Virtual Cluster State Migration Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in efficiently migrating the state of a virtual cluster from one computer system to another while maintaining operational integrity and minimizing administrative complexity, given the numerous settings and potential for errors in configuring virtual clusters across different hardware configurations.
Innovation Solution
A system is developed to capture the configuration and application state of a virtual cluster on one computer system, transfer this state to a second system, and instantiate it, including creating required resources, modifying configuration details as needed, and importing data, thereby enabling seamless operation of the virtual cluster on the new system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual cluster configuration is manually set up on each system, then configuration flexibility and adaptability are achieved, but administrative time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures the complete state of a virtual cluster from a source system and replicates it to a target system. The state capture mechanism creates a comprehensive representation of the virtual cluster including configuration, application states, and runtime information, which is then transferred and applied to the target system, eliminating manual reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs state capture and preparation in advance before migration is needed. By capturing the virtual cluster state beforehand and preparing the migration package, the actual migration process becomes much faster and requires minimal administrative intervention when executed
2Manufacturing precision
If virtual cluster configuration is manually set up, then configuration accuracy can be verified, but error-prone manual processes increase complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The migration system performs self-verification of configuration accuracy by automatically comparing the captured source state with the instantiated target state. The system validates that all configuration parameters, application states, and runtime settings are correctly transferred without requiring manual verification, reducing both errors and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms during the migration process to verify configuration accuracy. By monitoring and validating the transfer of state information, the system can detect and correct configuration errors automatically, ensuring precision while reducing administrative burden
3Reliability
If complete virtual cluster state is captured and migrated, then operational integrity is maintained, but data transfer time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual cluster state is divided into distinct components for migration: configuration state, application state, and runtime state. Each component is captured and transferred separately, allowing for optimized processing of each segment and enabling parallel migration operations that reduce overall migration time while maintaining complete operational integrity
Data Source
AI summary
The administrative work needed to configure a virtual cluster is a major obstacle that limits its adoption by customers. Moreover, an organization can spend much time and effort testing a cluster configuration and would like to deploy this cluster configuration at many sites. To address these problems, the disclosed embodiments provide a mechanism that facilitates migrating a virtual cluster from a first computer system to a second computer system. During operation, the system captures the virtual cluster configuration state, including application configuration state and executables. The system then instantiates this captured state on a second computer system, thus re-creating the virtual cluster state of the first computer system on the second computer system.