Monitoring automated virtual machine reclamation
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present disclosure provide a monitoring algorithm that ensures that each step of an automated virtual machine reclamation process executes correctly before moving on to the next step. After each step of the process, some implementations can determine whether the resulting data is correct. If the resulting data is incorrect, some implementations can initially revert any fields updated by the process to their correct value. Some implementations can further decide whether to resubmit the virtual machine for reclamation automatically, or queue it for manual review based on, for example, multiple or repeated failures, server or data center failures, etc. Thus, some implementations can not only automate each step of the reclamation process, but also provide process evaluation and error detection for the reclamation process.
1. A method for monitoring automated virtual machine reclamation, the method comprising:
automatically determining that a step, for a virtual machine of multiple virtual machines, of a virtual machine reclamation process has failed by analyzing metadata, associated with the virtual machine, resulting from the step, wherein the virtual machine reclamation process is performed for the multiple virtual machines which are stored on respective computing devices associated with respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines, the virtual machine reclamation process including:
placing the multiple virtual machines in maintenance mode,
tagging the multiple virtual machines for removal,
unassigning the respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines,
disabling the multiple virtual machines, and
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from the respective computing devices;
automatically reverting at least some of the metadata associated with the virtual machine to a previous state, the previous state being associated with the step having not been performed; and
automatically resubmitting the virtual machine for reclamation including attempting to reperform the step.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on determining that the step failed for the virtual machine, generating a log indicating that the step failed for the virtual machine.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after attempting to reperform the step, determining that the step failed; and
placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after determining that the step failed, determining a type of failure; and
based on the type of failure, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the type of failure is an infrastructure outage.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after attempting to reperform the step, determining that the step failed again;
after determining that the step failed again, determining a type of failure; and
based on the type of failure, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the step, analyzing a log of multiple failures in reclaiming the virtual machine; and
based on a number of the multiple failures exceeding a threshold, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple virtual machines are automatically selected for reclamation by applying one or more rules, the one or more rules being applied to one or more of: a) inactivity data with respect to the respective users of the multiple virtual machines, b) availability, of the respective users, to use the multiple virtual machines, or c) both.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine reclamation process further includes:
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from a computing system providing the multiple virtual machines, the computing system being associated with a first entity.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the virtual machine reclamation process further includes:
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from one or more other computing systems associated with one or more second entities other than the first entity.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multiple virtual machines are automatically identified as being eligible to be reclaimed by analyzing contractual obligations and legal holds associated with the first entity.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a process for monitoring automated virtual machine reclamation, the process comprising:
automatically determining that a step, for a virtual machine of multiple virtual machines, of a virtual machine reclamation process has failed by analyzing metadata, associated with the virtual machine, resulting from the step, wherein the virtual machine reclamation process is performed for the multiple virtual machines, stored on respective computing devices associated with respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines, the virtual machine reclamation process including:
placing the multiple virtual machines in maintenance mode,
tagging the multiple virtual machines for removal,
unassigning the respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines,
disabling the multiple virtual machines, and
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from the respective computing devices;
automatically reverting at least some of the metadata associated with the virtual machine to a previous state, the previous state being associated with the step having not been performed; and
automatically resubmitting the virtual machine for reclamation including attempting to reperform the step.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the process further comprises:
based on determining that the step failed for the virtual machine, generating a log indicating that the step failed for the virtual machine.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the process further comprises:
after attempting to reperform the step, determining that the step failed; and placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the process further comprises:
after determining that the step failed, determining a type of failure; and based on the type of failure, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the type of failure is an infrastructure outage.
17. A computing system for monitoring automated virtual machine reclamation, the computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a process comprising:
automatically determining that a step, for a virtual machine of multiple virtual machines, of a virtual machine reclamation process has failed by analyzing metadata, associated with the virtual machine, resulting from the step, wherein the virtual machine reclamation process is performed for the multiple virtual machines, stored on respective computing devices associated with respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines, the virtual machine reclamation process including:
placing the multiple virtual machines in maintenance mode,
tagging the multiple virtual machines for removal,
unassigning the respective users assigned to the multiple virtual machines,
disabling the multiple virtual machines, and
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from the respective computing devices;
automatically reverting at least some of the metadata associated with the virtual machine to a previous state, the previous state being associated with the step having not been performed; and
automatically resubmitting the virtual machine for reclamation including attempting to reperform the step.
18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the process further comprises:
after attempting to reperform the step, determining that the step failed again;
after determining that the step failed again, determining a type of failure; and
based on the type of failure, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
19. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the process further comprises:
after the step, analyzing a log of multiple failures in reclaiming the virtual machine; and
based on a number of the multiple failures exceeding a threshold, placing the virtual machine in a queue for manual review.
20. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the virtual machine reclamation process further includes:
facilitating deletion of the multiple virtual machines from a computing system providing the multiple virtual machines.