Apparatus and method for expedited virtual machine (VM) launch in VM cluster environment

摘要

Method and apparatus for expedited virtual machine (VM) launch in VM cluster environment. In one embodiment, at least one VM is launched within a host platform. Once initialized, a VM may issue a hypercall to a VM monitor (VMM) of a VM host platform. In response, the VMM may capture a runtime image of the VM. In one embodiment, the VMM loads the runtime image of the VM within a node of the host platform as a child VM. In an alternative embodiment, the VMM issues a VM clone command to a VMM of a next host platform including the runtime image of the VM. In response, the VMM of the next platform loads the runtime image of the first VM within a node of the second host platform as a cloned VM. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one computer platform comprising:
at least one processor coupled to a chipset;the at least one processor having an integrated memory controller, the integrated memory controller being capable of being coupled to at least one double data rate (DDR) memory;the at least one chipset including at least one controller capable of being coupled to at least one hard disk drive;the at least one chipset also being capable of being coupled to a universal serial bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express interface, and at least one other bus;an extensible firmware interface to provide, in operation, operating system access to firmware of the at least one platform; in operation, the at least one platform being capable of loading at least one virtual machine monitor (VMM) and at least one virtual machine (VM); in operation, the at least one VMM being capable of establishing, in response to at least one command, at least one other VM that has at least one configuration that is identical to at least one other configuration of the at least one VM; wherein, in operation:
the at least one platform is capable of being used in a cluster that is in a cluster environment, the cluster environment comprising a plurality of clusters that comprise a plurality of platforms, each of the plurality of clusters comprising a respective plurality of nodes;each of the platforms is capable of comprising a respective plurality of virtual machines;the at least one other VM is to be established in at least one other platform in another cluster comprised in the cluster environment; andthe at least one command is capable of being issued by a certain platform that is other than the at least one other platform.