IP Library Granted Patent US 9,760,389
Granted Patent B2
US 9,760,389 · App. 13/844,711 · Granted Sep 12, 2017

Activity initiated virtual machine migration

Inventors: Tim Daly (San Jose, CA); Jeff Budzinski (San Jose, CA); Annie Cheng (Milpitas, CA)
Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC
G06F9/45558G06F2009/4557G06F2009/45575G06F2009/45591
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,760,389
App. No.
13/844,711
Granted
Sep 12, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Briefly, embodiments of methods or systems for activity initiated virtual machine migration are disclosed.

Claims (63)

1. A method comprising:

issuing a first at least one executable instruction to a host operating system of a first computing device to operate as a low-power computing device via labeling;

issuing a second at least one executable instruction to a host operating system of a second computing device to operate as a performance computing device via labeling;

wherein the low-power computing device and the performance computing device has same hardware characteristics;

detecting a decrease in activity performed by a first virtual machine;

migrating the first virtual machine to the low-power computing device responsive to the detected decrease in activity; and

wherein migration of the first virtual machine from the performance computing device to the low-power computing device is to bring about a reduction in power consumed by the first virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the migrating comprises live migration of the first virtual machine.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the migrating further comprises:

pre-copying contents of a first plurality of memory locations from a plurality of memory locations accessible to the first virtual machine;

suspending the activity performed by the first virtual machine; and

post-copying contents of a second plurality of memory locations from a plurality of memory locations accessible to the first virtual machine after the suspending.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the suspending is at least partially in response to detecting that a rate of the pre-copying is within 10% of a threshold modification rate of the first plurality of memory locations.

5. The method of claim 3 , and further comprising:

restarting the first virtual machine at the low-power computing device.

6. The method of claim 3 , and further comprising:

detecting an increase in activity performed by a second virtual machine functioning on the low-power computing device; and

migrating the second virtual machine to a performance computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the decrease in activity performed by the first virtual machine comprises:

detecting that the decrease in activity approaches a threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first at least one executable instruction is for the first computing device to accommodate a first number of virtual machines.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second at least one executable instruction is for the second computing device to accommodate a second number of virtual machines.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the migration of the first virtual machine is to bring about a reduction in power consumed by the first virtual machine of at least a threshold amount.

11. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors to:

issue a first at least instructions to a host operating system of a first computing device to operate, as a low-power computing device via label;

issue a second at least one instruction to a host operating system of a second computing device to operate as a performance computing device via label;

wherein the low-power computing device and the performance computing device has same hardware characteristics;

detect a change in a level of activity to be performed by a virtual machine via the execution on the one or more processors; and

initiate migration of the virtual machine to the low-power computing device based, at least in part, on the to be detected change in a level of activity;

wherein migration of the virtual machine from the performance computing device to the low-power computing device is to bring about a reduction in power to be consumed by the virtual machine.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the change in the level of activity to comprise a decrease in the level of activity, and wherein the migration to comprise live migration of the virtual machine to the low-power computing device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the change in the level of activity to comprise an increase in the level of activity, and wherein the migration to comprise live migration of the virtual machine from the low-power computing device to a performance computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors is additionally to:

receive direction from a virtual machine manager, the direction to bring about the one or more processors to initiate the migration of the virtual machine.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is additionally to:

receive direction from the virtual machine manager, the direction to bring about a suspension of an operation of at least one of the one or more processors.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the change in the level of activity to comprise a change in electronic message traffic between the low-power computing device and at least one external device.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

a memory array coupled to the one or more processing units, wherein the threshold reduction in power to be consumed by the virtual machine to correspond to within 4.5% to 5.5% of allocated capacity.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first at least one instruction for the first computing device is to accommodate a first number of virtual machines and the second at least one instruction for the second computing device is to accommodate a second number of virtual machines.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the migration of the virtual machine is to bring about a reduction in power consumed by the virtual machine of at least a threshold amount.

20. An article comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by a special purpose computing apparatus to:

issue a first at least one executable instruction to a first computing device to operate as a low-power computing device via label;

issue a second at least one executable instruction to a second computing device to operate as a performance computing device via label;

wherein the low-power computing device and the performance computing device has same hardware characteristics;

initiate migration of a virtual machine from the performance device to the low-power computing device in response to detection of a decrease in activity to be performed by the virtual machine;

wherein migration of a virtual machine from the performance computing device to the low-power computing device is to bring about a reduction in power to be consumed by the virtual machine.

21. The article of claim 20 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium additionally comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to:

copy portions of at least a first memory block to be accessible to the virtual machine; and

suspend the activity to be performed by the virtual machine.

22. The article of claim 21 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium additionally comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to:

copy portions of at least a second memory block to be accessible to the virtual machine after the suspension.

23. The article of claim 21 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium additionally comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to:

detect that a rate of the copying is within 10% of a threshold modification rate of the portions of at the first memory block; and

suspend the activity to be performed by the virtual machine responsive to the detection.

24. The article of claim 20 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium additionally comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to:

initiate the migration of the virtual machine responsive to detection of a decrease in electronic message traffic between the virtual machine and at least one external device.

25. The article of claim 20 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium additionally comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to:

initiate the migration of the virtual machine responsive to detection of a decrease in a number of transactions to be processed by the virtual machine.

26. The article of claim 20 , wherein the first at least one instruction for the first computing device is to accommodate a first number of virtual machines and the second at least one instruction for the second computing device is to accommodate a second number of virtual machines.

27. The article of claim 20 , wherein the migration of the first virtual machine is to bring about a reduction in power consumed by the first virtual machine of at least a threshold amount.

Assignments (9)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 052853 FRAME: 0153. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 29, 2021
From: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056832/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2021
From: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
To: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 055283/0483 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053654 FRAME 0254. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST GRANTED PURSUANT TO THE PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED. Recorded Dec 30, 2020
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP
To: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 054981/0377 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP
To: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 053654/0254 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MERTON ACQUISITION HOLDCO LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052853/0153 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2016
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
Reel/Frame 038950/0592 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2016
From: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 038951/0295 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
Reel/Frame 038383/0466 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2013
From: DALY, TIM; BUDZINSKI, JEFF; CHENG, ANNIE
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 030810/0891 →
Continuity (1)
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