Virtual machine allocation internal and external to physical environment

摘要

Allocation of software and data support resources for a virtual machine between a physical support environment and an external location, and migration of a virtual machine between physical support environments. Prior to migration, the virtual machine operates on the first physical support environment using a resident portion of the support resources that is resident on the first physical support environment, and an external portion of the support resources that is not resident on the first physical support environment. The virtual machine is then migrated to a second physical support environment that either already has access to or at least has the capability of accessing a copy of the resident support resources. This migration may be accomplished by mapping a copy of the resident support resources on the second physical support environment to a copy of the external support resources. This allows migration without contemporaneously copying the external portion.

主权项

1. A method for migrating a virtual machine from a first physical support environment to a second physical support environment, the virtual machine using software and data support resources in order to operate, the method comprising:
an act of operating the virtual machine on the first physical support environment using a first portion of the support resources that is resident on the first physical support environment, and a second portion of the support resources that is not resident on the first physical support environment; an act of migrating the virtual machine to the second physical support environment that either already has access to or at least has the capability of accessing a copy of the first portion of the support resources, the act of migrating comprising:
an act of mapping a copy of the first portion of the support resources on the second physical support environment to a copy of the second portion of the support resources that is not resident on the second physical support environment, such that a virtual machine instance on the second physical support environment that is able to access the copy of the first portion of the support resources on the second physical support environment is also capable of accessing the copy of the second portion of the support resources; andan act of accessing the virtual machine instance on the second physical support environment; and an act of operating the virtual machine on the second physical support environment using the copy of the first portion of the support resources that is resident on the second physical support environment, and the mapped copy of the second portion of the support resources that is not resident on the second physical support environment.