Virtual Machine Template Segmentation for Storage Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Provisioning hundreds of thousands of virtual machines in a distributed virtual infrastructure data center is a challenging task due to scalability, reliability, performance, and management issues, particularly in terms of data storage and deduplication.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a content-centric networking approach, where virtual machine templates are segmented into addressable content portions using a content-centric network communications protocol, allowing for efficient deployment and management of virtual machines by addressing content rather than location.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If virtual machine templates are deployed using traditional location-based networking, then deployment speed is maintained, but storage efficiency deteriorates due to inability to deduplicate similar VM images

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoiddeployment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual machine template is divided into multiple segments, each representing a content portion that can be independently addressed and stored. This segmentation enables the system to identify and deduplicate identical segments across different VM templates while maintaining the ability to quickly assemble complete VM images when needed, thus resolving the contradiction between storage efficiency and deployment speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If content is addressed by location in traditional networks, then network communication is simple, but data management efficiency deteriorates due to inability to locate and share identical content across different locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata management efficiencyVSAvoidnetwork communication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional location-based addressing mechanism (mechanical system) with a content-based addressing system. Instead of locating content by its physical position in the network, the system uses content identifiers to address and retrieve data portions. This substitution enables efficient data management and deduplication while the underlying network infrastructure maintains simple communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If multiple virtual machines are provisioned simultaneously using traditional methods, then provisioning throughput increases, but network workload and latency increase due to redundant data transmission

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprovisioning throughputVSAvoidnetwork workload

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges identical content portions from multiple virtual machine templates into a single stored copy. When multiple VMs need to be provisioned simultaneously, the system retrieves the shared content segments once and makes them available to all requesting VMs, thereby maintaining high provisioning throughput while significantly reducing network workload and avoiding redundant data transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If virtual machine templates are stored as complete images, then retrieval is straightforward, but storage efficiency deteriorates due to duplication of identical content across multiple templates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoidtemplate retrieval simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments virtual machine templates into smaller content portions that can be independently stored and managed. This segmentation allows the system to store only unique segments once and reference them across multiple templates, improving storage efficiency while maintaining retrieval simplicity through an indexing system that maps template requirements to stored segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary indexing system that sits between the stored content segments and the template retrieval process. This intermediary maintains mappings between template requirements and stored content portions, enabling straightforward template assembly without requiring complete image storage, thus resolving the contradiction between storage efficiency and retrieval simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9021478B1Provisioning virtual machines from template by splitting and building index for locating content portions via content-centric network

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed for provisioning virtual machines via content-centric networking approach in a computing system implemented with a distributed virtual infrastructure. In one example, a method comprises the following steps. A virtual machine template is obtained. The virtual machine template defines one or more segments which represent one or more content portions. The one or more content portions are addressable in accordance with a content-centric network communications protocol. At least one virtual machine is deployed from the virtual machine template. The generating and deploying steps are performed on one or more physical processing elements associated with a computing system implemented via a distributed virtual infrastructure.