Granted Patent B1

US 10,019,287 · App. 13/841,059 · Granted Jul 10, 2018

Inventor: Scott Loughmiller (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: Scale Computing

G06F9/5016

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. A method, including steps of:

providing an improved user interface for controlling a cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, including

from said cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, receiving information from a plurality of said physical devices, said information indicating distinct use of physical resources by each of one or more virtual machines assigned to differing ones of each of said physical devices;

presenting a graphic representation of said information to an operator associated with said cluster;

wherein said graphic representation includes a unified presentation having at least two dimensions, a first dimension including first and second selected devices in said cluster and a second dimension including a chart of all such virtual machines allocated to the first selected device and the second selected device;

wherein said chart includes each virtual machine allocated to the first selected device occupying a first amount of space proportional to an amount of physical resources allocated to each virtual machine;

wherein each virtual machine has a first linear measure and a second linear measure, said first and second linear measures being perpendicular, and said virtual machines allocated to the first selected device being displayed in a line along said second linear measure;

interacting with the operator, including receiving from the operator graphical commands applied to elements of the unified graphical representation, interpreting the operator graphical commands as operations to be performed with respect to physical devices or physical resources allocated to the one or more virtual machines of the cluster, and adjusting the graphic representation to conform to results of performing the graphical commands; and

wherein resizing one or more virtual machines is performed by adjusting a graphical interface border between two virtual machines thereby executing the operator graphical command to adjust the amount of physical resources allocated to the one or more virtual machines.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

said amount of resources allocated to each virtual machine is responsive to one or more of:

an amount of memory allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of memory in use by to said virtual machine;

an amount of processing power allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of processing power in use by said virtual machine;

an amount of network bandwidth allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of network bandwidth in use by said virtual machine.

3. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

each said physical device is allocated an amount of display space in response to an amount of resources it has available for virtual machines.

4. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

each said physical device is allocated an amount of display space in response to the amount of resources it has available free for other use.

5. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

at least one virtual machine allocated to the first selected device represents one SYSTEM virtual machine for each said physical device, said SYSTEM virtual machine being disposed at an end of said second linear measure, and along said second linear measure,

said SYSTEM virtual machine being represented with a unique indicator showing that it cannot be removed or reduced in resource consumption.

6. A method as in claim 1 , including steps of

receiving, at the cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, instructions from an operator, wherein the instructions indicate a first device in the cluster from which to move a particular virtual machine and a second device in the cluster to which to move the particular virtual machine; and

moving the particular virtual machine from the first device in the cluster to the second device in the cluster.

7. A method as in claim 1 , including steps of

receiving, at the cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, instructions from an operator, wherein the instructions indicate a first device in the cluster at which to create a particular virtual machine; and

creating the particular virtual machine at the first device in the cluster.

8. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

moving or copying one or more virtual machines is performed by dragging and dropping a graphical interface presentation of the one or more virtual machines.

9. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

the physical devices in the cluster each include one or more processors, the physical devices intercommunicating at least in part by sharing memory or mass storage.

10. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

moving or copying one or more virtual machines is performed by dragging and dropping a graphical interface presentation of the one or more virtual machines.

11. A method as in claim 1 , wherein

the physical devices in the cluster each include one or more processors, the physical devices intercommunicating at least in part by sharing memory or mass storage.

12. Apparatus including:

an improved user interface for controlling a cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, including

said cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, said physical devices exchanging information indicating use of resources by virtual machines assigned to each of said physical devices;

a presentation device receiving information from a plurality of ones of said cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, said information indicating distinct use of physical resources by each of one or more virtual machines assigned to differing ones of each of said physical devices;

said presentation device capable of presenting, in a unified graphical representation, at least two dimensions of information, said two dimensions including a first dimension describing each particular one of said plurality of devices and a second dimension describing each particular virtual machine allocated to said one of said plurality of devices;

wherein said second dimension includes each particular virtual machine occupying a first amount of space proportional to an amount of physical resources allocated to each virtual machine;

wherein each particular virtual machine has a first linear measure and a second linear measure, said first and second linear measures being perpendicular, and said virtual machines allocated to the same particular device being displayed in a line along said second linear measure;

wherein the cluster interacts with an operator, including receiving from the operator graphical commands applied to elements of the unified graphical representation, interpreting the operator graphical commands as operations to be performed with respect to physical devices or physical resources allocated to the one or more virtual machines of the cluster, and adjusting the graphic representation to conform to results of performing the graphical commands; and

wherein resizing one or more virtual machines is performed by adjusting a graphical interface border between two virtual machines thereby executing the operator graphical command to adjust the amount of physical resources allocated to the one or more virtual machines.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

said amount of resources allocated to each virtual machine is response to one or more of:

an amount of memory allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of memory in use by to said virtual machine;

an amount of processing power allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of processing power in use by said virtual machine;

an amount of network bandwidth allocated to said virtual machine;

an amount of network bandwidth in use by said virtual machine.

14. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

each said physical device is allocated an amount of display space in response to an amount of resources it has available for virtual machines.

15. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

each said physical device is allocated an amount of display space in response to the amount of resources it has available free for other use.

16. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

at least one virtual machine allocated to the first selected device represents one SYSTEM virtual machine for each said physical device, said SYSTEM virtual machine being disposed at an end of said second linear measure, and along said second linear measure,

said SYSTEM virtual machine being represented with a unique indicator showing that it cannot be removed or reduced in resource consumption.

17. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

at least one area for a virtual machine represents a FREE space for each said physical device, said FREE space being disposed at an end of said second linear measure, and along said second linear measure.

18. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

said presentation device is capable of receiving, at the cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, instructions from an operator, wherein the instructions indicate a first device in the cluster from which to move a particular virtual machine and a second device in the cluster to which to move the particular virtual machine; and

said cluster is capable of moving the selected virtual machine from the first device in the cluster to the second device in the cluster.

19. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

said presentation device is capable of receiving, at the cluster of intercommunicating physical devices, instructions from an operator, wherein the instructions indicate a first device in the cluster at which to create a particular virtual machine; and

said cluster is capable of creating the selected virtual machine at the first device in the cluster.

20. Apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein

the operator is able to determine, directly from the graphic representation, whether moving or copying one or more virtual machines to a physical device is performable by the cluster.

Assignments (16)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (1)

US 12,417,111