby improving scaling accuracy without significantly impacting scaling speed
Data Source
AI summary
An example system including a controller, a processing resource, and a memory resource including instructions that when executed cause the processing resource to discover an orphan virtual machine (VM) included in a cloud platform. The controller may determine characteristics of the orphan VM based on information identified in the cloud platform and map the orphan VM to a virtual network function (VNF) based on the information identified in the cloud platform and assign the VNF to a tenant based on the characteristics of the orphan VM.