Storage-Aware Virtual Machine Migration Target Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual machine migration techniques select target machines based solely on processing capacity, leading to poor or overloaded connectivity to storage volumes, resulting in degraded performance.

Innovation Solution

A storage-aware selection method that determines storage volume connectivity and spare path capacity of candidate machines, preferentially selecting targets with sufficient processing, memory, network, and storage bandwidth, as well as optimal latency, to ensure efficient storage access for virtual machine migration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If target machines are selected based solely on processing capacity, then CPU and memory allocation is optimized, but storage access performance deteriorates due to poor connectivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capacity utilizationVSAvoidstorage access performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends the selection criteria from traditional parameters (CPU, memory) to include storage-specific parameters (connectivity quality, path capacity, latency). This multi-parameter approach changes the selection function to optimize for both processing capacity and storage performance simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If VMs are migrated to machines with sufficient processing capacity, then resource allocation improves, but storage connectivity becomes overloaded leading to degraded performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocationVSAvoidstorage access throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of storage connectivity and path capacity before making migration decisions. By evaluating storage network conditions in advance and selecting target machines with adequate spare path capacity, the system prevents storage overload before it occurs, maintaining both ease of operation and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If migration targets are chosen without considering storage connectivity, then migration simplicity is maintained, but performance degradation occurs due to storage bottlenecks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration selection processVSAvoidmigration performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal selection framework that simultaneously evaluates multiple criteria (processing capacity, storage connectivity, path capacity, latency) through a single integrated assessment mechanism. This multi-functional approach maintains procedural simplicity while ensuring comprehensive performance optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8230069B2Server and storage-aware method for selecting virtual machine migration targets

Publication Date: 2012.07.24 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

A method and system selecting a target physical machine for a virtual machine (VM) migration is provided. Selecting a target physical machine for a VM migration involves determining storage volume connectivity and spare path capacity of one or more candidate physical machines, and preferentially selecting among the candidate physical machines a migration target with storage volume connectivity and spare path capacity to satisfy storage volume access requirements of the VM.