IP Library Granted Patent US 12,260,238
Granted Patent B2
US 12,260,238 · App. 17/153,091 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Device discovery in a virtualized environment

Inventors: Parminder Singh Sethi (Ludhiana, IN); Durai Singh (Chennai, IN); Suren Kumar (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F9/45558H04L41/122H04L61/5007G06F2009/4557G06F2009/45595
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,260,238
App. No.
17/153,091
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, an example methodology implementing the disclosed techniques includes receiving, by a systems management console, a network address of a device in a virtual environment, and determining a network address associated with a virtual environment management console based on the received network address of the device in the virtual environment. The method also includes sending, by the systems management console via a systems management agent to the virtual environment management console using the determined network address associated with the virtual environment management console, a request for network addresses of virtual machine (VM) host servers and VMs in the virtual environment. The method also includes receiving, by the systems management console via the systems management agent from the virtual environment management console, the network addresses of the VM host servers and the VMs in the virtual environment and providing a notification of the discovered VM host servers and VMs.

Claims (38)

1. A computer implemented method to discover reachable devices in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

providing a systems management console including a systems management agent configured to communicate with a virtual environment management console, the virtual environment management console hosted on a virtual management server and configured to manage a virtual environment;

receiving, by the systems management console, a network address of a device in the virtual environment;

determining, by the systems management console, a network address associated with the virtual environment management server from the received network address of the device in the virtual environment;

sending, by the systems management console via the systems management agent to the virtual environment management console using the determined network address associated with the virtual environment management server, a request for network addresses of virtual machine (VM) host servers and VMs in the virtual environment;

receiving, by the systems management console via the systems management agent from the virtual environment management console, the network addresses of the VM host servers and the VMs in the virtual environment; and

providing, by the systems management console, a notification of the VM host servers and the VMs discovered in the virtual environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a computing device that is hosting the virtual environment management console.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a VM host server in the virtual environment, and wherein determining the network address associated with the virtual environment management server comprises initiating an internal command using the network address of the VM host server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a VM in the virtual environment, and wherein determining the network address associated with the virtual environment management server comprises receiving, from the VM, the network address associated with the virtual environment management server in response to sending to the VM a request for the network address associated with the virtual environment management console.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, in response to the request for the network address associated with the virtual environment management server, initiating, by the VM, a software program to determine the network address associated with the virtual environment management server.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the request for network addresses of VM host servers and VMs in the virtual environment, obtaining, by the virtual environment management console via an operating system passthrough channel from individual VM host servers, the network addresses of the VMs being hosted by the individual VM host server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a notification comprises a notification of at least one VM host server or VM discovered in the virtual environment that is unreachable from the systems management console.

9. A system comprising:

one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums, wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to,

receive a network address of a device in a virtual environment;

determine a network address associated with a virtual environment management server from the received network address of the device in the virtual environment, the virtual environment management server hosting a virtual environment management console configured to manage the virtual environment;

send, via a systems management agent configured to communicate with a virtual environment management console, a request for network addresses of virtual machine (VM) host servers and VMs in the virtual environment;

receive, via the systems management agent from the virtual environment management console, the network addresses of the VM host servers and the VMs in the virtual environment; and

provide a notification of the VM host servers and the VMs discovered in the virtual environment.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the received network address of the device in the virtual environment is a network address of a computing device that is hosting the virtual environment management console.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the received network address of the device in the virtual environment is a network address of a VM host server in the virtual environment management console, and wherein the network address associated with the virtual environment management server is determined via initiation of an internal command using the network address of the VM host server.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the received network address of the device in the virtual environment is a network address of a VM in the virtual environment management console, and wherein the network address associated with the virtual environment management server is received from the VM in response to a request for the network address associated with the virtual environment management console sent to the VM.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the VM determines the network address associated with the virtual environment management server via initiation of a software program.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the virtual environment management console obtains from individual VM host servers, via an operating system passthrough channel, the network addresses of the VMs being hosted by the individual VM host server.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the notification comprises a notification of at least one VM host server or VM discovered in the virtual environment that is unreachable from the systems management console.

17. A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoding instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for discovering reachable devices in a virtual environment, the process comprising:

receiving a network address of a device in a virtual environment;

determining a network address associated with a virtual environment management server from the received network address of the device in the virtual environment, the virtual environment management server hosting a virtual environment management console configured to manage the virtual environment;

sending, via a systems management agent configured to communicate with a virtual environment management console, a request for network addresses of virtual machine (VM) host servers and VMs in the virtual environment;

receiving, via the systems management agent from the virtual environment management console, the network addresses of the VM host servers and the VMs in the virtual environment; and

providing a notification of the VM host servers and the VMs discovered in the virtual environment.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a computing device that is hosting the virtual environment management console.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a VM host server in the virtual environment, and wherein determining a network address associated with the virtual environment management server comprises initiating an internal command using the network address of the VM host server.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein receiving the network address of the device in the virtual environment comprises receiving a network address of a VM in the virtual environment, and wherein determining the network address associated with the virtual environment management server comprises receiving, from the VM, the network address associated with the virtual environment management server in response to sending to the VM a request for the network address associated with the virtual environment management console.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2021
From: SETHI, PARMINDER SINGH; SINGH, DURAI; KUMAR, SUREN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054983/0729 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2021
From: SETHI, PARMINDER SINGH; SINGH, DURAI; KUMAR, SUREN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054983/0797 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220229681A1 · Jul 21, 2022
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