Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100030983 | Backup without overhead of installed backup agent - Methods and apparatus involve providing computing backup for virtual representations on a physical hardware platform without the attendant overhead of an installed backup agent per each of the virtual representations. Representatively, a hardware platform has a processor and memory upon and a plurality of virtual machines are configured on the processor and memory as guest computing devices by way of scheduling control of a hypervisor layer. A common I/O path between the virtual machines and the hardware platform exists in the hypervisor layer and a single backup agent for the entirety of the virtual machines monitors data flows in the common I/O path. In this way, each virtual machine avoids dedicated backup agents, and their attendant overhead, especially by avoiding backup agents configured uniquely per a guest operating system, a guest file system, etc. Some other features contemplate particular I/O paths, operating systems, hypervisors, domains, and computer program products. | 02-04-2010 |
20100031079 | Restoration of a remotely located server - Methods and apparatus restore data on servers in remote or branch offices utilizing virtual distribution components, such as virtual machines. A failed remotely located server is restored to its previous running state using any server with hardware compatible with the hardware of the failed server, rather than requiring a server with an exact copy of the hardware of the failed server. Virtual distribution components are configured without requiring a reimaging of the entire boot partition and physical distribution partition of a physical server. Application environment state information is restored without requiring a restoration of a full operating system state environment. Constantly supported interfaces of physical distribution components are utilized and a quick restoration of virtual distribution components results. Full system functionality is achieved more quickly than when a full physical system image restoration is required. | 02-04-2010 |
20100058106 | Virtual machine file system and incremental snapshot using image deltas - Methods and apparatus involve file systems for virtual machines and image deltas. Representatively, a plurality of virtual machines are configured on a hardware platform and a file system includes both a read-only portion and a writable portion that together provides the entire file system for each virtual machine. Also, a union of the two portions provides an incremental snapshot of its corresponding virtual machine and can be used to restore the virtual machine upon a failure event. In content, the read-only portion contains substantially immutable information such as core basic system image, while the writable portion contains configuration information, state data and production information. An available storage device for the virtual machines is partitioned for each virtual machine and its corresponding writable portion is found therein. Other features contemplate particular configurations and computer program products, to name a few. | 03-04-2010 |
20100082962 | Flash memory device for booting a computing device including embedded general purpose operating system - Methods and apparatus involve booting a computing device from a flash device. The flash device has memory partitions, including a read-only and a read/write partition. The read-only includes an operating system for use by the computing device and defines an initial system state. The read/write is configured to store a delta from the initial system state. Upon booting the computing device subsequent to an initial boot, the delta and the initial system state together define the whole system state. In other features, a write engine from the read-only partition tracks changes to the initial system state and writes some, but not all of the changes back to the read/write partition thereby minimizing a number of writes to the flash memory. In this manner, the speed of the flash memory can be used to quickly boot/reboot a computing device, while avoiding the wear limits associated with writing to flash devices. | 04-01-2010 |
20100083249 | Managing diverse hardware using common tools - Methods and apparatus involve managing a plurality of hardware platforms with common tools despite actual or potential non-uniformity of vendor items. Representatively, hardware platforms include a minimalist operating system upon which a management agent and vendor-specific providers are deployed. From a console common to the platforms, local or remote management occurs. In a paradigm shift when initially deploying or redeploying platforms, for example, a “just enough” operating system exists to configure the hardware of different vendors so virtual machines can be thereafter deployed without needing pre-configured operating systems, bundled management packages, etc. A common embedded hypervisor on the platform is but one technique to achieve a minimalist operating system as is a common CIMOM or SNMP agent but one technique to achieve a management agent. Other features include computing systems and computer program products, to name a few. | 04-01-2010 |
20100100718 | In-the-flow security services for guested virtual machines - Methods and apparatus provide security to guest virtual machines configured on a hardware platform. A plurality of I/O domains are also configured on the hardware platform and connect between each of the guest virtual machines and a network connected to the hardware platform or remote or local storage available to the hardware platform. In this manner, the I/O domains are configured in the flow of the guest virtual machines as they utilize available resources, for instance, and are able to filter network or block level traffic, respectively. Representatively, one filter analyzes packets exchanged to and from the network, while the other filter analyzes internal traffic and may be a block-tap, stackable driver, virus scanning application, etc. Also, the guested virtual machines communicate with the I/O domains by way of a shared memory transport. Still other features contemplate drivers, operating systems, and computer program products, to name a few. | 04-22-2010 |
20100107160 | Protecting computing assets with virtualization - Methods and apparatus protect computing assets of a hardware platform hosting a plurality of guest virtual machines. One of the virtual machines is configured as a management domain that determines whether other virtual machines comply with a predetermined policy before they can be guested on the hardware platform. In one instance, an open virtual machine format (OVF) for virtual machines has attendant metadata that the management domain examines for the presence of a signature. If authentic, the management domain allows the installation of the virtual machine. If not, the management domain prevents its installation. In this manner, end-users are prevented from installing unapproved guest operating systems on corporate-owned hardware. Still other features contemplate preventing users from installing applications into existing domains by assigning various user and administrative rights. Computer program products for assisting in the foregoing are also disclosed. | 04-29-2010 |
20100205395 | Optimal memory allocation for guested virtual machine(s) - Methods and apparatus allocate and adjust memory of a hardware platform hosting a plurality of guest virtual machines. One of the virtual machines is configured as a management domain that determines whether other virtual machines comply with a performance computing policy. If not, an initial amount of memory for the other virtual machines is adjusted higher or lower. In this manner, the guest machines are each outfitted with sufficient memory to accomplish their respective workloads, and such is adjusted over time as workloads vary per machine. This distributes throughput concerns throughout an entire platform to sufficiently guarantee a quality of service for each machine of the platform, regardless of its individual tasks. Other features contemplate specific computing policies regarding page fault rates and computer program products for assisting in the foregoing, to name a few. | 08-12-2010 |
20100275241 | SECURELY HOSTING WORKLOADS IN VIRTUAL COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - Methods and apparatus involve securely hosting workloads. Broadly, computing workloads are classified according to security concerns and those with common concerns are deployed together on common hardware platforms. In one instance, security tags are bi-modally attached or not to workloads meeting a predetermined security threshold. Those with tags are deployed on a common machine while those without tags are deployed on other machines. Tags may be embedded in meta data of open virtual machine formats (OVF). Considerations for re-booting computing devices are also contemplated as are multiplexing workloads. Computer program products are further disclosed. | 10-28-2010 |
20110016473 | MANAGING SERVICES FOR WORKLOADS IN VIRTUAL COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - Methods and apparatus involve managing computing services for workloads. A storage of services available to the workloads are maintained as virgin or golden computing images. By way of a predetermined policy, it is identified which of those services are necessary to support the workloads during use. Thereafter, the identified services are packaged together for deployment as virtual machines on a hardware platform to service the workloads. In certain embodiments, services include considerations for workload and service security, quality of service, deployment sequence, storage management, and hardware requirements necessary to support virtualization, to name a few. Meta data in open virtual machine formats (OVF) are also useful in defining these services. Computer program products and computing arrangement are also disclosed. | 01-20-2011 |
20110023048 | INTELLIGENT DATA PLACEMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN VIRTUAL COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - Methods and apparatus involve intelligently pre-placing data for local consumption by workloads in a virtual computing environment. Access patterns of the data by the workload are first identified. Based thereon, select data portions are migrated from a first storage location farther away the workload to a second storage location closer the workload. Migration also occurs at a time when needed by the workload during use. In this manner, bandwidth for data transmission is minimized. Latency effects created by consumption of remotely stored data is overcome as well. In various embodiments, a data vending service and proxy are situated between a home repository of the data and the workload. Together they serve to manage and migrate the data as needed. Data recognition patterns are disclosed as is apportionment of the whole of the data into convenient migration packets. De/Encryption, (de)compression, computing systems and computer program products are other embodiments. | 01-27-2011 |
20110041126 | MANAGING WORKLOADS IN A VIRTUAL COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - Methods and apparatus involve continuous management of workloads, including regular monitoring, profiling, tuning and fault analysis by way of instrumentation in the workloads themselves. Broadly, features contemplate collecting current state information from remote or local workloads and correlating it to predefined operational characteristics to see if such defines an acceptable operating state. If so, operation continues. If not, remediation action occurs. In a virtual environment with workloads performing under the scheduling control of a hypervisor, state information may also come from a hypervisor as well as any guest user and kernel spaces of an attendant operating system. Executable instructions in the form of probes gather this information from items of the stack available for control and deliver it to the management system. Other features contemplate supporting/auditing third party cloud computing services, validating service level agreements, and consulting independent software vendors. Security, computing systems and computer program products are other embodiments. | 02-17-2011 |
20110119667 | MONITORING SPIN LOCKS IN VIRTUAL MACHINES IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT - Methods and apparatus involve monitoring spin locks for guest devices. Fully virtualized guests have multiple virtual processors configured under the scheduling control of a hypervisor on a physical hardware platform. The hypervisor posts On CPU and CR | 05-19-2011 |
20110197188 | EXTENDING FUNCTIONALITY OF LEGACY SERVICES IN COMPUTING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT - Methods and apparatus involve extending functionality of legacy services. A legacy application has functionality designed for use on an original computing device. In a modern environment, virtual machines (VMs) operate as independent guests on processors and memory by way of scheduling control from a virtualization layer (e.g., hypervisor). At least one VM is provisioned to modify standard entry points of the original legacy application for new accessing of various system functions of the hardware platform. Representative functions include network access, processors, and storage. Policy decision points variously located are further employed to ensure compliance with computing policies. Multiple platforms and computing clouds are contemplated as are VMs in support roles and dedicated software appliances. In this manner, continued use of legacy services in modern situations allows participation in more capable environments and application capabilities heretofore unimagined. Other embodiments contemplate computing systems and computer program products, to name a few. | 08-11-2011 |
20140282547 | EXTENDING FUNCTIONALITY OF LEGACY SERVICES IN COMPUTING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT - Methods and apparatus involve extending functionality of legacy services. A legacy application has functionality designed for use on an original computing device. In a modern environment, virtual machines (VMs) operate as independent guests on processors and memory by way of scheduling control from a virtualization layer (e.g., hypervisor). At least one VM is provisioned to modify standard entry points of the original legacy application for new accessing of various system functions of the hardware platform. Representative functions include network access, processors, and storage. Policy decision points variously located are further employed to ensure compliance with computing policies. Multiple platforms and computing clouds are contemplated as are VMs in support roles and dedicated software appliances. In this manner, continued use of legacy services in modern situations allows participation in more capable environments and application capabilities heretofore unimagined. Other embodiments contemplate computing systems and computer program products, to name a few. | 09-18-2014 |
20140351808 | DYNAMICALLY PROVISIONING STORAGE - A “just in time” feedback-driven strategy for provisioning storage in a cloud computing environment is described. An agent miming in a guest virtual machine can monitor the storage needs of the guest virtual machine. When a specified threshold for the guest virtual machine is reached, the host can be notified of the changing storage needs. The host can respond by re-sizing the storage device and notifying the guest virtual machine of the changed storage capacity. | 11-27-2014 |