Methods, systems, and computer readable storage devices for managing faults in a virtual machine network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018239679-A1
Application number	US-201815954042-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 16, 2018
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Faults are managed in a virtual machine network. Failure of operation of a virtual machine among a plurality of different types of virtual machines operating in the virtual machine network is detected. The virtual machine network operates on network elements connected by transport mechanisms. A cause of the failure of the operation of the virtual machine is determined, and recovery of the virtual machine is initiated based on the determined cause of the failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
detecting, by a processor, a failure of operation of a virtual machine among a plurality of different types of virtual machines operating in a virtual machine network, wherein the virtual machine network comprises a plurality of network elements; determining, by the processor, a cause of the failure of operation of the virtual machine via a fault signature, wherein the determining the cause of the failure includes identifying the cause of the failure from among a plurality of possible causes which include:
a fault of a network element of the plurality of network elements;
a fault of the virtual machine;
a fault of a virtual application being executed by the virtual machine; and
a fault of a transport mechanism serving the virtual machine network; and
initiating, by the processor, a recovery of the virtual machine based on the cause of the failure that is determined, wherein when the cause of the failure is determined to be the fault of the virtual machine, the initiating the recovery of the virtual machine includes selecting between whether to: restore operation of the virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine to a new network element, or stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with a new virtual machine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to a determination to stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with the new virtual machine, determining whether to instantiate the new virtual machine on a same network element on which the failure of operation of the virtual machine occurs or to instantiate the new virtual machine on the new network element.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising, responsive to a determination to instantiate the new virtual machine on the new network element, identifying the new network element on which to instantiate the new virtual machine based on a type of the virtual machine or a function of the virtual machine.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
correlating the cause of the failure of operation of the virtual machine with causes of failures of operation of other virtual machines in the virtual machine network, wherein the initiating the recovery of the virtual machine is also based on a result of the correlating.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting between whether to restore operation of the virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine to the new network element, or stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with the new virtual machine is based upon a type of the virtual machine from among the plurality of different types of virtual machines.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a load balancer virtual machine.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a database virtual machine.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a caching virtual machine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a proxy virtual machine.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises an operations virtual machine.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises an administration virtual machine.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a maintenance virtual machine.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a control virtual machine.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine comprises a monitoring virtual machine.

15 . A system comprising:
a processor; and a memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
detecting a failure of operation of a virtual machine among a plurality of different types of virtual machines operating in a virtual machine network, wherein the virtual machine network comprises a plurality of network elements;
determining a cause of the failure of operation of the virtual machine via a fault signature, wherein the determining the cause of the failure includes identifying the cause of the failure from among a plurality of possible causes which include:
a fault of a network element of the plurality of network elements;
a fault of the virtual machine;
a fault of a virtual application being executed by the virtual machine; and
a fault of a transport mechanism serving the virtual machine network; and
initiating a recovery of the virtual machine based on the cause of the failure that is determined, wherein when the cause of the failure is determined to be the fault of the virtual machine, the initiating the recovery of the virtual machine includes selecting between whether to: restore operation of the virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine to a new network element, or stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with a new virtual machine.

16 . The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising, responsive to a determination to stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with the new virtual machine, determining whether to instantiate the new virtual machine on a same network element on which the failure of operation of the virtual machine occurs or to instantiate the new virtual machine on the new network element.

17 . The system of claim 16 , the operations further comprising, responsive to a determination to instantiate the new virtual machine on the new network element, identifying the new network element on which to instantiate the new virtual machine based on a type of the virtual machine or a function of the virtual machine.

18 . The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
correlating the cause of the failure of operation of the virtual machine with causes of failures of operation of other virtual machines in the virtual machine network, wherein the initiating the recovery of the virtual machine is also based on a result of the correlating.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the selecting between whether to restore operation of the virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine to the new network element, or stop operation of the virtual machine and replace the virtual machine with the new virtual machine is based upon a type of the virtual machine from among the plurality of different types of virtual machines.

20 . A computer readable storage device having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
detecting a failure of operation of a virtual machine among a plurality of different types of virtual machines operating in a virtual machine network, wherein the virtual machine network comprises a plurality of network elements; determining a cause of the failure of operation of the virtual machine via a fault signature, wherein the determining the cause of the failure includes identifying the cause of the failure from among a plurality of possible causes which include:
a fault of a network element of the plurality of network elements;
a fault of the virtual machine;
a fault of a virtual application being executed by the virtual machine; and
a fault of a transport mechanism serving the virtual machine network; and
initiating a recovery of the virtual machine based on the cause of the failure that is determined, wherein when the cause of the failure is determined to

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Yang Chen-Yui
• Bajpay Paritosh
• Jong Chang-Han
• Qiu Chaoxin Charles

Classifications

• G06F11/2023 Primary

  Failover techniques · CPC title

• G06F11/1438

  Restarting or rejuvenating · CPC title

• G06F11/1484

  involving virtual machines · CPC title