Shared Memory Partition Live Migration Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data processing systems face challenges in fully utilizing available resources, particularly memory, due to limitations in creating logical partitions on servers with fixed real memory, leading to inflexible resource allocation and inefficient handling of workload spikes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a shared memory partition system, where physical memory is managed by a hypervisor and dynamically allocated among logical partitions, with idle memory paged out to external paging storage, enabling live migration of logical partitions between systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If physical memory is allocated to logical partitions, then memory availability for each partition is improved, but memory utilization efficiency deteriorates due to idle memory in inactive partitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the memory resources of multiple logical partitions into a shared memory pool, allowing memory to be dynamically allocated and reused across partitions. Instead of dedicating fixed memory to each partition, the system combines memory resources and manages them centrally, enabling active partitions to access memory that was previously idle in inactive partitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic memory allocation where memory assignments to logical partitions are not fixed but can change over time. The system dynamically adjusts memory allocation based on the activity state and workload demands of partitions, allowing memory to be reallocated from inactive to active partitions as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of logical partitions is increased, then system versatility is improved, but device complexity worsens due to management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal memory management mechanism that serves multiple logical partitions simultaneously through a shared memory pool. The same memory management infrastructure and control logic are used across all partitions, providing a multi-functional solution that handles memory allocation, deallocation, and swapping for numerous partitions without requiring separate management systems for each.
3Adaptability or versatility
If memory is dynamically reallocated between partitions, then resource flexibility is improved, but system stability worsens due to potential memory access issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors the activity state and memory usage of logical partitions. Based on this feedback, the memory management system makes informed decisions about when to allocate, deallocate, or swap memory pages between partitions and the shared pool, ensuring that memory operations occur at appropriate times to maintain system stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-managing memory in the shared pool and preparing memory allocation decisions before partitions need memory. The system proactively manages the shared memory pool, anticipating memory needs and maintaining readiness to allocate memory quickly when partitions become active, rather than reacting to memory demands in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
Migration management is provided for a shared memory logical partition migrating from a source system to a target system. The management approach includes managing migration of the logical partition from the source system to the target system by: transferring a portion of logical partition state information for the migrating logical partition from the source system to the target system by copying at the source system contents of a logical page of the migrating logical partition into a state record buffer for forwarding to the target system; forwarding the state record buffer to the target system; and determining whether the migrating logical partition is suspended at the source system, and if not, copying at the target system contents of the state record buffer to paging storage of the target system, the paging storage being external to physical memory managed by a hypervisor of the target system.