Virtual Machine Load Balancing via Automatic Host Migration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-tenant virtual computer systems, existing technologies face challenges in dynamically reallocating physical computing resources among tenants to balance load imbalances, requiring manual intervention and increasing operational costs due to the need for manual changes in virtual switch settings and network configurations.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling a virtual computer system that involves allocating virtual computers to groups, monitoring load values, and automatically migrating physical computers from lightly loaded groups to heavily loaded groups, while adjusting virtual network settings and network switch configurations to balance resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual changes in virtual switch settings and network configurations are performed to balance load among tenants, then load balancing is achieved, but operational costs increase due to manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service load balancing by deploying a load balancing apparatus within the virtual switch that autonomously monitors tenant loads and migrates virtual machines between physical hosts without requiring manual administrator intervention, thereby maintaining load balance while reducing operational costs
Solution Approach 2:
The load balancing apparatus performs preliminary monitoring of tenant loads and proactively triggers virtual machine migration before load imbalance becomes critical, allowing the system to maintain optimal load distribution automatically without waiting for manual detection and intervention
2Productivity
If physical computing resources are dynamically reallocated among tenants to improve consolidation ratio, then profitability increases, but the complexity of managing virtual switch settings and network configurations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load balancing apparatus acts as an intermediary component embedded within the virtual switch that automatically handles the complex tasks of monitoring tenant loads, selecting appropriate migration targets, and executing virtual machine migrations, thereby enabling dynamic resource reallocation without increasing management complexity for administrators
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical operations (administrator interventions for switching and networking changes) with automated software-based load balancing mechanisms that dynamically adjust virtual machine placements based on real-time load conditions, simplifying the management of complex multi-tenant environments
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling a virtual computer system, the method comprising: obtaining, by a management computer, a load value for each of the plurality of groups, and comparing the load value against a preset threshold; identifying, a group whose load value exceeds the preset threshold as a first group; selecting, a second group from the plurality of groups minus the first group; identifying, as a migration target computer, a given physical computer out of physical computers that run virtual computers allocated to the second group; migrating, virtual computers that are provided by the migration target computer to other physical computers within the second group; changing, settings of the network switch in a manner that enables the migration target computer to operate in the first group; adding, the migration target computer to the first group; and controlling, the migration target computer to run virtual computers of the first group.