VM Provisioning via Content Library Subscription Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual machine provisioning across networks is inefficient due to slow network data transfer speeds when provisioning requires access to content items from remote datastores, leading to increased network congestion as more virtual machines are provisioned.
Innovation Solution
The vRealize Automation management platform implements a publisher/subscriber model to intelligently select content items for provisioning by querying a subscription guide database, determining data access costs, and selecting content items with lower access costs, thereby reducing data transfers across hosts and clusters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If content items are provisioned from remote datastores, then virtual machine provisioning can be achieved across networks, but network data transfer speeds are slow and network congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions content items in subscriber content libraries at locations closer to target hosts before provisioning is needed. When a virtual machine provisioning request is received, the system can immediately access pre-positioned content items from local or nearby datastores rather than retrieving them from remote datastores across networks, thereby eliminating slow network data transfers while maintaining cross-network provisioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
Subscriber content libraries act as intermediary storage layers between published content libraries and target hosts. These intermediaries cache and store content items locally or in nearby datastores, serving as buffer zones that reduce the distance data must travel across networks. The subscription guide database tracks these intermediaries to enable intelligent selection of optimal content sources, transforming the architecture from direct remote access to a multi-layered distribution system
2Productivity
If content items are accessed from remote datastores, then virtual machine provisioning can proceed, but network congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monolithic content library into multiple distributed subscriber content libraries across different hosts and datastores. By dividing the content distribution task across multiple local/cached sources rather than relying on a single remote source, the system enables parallel provisioning operations without network bottlenecking, thereby maintaining high provisioning throughput while reducing network congestion
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes content item location by placing copies in subscriber content libraries that are locally accessible or geographically closer to target hosts. This local quality optimization ensures that provisioning operations access content from nearby datastores rather than distant remote datastores, reducing network traffic and congestion while maintaining provisioning productivity
3Loss of energy
If the publisher/subscriber model is implemented, then data access costs are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service mechanisms where subscriber content libraries automatically receive and cache content items from published content libraries based on subscription criteria, and the cloud management platform automatically queries the subscription guide database and selects optimal content sources. This automation reduces manual configuration complexity while maintaining the sophisticated publisher/subscriber architecture that enables low data access costs
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to intelligently select content items for provisioning. In one example, the apparatus includes content library querying circuitry that queries a subscription guide database table to generate a list of subscriber content items linked to a target published content item indicated in the request. The apparatus also includes content library selection circuitry to select a first content item from a group of content items that include the generated list of the subscriber content items and the target published content item, the first content item corresponds to a first data access cost that is less than or equal to a second data access cost of a second content item in the group. The apparatus also includes virtual machine provisioning circuitry to provision the virtual machine on the target host with access to the first content item.