Virtual Router Route Publishing for VM Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing VMotion solutions are limited in migrating virtual machines across different networks, leading to issues such as loss of network connectivity and service interruptions when moving VMs to remote locations or for disaster avoidance, as they require reconfiguration of IP addresses and can break existing connections.
Innovation Solution
The method involves assigning a VM address to a VM network, using temporary tunnels and virtual routers to maintain network connectivity by propagating new routes through the network, allowing the VM to keep its original address and ensuring seamless migration across different networks without reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing VMotion solutions are used to migrate VMs across different networks, then VM migration can be performed within a single physical network, but network connectivity is lost and service interruptions occur when migrating to remote networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual routers as intermediary components that mediate between the VM and the physical network infrastructure. These virtual routers maintain routing information and enable seamless network connectivity during VM migration across different physical networks, acting as a bridge that preserves network communication while the VM moves between hosts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary routing configuration and virtual router setup before VM migration occurs. Routing information is pre-established and propagated through the network infrastructure in advance, ensuring that when the VM migrates to a remote host, the network path is already prepared and connectivity is maintained without interruption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If VMs are migrated to remote networks for resource sharing or disaster avoidance, then geographical resource sharing is enabled, but IP address reconfiguration is required and existing connections are broken
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual router copies at different network locations that maintain identical routing functionality. When a VM migrates to a remote host, the virtual router is replicated or its routing information is copied to the new location, allowing the VM to maintain its original network identity and connections while physically located in a different geographical network.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual router is designed as a universal component that can operate across multiple different physical networks and locations. It provides multi-functional capability by adapting to various network environments while maintaining consistent routing behavior, enabling VMs to migrate across diverse network infrastructures without reconfiguration.
3Reliability
If routing information is propagated throughout the network during VM migration, then network connectivity is maintained, but routing convergence time increases migration complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous routing information propagation throughout the network during VM migration. The virtual routers continuously update and maintain routing tables, ensuring that network paths are always valid and connectivity is uninterrupted. This continuous action eliminates gaps in network communication that would otherwise occur during the migration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where virtual routers monitor network conditions and actively adjust routing information in real-time during VM migration. This feedback loop allows the system to detect VM movement and propagate updated routing information efficiently, reducing the time required for routing convergence while maintaining continuous connectivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and computer programs for migrating a virtual machine (VM) executing on a first host to a second host are presented, where the first host and the second are on different networks. One embodiment of a method includes assigning to the VM a VM address (VMA) belonging to a VM network and publishing a first route to an associated network (AN) via a first virtual router executing on the first host. The method further includes migrating the VM from the first host to the second host, the VM maintaining the assigned VMA after migrating, and publishing a second route to the AN via a second virtual router executing on the second host. The first and second virtual routers have addresses belonging to the VM network, and network packets to and from the VM flow through the virtual router where the VM is executing. A temporary tunnel between the virtual routers allows traffic to flow to the VM while the new route to AN is propagated throughout the network. The use of the associated network, which is associated with the VM, and the publishing of a new route to the VM allow the VM to keep the original VMA network address after the migration.