Topology Engine for Virtual Machine Maintenance Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current maintenance software in data centers lacks efficiency and effectiveness in managing massive shutdown and startup operations of hardware and software components, due to insufficient data from hypervisors and virtual machines, and inadequate configuration of software applications.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that utilizes a topology engine to generate data correlating hardware components, virtual machines, databases, and applications based on hardware execution data, and a hardware controller to execute maintenance instructions for orderly stop and start operations, ensuring efficient and effective maintenance sequencing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If maintenance software directs automatic start and stop operations, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to insufficient topology data
Solution Approach 1:
The topology engine generates and stores topology data in advance before maintenance operations begin. This pre-computed data includes all relationships between hardware components, virtual machines, databases, middleware, and applications, allowing the hardware controller to quickly determine correct shutdown/startup sequences without real-time computation delays or data gathering issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The topology engine acts as an intermediary between the hardware controller and the complex system components. It processes hardware execution data to generate topology data that the hardware controller can use to make informed decisions about maintenance sequencing, without the controller needing to directly analyze complex component relationships.
2Measurement precision
If hypervisors and virtual machines provide execution data, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The topology engine serves multiple functions: it collects hardware execution data from hypervisors and virtual machines, processes this data to generate topology data, stores the topology data, and provides it to the hardware controller. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems for data collection, processing, storage, and distribution.
3Ease of operation
If software applications are configured for efficient maintenance, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating topology data from hardware execution data without requiring manual configuration of software applications for maintenance. The topology engine autonomously processes data from hypervisors and virtual machines to create the topology data that guides maintenance operations, eliminating the need for operators to manually configure maintenance parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system maintains its computer system components. In an exemplary embodiment, of the computer system, a topology engine generates topology data to individually correlate hardware components, virtual machines, databases, middleware services, and applications based on hardware execution data. A hardware controller determines when a virtual machine stop condition for a virtual machine is met based on the topology data. When the virtual machine stop condition is met, the hardware controller instructs a hardware component to stop the virtual machine. The hardware controller determines when a virtual machine start condition for a virtual machine is met based on the topology data. When the virtual machine start condition is met, the hardware controller instructs a hardware component to start the virtual machine.