Virtual Machine Swap for OS Patching Downtime Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large cloud environments, operating system patching processes are time-consuming, resulting in downtime for applications running on the device being patched, and existing methods fail to minimize this downtime effectively.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves deploying a virtual machine with a target operating system image, creating a backup of the reference virtual machine's bootable root disk, updating it with customer-specific configuration files and folders, and swapping it with the customer virtual machine's disk during a controlled shutdown to minimize downtime, allowing for a seamless transition and rollback if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional operating system patching is performed directly on the customer virtual machine, then the operating system can be updated, but the application experiences downtime during the patching process
Solution Approach 1:
A reference virtual machine is deployed and configured with the target operating system image before the customer virtual machine is shut down. Configuration files are copied to the reference virtual machine in advance, so that when the customer virtual machine needs patching, the reference virtual machine is already prepared and can be quickly swapped in, minimizing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
Configuration files and data from the customer virtual machine are copied to a reference virtual machine that has the target operating system installed. This allows the reference virtual machine to be prepared in advance with all necessary customer-specific configurations, enabling a seamless swap that minimizes application downtime.
2Reliability
If the customer virtual machine is shut down to perform patching operations, then the operating system can be safely updated, but the application availability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The reference virtual machine is deployed and configured with the target operating system and customer-specific files before the customer virtual machine is shut down. This preliminary preparation allows the patching to be performed safely on the reference virtual machine while the customer virtual machine remains operational, and then the reference virtual machine can be quickly swapped in with minimal disruption.
3Loss of time
If a reference virtual machine is deployed and configured in advance, then downtime during patching is reduced, but the initial setup time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A reference virtual machine serves as an intermediary between the customer virtual machine and the target operating system. It is deployed once and can be reused multiple times for different patching operations, reducing the overall complexity compared to performing patching operations directly on each customer virtual machine individually.
4Loss of time
If configuration files are copied to the reference virtual machine before patching, then the patching process can proceed quickly with minimal downtime, but additional preparation steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
Configuration files are copied to the reference virtual machine in advance, before the actual patching operation is needed. This preliminary action ensures that when patching is required, all configuration work is already complete, and only a simple disk swap is needed, significantly reducing the actual patching duration and simplifying the on-demand process.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, a solution is provided that reduces downtime during operating system patching. This reduces the downtime, regardless of which activity is being performed, and is platform-agnostic. More specifically, a target image for the operating system is obtained. During a preparation phase, a virtual machine with the target image is deployed. This virtual machine is deemed a reference virtual machine. A backup of the reference virtual machine bootable root disk is then taken, and a reference root block device is updated with a customer virtual machine operating system/application/database configuration files and folders. These customer-specific configuration files are then copied from block devices of the customer virtual machine to the reference virtual machine. The reference virtual machine can then be powered on. Only then is the customer virtual machine shut down, and the reference virtual machine swapped in for the customer virtual machine, minimizing the downtime during this period.