Virtual Resource Status Visibility via Template-Based Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current server management systems in cloud computing environments lack visibility into user-level states, such as software status, making it difficult for tools to assess the overall health of virtual assets, including hardware, software, and network status.
Innovation Solution
An approach where an image provider specifies data about a virtual resource image, which includes commands or files to determine its status, and this data is stored in a catalog. When a request for a virtual resource instance is made, the instance is provisioned based on the image, and the associated template is provided to the client, allowing the client to obtain status information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If hypervisors create running instances and provide basic system event messages, then provisioning status and operating system status can be monitored, but visibility into user-level states such as software status is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the status monitoring system into two distinct components: a hypervisor layer that handles basic provisioning and OS status, and a template-based application layer that handles user-level software status. This segmentation allows each layer to focus on specific monitoring tasks without overwhelming complexity, while together they provide comprehensive visibility into both system-level and user-level states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces templates as intermediary components that bridge the gap between the hypervisor's basic monitoring capabilities and the need for detailed user-level software status. These templates act as mediators that translate generic virtual machine status into specific application-level health information, enabling visibility into software status without requiring direct modification of the hypervisor itself.
2Reliability
If tools receive messages about the state of network resources, then basic monitoring is possible, but access to information about overall health of virtual assets is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining templates that contain the logic and criteria for assessing various aspects of virtual asset health. These templates are prepared in advance and associated with specific virtual machine images, so that when instances are provisioned, the health assessment capability is already in place. This eliminates the need for tools to manually construct health checks and enables immediate, comprehensive reliability assessment upon instance creation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where templates continuously monitor and report on multiple dimensions of virtual asset health (hardware, software, network status). This feedback loop provides tools with comprehensive information about the overall health of virtual assets, enabling them to make informed decisions about resource management, scaling, and maintenance based on real-time status information.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for an image provider to specify data (e.g., commands to run, files to read), etc., about an image of a virtual resource (e.g., virtual machine, etc.) in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment). Such data may be used (e.g., at runtime) by a client application to obtain specific information about a running instance that is provisioned based on the image (e.g., operating system health, middleware health, etc.).