Virtual Disk Image Maintenance Offloading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualized computing environments, performing maintenance tasks on production machines can consume hardware resources, reduce productivity, and often cannot be executed during peak loads or when higher-priority operations are running, leading to delayed or failed maintenance and potential degradation in storage quality, performance, and capacity.
Innovation Solution
A service managed machine is configured to mount a disk image of a production managed machine, scan it for corrective actions, and perform these actions, either by itself or by queuing them for the production machine, using lower priority resources and offloading maintenance tasks from production machines, especially when they are online or in transient states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If maintenance tasks are performed on production machines using hardware resources, then maintenance can be executed, but hardware resources are consumed and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the production machine's disk image on the service machine, allowing maintenance tasks to be performed on the copy rather than the original production machine. This enables maintenance execution without consuming production machine hardware resources, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliability through maintenance execution and preserving productivity by avoiding hardware resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The service machine acts as an intermediary between the production machine and the maintenance tasks. It mounts the disk image from the production machine, performs maintenance operations, and applies changes back to the production machine. This intermediary approach allows maintenance to be executed while isolating the production machine from resource consumption, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If maintenance tasks are performed during peak loads or when higher-priority operations are running, then maintenance can be executed, but hardware resources are consumed and maintenance may be delayed or fail
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by mounting the disk image on the service machine before executing maintenance tasks. This allows maintenance to be prepared and executed at convenient times without interfering with production machine operations. The service machine can perform maintenance during off-peak hours or when production machines are not under load, eliminating delays while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the maintenance process from the production machine operations by using a separate service machine. This segmentation allows maintenance tasks to be scheduled independently of production workload, enabling execution during optimal times without causing delays or failures due to resource contention during peak loads.
3Reliability
If maintenance tasks are performed on production machines, then maintenance is executed, but production machines cannot focus on core computing tasks
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a copy of the production machine's disk image on the service machine, the patent enables maintenance execution without requiring the production machine to divert resources from core computing tasks. The service machine handles all maintenance operations on the copy, allowing production machines to maintain full focus on computing workloads while still receiving necessary maintenance, thus resolving the contradiction between maintenance execution and core computing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The service machine serves as an intermediary that handles maintenance tasks independently of the production machine. This separation allows production machines to dedicate all their hardware resources to core computing tasks while the service machine performs maintenance operations on copied disk images, eliminating the trade-off between maintenance execution and computing task performance.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method of operating a computing system, a disk image corresponding to a production managed machine is mounted on a service managed machine that performs operations distinct from those performed by the production managed machine in providing a computing service. The disk image is scanned at the service managed machine to determine a corrective action to be performed with respect to the disk image, and performance of the corrective action for the disk image of the production managed machine is initiated at the service managed machine. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.