Virtual Machine Migration Without Shared Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for live and storage migrations of virtual machines do not allow for complete migration between physical computing devices without access to a commonly shared storage system.

Innovation Solution

A virtualization platform initiates a temporary network file share on the destination host, performs storage migration of virtual machine files using this share, and then conducts live migration of the runtime state, canceling the mirror state to complete the transfer and resume the virtual machine on the destination host.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If live migration is performed without shared storage access, then migration flexibility between hosts is improved, but storage migration capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration flexibilityVSAvoidstorage migration capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a temporary network file share as an intermediary storage mechanism between source and destination hosts. This file share enables storage migration to occur over the network without requiring pre-configured shared storage infrastructure, thus resolving the contradiction by providing storage migration capability while maintaining migration flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary storage migration by copying virtual machine files to a temporary network file share before the actual live migration occurs. This preliminary action separates storage migration from the migration process itself, allowing hosts to be flexible in their storage configurations while still enabling complete migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If storage migration is performed separately from live migration, then storage transfer completeness is improved, but migration time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage transfer completenessVSAvoidmigration time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges storage migration and live migration into a single integrated process. By using a temporary network file share as the destination for both storage files and runtime state, the system achieves complete storage transfer while minimizing migration time through parallel execution of storage and runtime state transfer operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent maintains continuous migration operations by performing storage migration and live migration concurrently to the same temporary network file share. This continuous action approach ensures complete storage transfer without interrupting the migration process, thereby reducing total migration time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a temporary network file share is created for storage migration, then shared storage dependency is reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshared storage independenceVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a temporary network file share as a disposable intermediate storage mechanism that is created only for the duration of the migration process and then removed. This approach reduces dependency on permanent shared storage infrastructure while the temporary nature of the file share limits the long-term system complexity increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the migration process into distinct phases: storage migration to temporary file share, live migration of runtime state, and final cleanup. This segmentation allows the system to achieve shared storage independence through a manageable temporary infrastructure rather than requiring complete system redesign.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9733860B2Combined live migration and storage migration using file shares and mirroring

Publication Date: 2017.08.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Migration of a virtual machine and associated files to a destination host may be performed. A source host may initiate establishment of a temporary network file share at a destination location of the destination host to provide the source host and the destination host with access to the file share. While the virtual machine is running at the source host, a storage migration and a live migration may be initiated. Using the network file share, the source host may copy the associated files to the destination location. A runtime state of the virtual machine may be copied to the destination host. In a final phase of the migration, the virtual machine at the source host may be stopped, the storage migration may be completed, the copying of the runtime state may be completed, and the virtual machine may be started at the destination host.