Virtual Machine OS Inactivity Termination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In cloud-based computing, virtual machines (VMs) often remain idle due to users forgetting to terminate them, leading to reduced available capacity and potential erroneous termination by resource consumption metrics, which undermines user confidence in the cloud computing architecture.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine the inactivity period of a virtual machine's operating system and compare it with a defined threshold, sending a termination request to the cloud computing environment if the period exceeds the threshold, ensuring accurate VM termination based on user-defined or system-defined criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the cloud management system uses resource consumption metrics to determine VM inactivity, then automation extent is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates leading to erroneous termination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic VM terminationVSAvoidinactivity detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter used for inactivity detection from resource consumption metrics to operating system inactivity period. The system monitors the OS inactivity period directly through system calls and compares it against a threshold, providing a more accurate measure of actual user inactivity rather than inferring from resource usage patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If users are responsible for manually terminating VMs, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases due to user forgetfulness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem architecture simplicityVSAvoidresource allocation inefficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling the VM to automatically monitor its own OS inactivity period and autonomously send termination requests to the cloud management system when the threshold is exceeded, eliminating the need for user intervention while preventing resource waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by continuously monitoring the OS inactivity period and preparing termination requests in advance before the inactivity threshold is fully exceeded, ensuring timely resource release without waiting for user action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the system terminates VMs based on resource consumption metrics, then productivity is improved by freeing resources, but reliability deteriorates due to erroneous termination of active VMs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource turnover rateVSAvoiduser confidence in system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the termination trigger parameter from resource consumption metrics to direct OS inactivity period monitoring. This provides a more reliable indicator of actual user absence, reducing false terminations while maintaining high resource turnover for truly inactive VMs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10740136B2Automatic virtual machine termination in a cloud

Publication Date: 2020.08.11 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Managing a cloud computing environment including a plurality of resources adapted to host at least one virtual machine includes, in a virtual machine, determining a period of inactivity of the operating system for a user of the virtual machine and comparing, using a processor, the period with a defined threshold. From the virtual machine, a virtual machine termination request is sent to the cloud computing environment responsive to the period exceeding the defined threshold.