Virtual Machine Physical Location Mapping in Data Centers

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Solution Overview

Problem

In cloud computing systems, it is challenging to quickly locate the physical machine associated with a virtual machine, especially in large-scale data centers where numerous blade machines of different brands and types are present, making it difficult to determine the root cause of problems or events.

Innovation Solution

A system that assigns a data center machine identifier to physical computing devices, creates a mapping between virtual machine identifiers and physical machine identifiers, and uses this mapping to quickly locate the physical machine hosting a virtual machine, utilizing grid coordinates or GPS locations for precise identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If virtual machines are deployed on physical machines in a large-scale data center, then service delivery capability is improved, but the difficulty of locating the physical machine associated with a virtual machine increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice delivery capabilityVSAvoiddifficulty of locating physical machine

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mapping system that associates virtual machine identifiers with physical machine identifiers and their grid locations. This mapping acts as a mediator between the virtualized environment and the physical infrastructure, enabling technicians to quickly locate physical machines by querying the mapping with virtual machine identifiers, thus resolving the difficulty of location without affecting service delivery capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a new dimension of information organization by introducing grid coordinates (row, column, rack) as a spatial mapping dimension. Instead of directly managing the complex relationship between virtual and physical machines, the system creates a two-dimensional grid representation of the data center floor plan, allowing efficient location identification through coordinate-based navigation to physical machines

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If technicians need to troubleshoot virtual machine issues, then problem resolution is required, but the time to locate the physical machine increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproblem resolution capabilityVSAvoidtime to locate physical machine

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing the mapping between virtual machine identifiers, physical machine identifiers, and grid locations before any troubleshooting is needed. This mapping is created and stored in advance, so when a problem occurs, technicians can immediately query the pre-prepared mapping information without needing to physically search or manually trace the virtual-to-physical machine relationship, significantly reducing location time while maintaining problem resolution capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9052963B2Cloud computing data center machine monitor and control

Publication Date: 2015.06.09 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Systems, methods and computer-readable media provide for identifying a physical machine corresponding to a virtual machine. A system assigns a data center machine identifier to a physical computing device in a data center, along with a physical location for the physical computing system. In response to creating a virtual machine on the physical computing device, the system creates a mapping from a virtual machine identifier for the virtual machine to the data center machine identifier for the physical computing system.