Virtual Machine Recovery On Non-Shared Storage in a Single Virtual Infrastructure Management Instance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016378622-A1
Application number	US-201514753817-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for enabling virtual machine (VM) recovery on non-shared storage in a single virtual infrastructure management server (VIMS) instance are provided. In one set of embodiments, a VIMS instance can receive an indication that a VM in a first cluster of the VIMS instance has failed, and can determine whether the VM's files were being replicated to a storage component of the VIMS instance at the time of the VM's failure. If the VM's files were being replicated at the time of the failure, the VIMS instance can search for and identify a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that (1) are compatible with the VM, and (2) have access to the storage component. The VIMS instance can then cause the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for enabling virtual machine (VM) recovery on non-shared storage, the method comprising:
receiving, by a virtual infrastructure management server (VIMS) instance, an indication that a VM in a first cluster of the VIMS instance has failed; determining, by the VIMS instance, whether the VM's files were being replicated to a storage component of the first cluster or a second cluster of the VIMS instance at the time of the VM's failure; if the VM's files were being replicated to the storage component at the time of the VM's failure, identifying, by the VIMS instance, a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to the storage component; and causing, by the VIMS instance, the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to determining whether the VM's files were being replicated:
searching for a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to a storage component of the first cluster on which the VM's files reside; and
if found, causing the VM to be restarted on the found host system of the found cluster.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to identifying the cluster and the host system:
checking a user-defined policy to determine whether automatic recovery of the VM should continue; and
if the user-defined policy indicates that automatic recovery should not continue, requesting manual user intervention.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to identifying the cluster and the host system:
sending, to a replication component involved in replicating the VM's files, a request to create a failover image for the VM, the failover image including one or more links to a replicated copy of the VM's files at the first or the second cluster; and
in response to the sending, receiving a path to the failover image.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the VIMS instance causes the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster using the failover image.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein, upon receiving the request to create the failover image, the replication component is configured to:
check whether a host heartbeat associated with a host system in the first cluster on which the VM was running is up-to-date;
if the host heartbeat is up-to-date, check whether the VM is currently powered-on; and
if the VM is not currently powered on:
set a failover-in-progress state for the VM;
create the failover image; and
upon successful creation of the failover image, unset the failover-in-progress state.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the VM is not allowed to be powered-on in the first cluster while the failover-in-progress state is set.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a VIMS instance, the program code embodying a method for enabling VM recovery on non-shared storage, the method comprising:
receiving an indication that a VM in a first cluster of the VIMS instance has failed; determining whether the VM's files were being replicated to a storage component of the VIMS instance at the time of the VM's failure; if the VM's files were being replicated to the storage component at the time of the VM's failure, identifying a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to the storage component; and causing the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises, prior to determining whether the VM's files were being replicated:
searching for a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to a storage component of the first cluster on which the VM's files reside; and
if found, causing the VM to be restarted on the found host system of the found cluster.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises, prior to identifying the cluster and the host system:
checking a user-defined policy to determine whether automatic recovery of the VM should continue; and
if the user-defined policy indicates that automatic recovery should not continue, requesting manual user intervention.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises, prior to identifying the cluster and the host system:
sending, to a replication component involved in replicating the VM's files, a request to create a failover image for the VM, the failover image including one or more links to a replicated copy of the VM's files; and
in response to the sending, receiving a path to the failover image.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the VIMS instance causes the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster using the failover image.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein, upon receiving the request to create the failover image, the replication component is configured to:
check whether a host heartbeat associated with a host system in the first cluster on which the VM was running is up-to-date;
if the host heartbeat is up-to-date, check whether the VM is currently powered-on; and
if the VM is not currently powered on:
set a failover-in-progress state for the VM;
create the failover image; and
upon successful creation of the failover image, unset the failover-in-progress state.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the VM is not allowed to be powered-on in the first cluster while the failover-in-progress state is set.

15 . A computer system executing a VIMS instance, the computer system comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive an indication that a VM in a first cluster of the VIMS instance has failed;
determine whether the VM's files were being replicated to a storage component of the VIMS instance at the time of the VM's failure;
if the VM's files were being replicated to the storage component at the time of the VM's failure, identify a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to the storage component; and
cause the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 wherein the program code further causes the processor to, prior to determining whether the VM's files were being replicated:
search for a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that are compatible with the VM and have access to a storage component of the first cluster on which the VM's files reside; and
if found, cause the VM to be restarted on the found host system of the found cluster.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 wherein the program code further causes the processor to, prior to identifying the cluster and the host system:
check a user-defined policy to determine whether automatic recovery of the VM should continue; and
if the user-defined policy indicates that automatic recovery should not

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Ren Joanne
• Farkas Keith
• Zucca Mike
• Shah Parth

Classifications

• G06F11/1484 Primary

  involving virtual machines · CPC title

• G06F11/203 Primary

  using migration · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

  Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data · CPC title

• G06F2201/815

  Virtual · CPC title

• G06F11/1658

  Data re-synchronization of a redundant component, or initial sync of replacement, additional or spare unit · CPC title