Virtual Machine Migration Control Using Group Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack the ability to effectively constrain auto live migration of virtual machines to specific subsets of hypervisors using group tags, time constraints, and access control lists, which is necessary for managing virtual machine placement and reducing licensing costs or adhering to regulatory requirements.
Innovation Solution
A system that assigns group tags and access control lists to hypervisors, with optional time constraints, and affinity group tags to virtual machines, allowing for controlled migration based on compatibility and access permissions, enabling positive or negative affinity and time-based placement rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If live migration is allowed between any two compatible hypervisors, then migration flexibility and resource utilization are improved, but the ability to control and constrain migration to specific subsets of hypervisors is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different group tags to different hypervisors and virtual machines, creating localized identification markers that enable selective matching. This allows the system to maintain overall migration flexibility while implementing local constraints through tag-based compatibility rules, resolving the contradiction between unrestricted migration and controlled migration to specific subsets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces group tags as an intermediary mechanism between virtual machines and hypervisors. These tags act as mediators that enable controlled migration by serving as the basis for compatibility determination. The tags intermediary allows the system to enforce migration constraints to specific hypervisor subsets while maintaining the automated migration process, thus resolving the control flexibility contradiction.
2Productivity
If auto live migration is enabled without constraints, then resource utilization and load balancing are improved, but licensing costs increase due to migrations to unapproved hypervisors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assigning group tags to hypervisors and virtual machines before migration occurs. This advance tagging enables the system to automatically enforce licensing constraints during migration by checking tag compatibility, preventing migrations to unapproved hypervisors that would incur additional licensing costs while still allowing resource utilization optimization within approved subsets.
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtual machines can migrate freely between hypervisors, then operational flexibility is improved, but regulatory compliance is compromised due to inability to isolate workloads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning specific group tags to virtual machines that require isolation for regulatory compliance. This creates localized identification that enables the system to enforce compliance rules while maintaining operational flexibility for other migrations. The tagged virtual machines are automatically restricted to migrate only to compatible hypervisors, ensuring regulatory isolation is maintained without preventing unnecessary migrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces group tags as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between operational flexibility requirements and regulatory compliance needs. The tags serve as the basis for automated compliance checking during migration decisions, allowing the system to maintain flexibility while ensuring that regulated virtual machines only migrate to approved destinations, thus resolving the compliance flexibility contradiction.
4Ease of operation
If group tags and access control lists are implemented to constrain migration, then migration control and compliance are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the group tag system to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides migration control, enforces licensing constraints, ensures regulatory compliance, and enables load balancing within approved subsets. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control mechanisms, thereby managing system complexity while achieving comprehensive migration control.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for constraining auto live migration of virtual machines using group tags, access control lists, and time constraints. A system assigns a hypervisor a group tag denoting membership in a group and assigns a virtual machine an affinity group tag that denotes a placement requirement on hypervisors. The affinity group tag can be positive, requiring a match, or negative, requiring a non-match. The system migrates the virtual machine to the hypervisor according to compatibility between the group tag and the affinity group tag. Limitations of virtual machine placement and live migration due to group tags can be overridden in the system by a forced migration triggered by a human or qualifying event. Additionally, an access control list can be added to group membership of hypervisors and a time dimension can be added to a group tag or an access control list.