Determining resource instance placement in a networked computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229784-B2
Application number	US-201113238373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2011
Priority date	Sep 21, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for provisioning a virtual resource instance (e.g., a server instance, etc.) in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment) based upon network characteristics (e.g., physical locations, email addresses/configurations, network connection types, internet protocol (IP) addresses, etc.) of a set (at least one) of intended end users of the virtual resource instance. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, the network characteristics associated with the set of intended end users will be gathered and analyzed (e.g., to determine end user location, etc.). The analysis of the network characteristics will then be used to calculate/determine relative (e.g., network) efficiency scores for each intended end user for a set of potential data centers for the virtual resource instance. The relative efficiency scores for each potential data center will be summed/totaled to yield a total (e.g., network) efficiency score for each potential data center. Thereafter, the particular data center with the highest/best total efficiency score may be selected, and the requested resource instance may be provisioned at that data center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more locations to place virtual resource instances in a networked computing environment, comprising:
receiving a request for a virtual resource instance on a computer memory medium in the networked computing environment, the request being associated with a set of network characteristics for a set of intended end users of the virtual resource instance, the set of intended end users including a first intended end user located at a first physical location and a second intended end user located at a second physical location;
parsing the email addresses of the set of intended users included in the set of network characteristics for information that indicates a physical location of each of the set of intended end users;
analyzing, using at least one computer device, the set of network characteristics for each of the set of intended end users based on the physical location indicated by the parsing of an email address of each of the set of intended end users to get a set of potential data centers having relative proximity to the set of intended end users in which the virtual resource instance can be provisioned;
calculating, using the at least one computer device, a relative efficiency score for every intended end user of the set of intended end users and every one of the set of potential data centers, by calculating, for each intended end user, a relative efficiency score that is based on the physical location of the intended end user and reflects an expected latency particular to the end user with respect to each of the set of potential data centers;
calculating, using the at least one computer device, a total efficiency score for each of the set of potential data centers, each total efficiency score being based on a compilation of the relative efficiency scores of all of the set of intended end users that correspond to a particular data center;
selecting a particular data center from the set of potential data centers based on the total efficiency scores; and
provisioning the virtual resource instance in the particular data center.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the virtual resource instance with the set of intended end users.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the network characteristics comprising at least one of the following: physical locations associated with the set of intended end users, email addresses associated with the set of intended end users, network connection types associated with the set of intended end users, or internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the set of intended end users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the relative efficiency scores being based on network efficiencies, wherein the set of intended end users can utilize the virtual resource instance in each of the set of potential data centers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the total efficiency scores being based upon summation of the relative efficiency scores.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the particular data center being selected based upon a highest total efficiency score.

8. A system for determining one or more locations to place virtual resource instances in a networked computing environment, comprising:
a memory medium comprising instructions;
a bus coupled to the memory medium; and
a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to:
receive a request for a virtual resource instance on a computer memory medium in the networked computing environment, the request being associated with a set of network characteristics for a set of intended end users of the virtual resource instance, the set of intended end users including a first intended end user located at a first physical location and a second intended end user located at a second physical location;
parse the email addresses of the set of intended users included in the set of network characteristics for information that indicates a physical location of each of the set of intended end users;
analyze the set of network characteristics for each of the set of intended end users based on the physical location indicated by the parsing of an email address of each of the set of intended end users to get a set of potential data centers having relative proximity to the set of intended end users in which the virtual resource instance can be provisioned;
calculate using the at least one computer device, a relative efficiency score for every intended end user of the set of intended end users and every one of the set of potential data centers, by calculating, for each intended end user, a relative efficiency score that is based on the physical location of the intended end user and reflects an expected latency particular to the end user with respect to each of the set of potential data centers;
calculate a total efficiency score for each of the set of potential data centers, each total efficiency score being based on a compilation of the relative efficiency scores of all of the set of intended end users that correspond to a particular data center;
select a particular data center from the set of potential data centers based on the total efficiency scores; and
provision the virtual resource instance in the particular data center.

9. The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to associate the virtual resource instance with the set of intended end users.

10. The system of claim 8 , the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

11. The system of claim 8 , the network characteristics comprising at least one of the following: physical locations associated with the set of intended end users, email addresses associated with the set of intended end users, network connection types associated with the set of intended end users, or internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the set of intended end users.

12. The system of claim 8 , the relative efficiency scores being based on network efficiencies, wherein the set of intended end users can utilize the virtual resource instance in each of the set of potential data centers.

13. The system of claim 8 , the total efficiency scores being based upon summation of the relative efficiency scores.

14. The system of claim 8 , the particular data center being selected based upon a highest total efficiency score.

15. A computer program product for determining one or more locations to place virtual resource instances in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to:
receive a request for a virtual resource instance on a computer memory medium in the networked computing environment, the request being associated with a set of network characteristics for a set of intended end users of the virtual resource instance, the set of intended end users including a first intended end user located at a first physical location and a second intended end user located at a second physical location;
parse the email addresses of the set of intended users included in the set of network characteristics for information that indicates a physical location of each of the set of intended end users;
analyze the set of network characteristics for each of the set of intended end users based on the physical location

Assignees

• Dejana Ryan G
• Deluca Lisa Seacat
• Jang Soobaek
• Krook Daniel C
• IBM

Inventors

• Dejana Ryan G
• Deluca Lisa Seacat
• Jang Soobaek
• Krook Daniel C

Classifications

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06F2209/502

  Proximity · CPC title

• H04L67/1021

  based on client or server locations · CPC title

• G06F9/5077 Primary

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• G06F2209/501

  Performance criteria · CPC title