Virtual Machine Migration by Remote Memory Access Pattern

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual machine migration technologies in memory-disaggregated environments face performance deterioration due to excessive remote memory access, leading to inefficient migration and increased infrastructure costs.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for dynamically migrating virtual machines by analyzing remote memory access patterns and establishing migration policies based on sequential or non-sequential access, optimizing memory block reorganization and destination selection to minimize interconnect traffic and ensure sufficient memory availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If virtual machine migration is performed without considering remote memory access patterns, then migration can be executed, but performance deterioration occurs due to excessive remote memory access

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual machine migration efficiencyVSAvoidmemory access performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent analyzes remote memory access patterns before migration to proactively identify VMs that will benefit from migration. By examining access patterns in advance and establishing migration policies beforehand, the system performs migration proactively rather than reactively, preventing performance deterioration before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of migration decision-making from simple thresholds to complex multi-dimensional analysis including access patterns, sequentiality, and interconnect traffic. This parameter transformation enables more intelligent migration decisions that balance migration efficiency with memory access performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If all virtual machine memories are located in one operating node, then memory management is simple, but memory capacity is limited by local DRAM

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory management complexityVSAvoidmemory capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments virtual machine memory into local memory (fast access) and remote memory (large capacity). By dividing memory resources across multiple nodes and managing them differently based on access patterns, the system achieves both large capacity and reasonable management complexity through structured segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extends memory management from a single-node dimension to a multi-node spatial dimension. By distributing memory across multiple physical nodes and using interconnects for remote access, the system breaks through local DRAM capacity limits while maintaining manageable complexity through virtualization abstraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Quantity of substance

If virtual machine is migrated to another node, then memory capacity can be increased, but interconnect traffic increases causing performance overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailable memory capacityVSAvoidinterconnect traffic overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by keeping frequently accessed memory data in local memory on the operating node while using remote memory only for less frequently accessed data. This localized optimization reduces interconnect traffic by ensuring hot data remains local, minimizing the performance overhead of remote access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of remote memory access into benefit by using access pattern analysis to predict which VMs will benefit from migration. By identifying VMs with specific access patterns that will benefit from increased local memory capacity, the system transforms what could be wasteful interconnect traffic into beneficial performance improvement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Productivity

If migration policy considers sequential access pattern, then prefetching can be optimized, but migration decision complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory prefetching efficiencyVSAvoidmigration policy complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of access pattern sequentiality before finalizing migration decisions. By examining whether access patterns are sequential in advance, the system can proactively apply appropriate prefetching strategies, improving memory efficiency without requiring complex real-time adjustments during migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12524258B2Method and apparatus for migrating virtual machine in memory-disaggregated environment

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 SYSGEAR

AI summary

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for migrating a virtual machine in a memory-disaggregated environment. The method for migrating a virtual machine in a memory-disaggregated environment includes determining whether to migrate a virtual machine based on a number of accesses to a remote memory, establishing a migration policy for the virtual machine based on a remote memory access pattern, and determining a migration destination node based on the migration policy, wherein the migration policy includes a first migration policy corresponding to a case where the remote memory access pattern is sequential, and a second migration policy corresponding to a case where the remote memory access pattern is non-sequential.