VM to Container Data Migration with Consistency Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual machine migration methods face challenges in maintaining data consistency between the migration-source and migration-destination systems when data changes occur during the migration process.

Innovation Solution

A data migration system that includes a load balancer to consolidate transactions and a migration device to copy and ensure data consistency between virtual machine and container environments, using storage data processing, change judgment, and consistency processing mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If virtual machine migration is performed using live migration techniques, then migration continuity is improved, but data consistency between source and destination storage devices deteriorates when data changes occur during migration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration continuityVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by stopping write operations to the virtual machine's storage device before migration, ensuring no data changes occur during the copy process. This preliminary stabilization of the data state resolves the contradiction by preventing data inconsistency while maintaining migration continuity through coordinated resumption of operations after migration completes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring the migration process and detecting any data changes that occur during migration. When changes are detected, the system responds by coordinating the resumption of write operations to ensure data consistency, thus resolving the contradiction between continuous migration and data consistency through active monitoring and adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If data copying is performed during virtual machine migration, then data transfer is achieved, but data consistency deteriorates when the source data changes during copying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer efficiencyVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary action by suspending write operations to the source storage device before initiating the data copying process. This ensures the source data remains static during copying, guaranteeing consistency between source and destination while maintaining efficient data transfer through coordinated resumption of operations after migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses copying techniques to create a complete replica of the source storage device data to the destination storage device. By combining this copying mechanism with the preliminary suspension of write operations, the system achieves both efficient data transfer and guaranteed data consistency, resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If write operations are allowed during migration, then system availability is improved, but data consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary suspension of write operations only during the critical data copying phase, then resumes them immediately after migration completes. This temporary preliminary action maintains system availability by limiting the write suspension to only when necessary, while ensuring data consistency during the migration process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic control by suspending write operations at the beginning of migration and resuming them at the end, creating a periodic pattern of operation suspension and resumption. This periodic action resolves the contradiction by maintaining system availability overall while ensuring data consistency during the critical migration window.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20230251887A1Data migration system, data migration method, non-transitory computer-readable medium for data migration program

Publication Date: 2023.08.10 NEC CORP

AI summary

In a data migration system (1) according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a load balancer (20) is configured to consolidate, in a virtual machine environment (30), transactions performed in response to external requests. Then, the migration device (10) copies, via a virtual machine environment (40), storage data stored in a storage device (50) of the virtual machine environment (30) and the virtual machine environment (40) to a storage device (70) of a container environment (60). In the case where the storage data of the copy source has been changed during the aforementioned operation, the migration device (10) makes the storage data already copied to the storage device (70) consistent with the storage data of the copy source that has been changed.