Virtual Machine Seed Image Replication via Parallel Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disaster recovery methods for virtual machines are inefficient, particularly in cloud environments, as they require extensive time and bandwidth to replicate primary virtual machine images to secondary sites, or are cumbersome and costly due to physical transportation of data.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating secondary virtual machine seed images by deploying primary and secondary virtual machines from a golden image, suspending the secondary virtual machine, and replicating state data updates to create an up-to-date seed image, eliminating the need for large image replication and physical transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If primary virtual machine images are replicated to secondary sites using current disaster recovery methods, then disaster recovery capability is achieved, but extensive time and bandwidth are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtual machine image into two parts: a compressed base image stored at the secondary site, and incremental state data updates transmitted during operation. This segmentation allows the majority of the image to be prepared in advance while only small updates need to be transferred in real-time, significantly reducing bandwidth requirements and replication time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by compressing the base virtual machine image and storing it at the secondary site before any failure occurs. This pre-preparation eliminates the need to transfer large image files during disaster recovery, as only small incremental updates need to be synchronized during normal operation.
2Reliability
If physical transportation of data is used for disaster recovery, then data can be transferred, but the process is cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physical data transportation with an electronic data transmission system. Instead of physically moving storage media, the system uses network-based transmission of compressed base images and incremental updates, eliminating the cumbersome and costly physical transportation process while maintaining disaster recovery capability.
3Reliability
If large virtual machine images are replicated, then complete disaster recovery is achieved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the base virtual machine image from incremental state data. The base image, which constitutes the majority of data, is compressed and stored locally at the secondary site. Only small incremental updates are transmitted over the network during operation, dramatically reducing bandwidth consumption while ensuring complete disaster recovery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies compression to the base virtual machine image, changing its size parameter from large to small. This compression allows the majority of the image data to be stored efficiently at the secondary site with minimal bandwidth consumption during updates, while maintaining complete disaster recovery capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Generating secondary virtual machine seed image storage is provided. An input is received to deploy a primary virtual machine and a secondary virtual machine based on a golden virtual machine image. In response, the primary virtual machine from the golden virtual machine image on a primary data processing site and the secondary virtual machine from the golden virtual machine image on a secondary data processing site are deployed. Execution of the secondary virtual machine is suspended on the secondary data processing site. Using the golden virtual machine image, a seed image corresponding to the secondary virtual machine is generated that is up-to-date at that point in time in storage at the secondary data processing site to form the secondary virtual machine seed image storage. The secondary virtual machine seed image storage is enabled to receive state data updates from the primary virtual machine on the primary data processing site.