Monitoring and dynamically reconfiguring virtual machine patterns

{
  "publication_number": "US2016034292A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Monitoring and dynamically reconfiguring virtual machine patterns",
  "abstract": "A cloud manager monitors running VM patterns, determines potential VM patterns that have a different configuration than the running VM patterns, and performs estimates of a plurality of metrics for the potential VM patterns. When the estimates for the potential VM patterns exceed the monitored VM patterns currently running by some threshold amount, the potential VM patterns may be automatically deployed to one or more clouds. The result is a cloud-based system that is automatically and dynamically tuned to changing conditions.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and a virtual machine (VM) pattern manager residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the VM pattern manager monitors a plurality of metrics for a plurality of VM patterns that are running, determines a plurality of potential VM patterns that have different configurations than the plurality of VM patterns that are running, estimates at least one of the plurality of metrics on the plurality of potential VM patterns, determines when the estimated metrics on the plurality of potential VM patterns exceed a threshold value for at least one of the plurality of metrics for the plurality of VM patterns, and when the estimated metrics on the plurality of potential VM patterns exceed the threshold value, the VM pattern manager deploys the plurality of potential VM patterns to at least one cloud. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the VM pattern manager removes the plurality of VM patterns when the plurality of potential VM patterns is deployed to the at least one cloud. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the threshold value comprises a composite of a plurality of values for the plurality of metrics. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of metrics comprises metrics for resource usage. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of metrics comprises metrics for communications. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of metrics comprises metrics for price. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of metrics comprises metrics for quality of service. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of metrics comprises metrics for security. 9 - 20. (canceled)"
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field\n\nThis disclosure generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to monitoring virtual machine (VM) patterns as they run and dynamically adjusting the VM patterns according to one or more metrics.\n\n2. Background Art\n\nThe combination of hardware and software on a particular computer system defines a computing environment. Different hardware platforms and different operating systems thus provide different computing environments. In recent years, engineers have recognized that it is possible to provide different computing environments on the same physical computer system by logically partitioning the computer system resources to different computing environments known as virtual machines. The System X computer system developed by IBM is an example of a computer system that supports logical partitioning into multiple virtual machines. If multiple virtual machines on a System X computer system are desired, partition manager code (referred to as a “hypervisor” in IBM terminology) is installed that allows defining different virtual machines on the same platform. Once the partition manager is installed, virtual machines may be created that define different computing environments. The partition manager manages the logical partitions to assure that they can share needed resources in the computer system while maintaining the separate computing environments defined by the virtual machines.\n\nVirtual machines are used extensively in computing solutions that are cloud-based.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 9/45558",
    "G06F 2009/4557",
    "G06F 2009/45591",
    "G06F 2009/45595",
    "G06F 2209/508",
    "G06F 9/44505",
    "G06F 9/5083"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 9/455",
    "G06F 9/46"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "International Business Machines Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Bin Cao",
    "Daniel L. Hiebert",
    "Brian R. Muras"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-08-04",
  "publication_date": "2016-02-04",
  "priority_date": "2014-08-04",
  "application_number": "US-201414450830-A",
  "family_id": "55180116",
  "cited_by_count": 10
}