Method for repointing resources between hosts

Inventors: Manoj Krishnan (Thrissur, IN); Maarten Wiggers (Palo Alto, CA)

Assignee: VMware, Inc.

G06F9/5011 G06F2209/503

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,144,354
App. No.: 16/443,943
Granted: Oct 12, 2021
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for reallocating host resources in a virtualized computing environment when certain criteria have been met. In some embodiments, a system identifies a host disabling event. In view of the disabling event, the system identifies a resource for reallocation from a first host to a second host. Based on the identification, the computer system disassociates the identified resource's virtual identifier from the first host device and associates the virtual identifier with the second host device. Thus, the techniques disclosed significantly reduce a system's planned and unplanned downtime.

Claims (66)

1. A method comprising:

detecting an event to disable a first host device selected from a plurality of host devices;

subsequent to detecting the event to disable the first host device:

identifying a plurality of available resources at the first host device;

determining whether reallocation criteria have been met for at least one of the available resources at the first host device; and

as a result of a determination that the reallocation criteria for the at least one of the available resources at the first host device have been met, wherein the reallocation criteria for the at least one of the available resources at the first host device includes a requirement that a time needed to replicate the at least one of the available resources from the first host device to a second host device is greater than the time needed to reallocate the at least one of the available resources from the first host device to the second host device:

selecting the at least one of the available resources at the first host device for reallocation to the second host device; and

reallocating the selected available resource from the first host device to the second host device;

after reallocating the selected available resource, providing a request to disable the first host device; and

migrating one or more virtual machines from the first host device to a third host device, wherein the third host device is different than the first host device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reallocation criteria for the at least one of the available resources at the first host device includes a requirement that the at least one of the available resources is replicated at a location distinct from the first host device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location is a data store independent of the first host device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the reallocation criteria for the at least one of the available resources have not been met:

forgoing reallocating the at least one of the available resources at the first host device; and

replicating the at least one of the available resources from the first host device to a location distinct from the first host device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an instruction to enable the first host device selected from the plurality of host devices; and

as a result of receiving the instruction to enable the first host device:

enabling the first host device;

after enabling the first host device, identifying a previously reallocated resource from the first host device to the second host device; and

reallocating the previously reallocated resource from the second host device to the first host device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the event to disable a first host device selected from a plurality of host devices includes:

displaying a visual representation of the plurality of host devices; and

receiving a selection of the first host device, wherein the first host device is selected from the visual representation of the plurality of host devices.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the event to disable the first host device includes detecting a failure of the first host device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein disabling the first host device includes transitioning the first host device into a maintenance mode.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein reallocating the selected available resource further comprises:

identifying a host device configured to employ the selected available resource;

disassociating a virtual identifier associated with the selected available resource from the first host device; and

associating the virtual identifier associated with the selected available resource with the identified host device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected available resource is one or more storage media.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to disabling the first host device, the method further comprises:

identifying the one or more virtual machines executing on the first host device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, the one or more programs including instructions for: