Multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025638-B2
Application number	US-201213540334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2012
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

The present application is directed to a multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation that provides multi-cloud aggregation and that includes a cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes that cooperate to provide services that are distributed across multiple clouds. These services include the transfer of virtual-machine containers, or workloads, between two different clouds and remote management interfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprising:
multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities;
a cloud-connector server that provides an electronic cloud-aggregation management interface and that is installed within one of the multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities; and
multiple cloud-connector nodes, a cloud-connector node installed in a virtual data center management server, cloud director, or management system within each cloud-computing facility of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, each cloud-connector node providing an electronic interface through which the cloud-connector server accesses services provided by the cloud-connector node and that each accesses a cloud-management interface within the cloud-computing facility in which the cloud-connector node is installed through which the cloud-connector node accesses local cloud-management services on behalf of the cloud-connector server.

2. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:
at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a virtual-data-center server; and
additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the virtual-data-center server.

3. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:
at least one cloud-computing facility that includes two or more organization virtual data centers managed by a cloud director; and
additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the cloud director.

4. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:
at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server; and
additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a management system that is neither a cloud director nor a virtual-data-center management server.

5. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 1 wherein each cloud-connector node is a virtual appliance and wherein a cloud-connector node comprises:
an application program interface through which the cloud-connector server requests services provided by the cloud-connector node;
an authorization service that authorizes access to the cloud-connector node and to services provided by the cloud-connector node;
service routines that, when executed in response to a request received through the application program interface, carry out the request and provide a response to the request;
a database that stores configuration data for the cloud-connector node;
adapters that provide access by the cloud-connector node to a file system and a management interface of a cloud-computing-facility management system; and
a messaging protocol and network transfer services that together provide for transfer of data files to remote cloud-connector nodes.

6. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 5 wherein the cloud-connector node wherein the messaging protocol and network transfer services provide for checkpoint-restart of interrupted or failed data-transfer operations.

7. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 6 wherein the cloud-connector node provides, through the application program interface, a login service, a parameterized service request that invokes a particular parameter-specified service, a data-upload service that receives and stores data transmitted to the cloud-connector node by the cloud-connector server, a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from the cloud-connector node to a different cloud-connector node; and a file-transfer service that, when requested by the cloud-connector server, transfers a file from a different cloud-connector node to the cloud-connector node.

8. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 7 wherein the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface provides electronic display of:
a current operational status of each cloud-connector node;
a current operational status of each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation;
events and alarms reported by each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation; and
remote cloud-computing management interfaces.

9. The multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation of claim 7 wherein the cloud-connector server and cloud-connector nodes together provide distributed management operations and services that include:
a get-status request issued by the cloud-connector server to a particular cloud-connector node;
posting of configuration updates to remote cloud-connector nodes;
deployment of catalogs that provide access by remote cloud-computing facilities to virtual appliances, operating-system executables, and virtual-appliance templates;
virtual-data-center backup facility that allows an entire virtual data center, or components within the virtual data center, to be backed up to a second, different, remote virtual data center;
configuration of high-bandwidth secure-communications links between two different remote cloud-computing facilities; and
full or partial failover of one remote virtual data center to another virtual data center.

10. A method that configures and manages a multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, the method comprising:
deploying a cloud-connector server that provides an electronic cloud-aggregation management interface within one of the multiple, operationally distinct cloud-computing facilities;
deploying, registering, and configuring a multiple cloud-connector node in a virtual data center management server, cloud director, or management system within each virtual data center and organization virtual data center in each cloud-computing facility of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation, each cloud-connector node providing an electronic interface through which the cloud-connector server accesses services provided by the cloud-connector node and that each accesses a cloud-management interface within the cloud-computing facility in which the cloud-connector node is installed through which the cloud-connector node accesses local cloud-management services on behalf of the cloud-connector server; and
invoking distributed management operations through the electronic cloud-aggregation management interface to configure and control operation of the multiple cloud-computing-facility aggregation.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:
at least one cloud-computing facility managed by a virtual-data-center server; and
additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the virtual-data-center server.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple-cloud-computing-facility aggregation comprises:
at least one cloud-computing facility that includes two or more organization virtual data centers managed by a cloud director; and
additional cloud-computing facilities that are operationally distinct from the at least one cloud-computing facility managed by the cloud director.

Assignees

• Raghu Jagannath N
• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Raghu Jagannath N

Classifications

• G06F9/5072 Primary

  Grid computing · CPC title