Abstract: Examples of systems are described herein which may dynamically allocate compute resources to recovery dusters. Accordingly, a recovery site may utilize fewer compute resources in maintaining recovery clusters for multiple associate clusters, while ensuring that, during use, compute resources are allocated to a particular cluster. This may reduce and/or avoid vulnerabilities arising from a use of shared resources in a virtualized and/or cloud environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for storage resource and computation resource expansion. A method embodiment includes migrating a computing task from an external computing environment to a different computing/storage environment. The method commences by identifying a storage system having virtualized controllers and by identifying a computing device that performs a workload that interfaces with the storage system. The virtualized controllers execute in the second computing environment to manage access to storage target devices by accessing a storage target device identified by an IP address. A particular virtualized controller that is connected to the storage target device is selected and configured to process storage I/O from a migrated workload. A user virtual machine or user executable container is configured to execute the workload on one of the nodes in the computing and storage system within the second computing environment.

Abstract: Synchronization techniques for computing systems that interface with external service providers. A method for accessing status and other attributes of an external service provider commences upon identifying an external service such as a firewall appliance or backup repository that provides computing-related functions to computing entities of the computing system. One or more access mechanisms such as an application programming interface is exposed to the external service. The external service is registered with the computing system to use the access mechanism. When the external service detects a change of its state, the external service can communicate that change to the computing system through a “push” operation. The computing system processes the “pushed” data from the external service by verifying the status of the registration and authorization permissions, and then modifies one or more entity attributes of the computing resource entity.

Abstract: Examples of systems are described herein which may dynamically allocate compute resources to recovery clusters. Accordingly, a recovery site may utilize fewer compute resources in maintaining recovery clusters for multiple associate clusters, while ensuring that, during use, compute resources are allocated to a particular cluster. This may reduce and/or avoid vulnerabilities arising from a use of shared resources in a virtualized and/or cloud environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems and non-transitory computer readable media for handling IP network addresses in a virtualization system. Embodiments are configured to receive, from a cloud provider, a cloud provider media access control address to assign to a network interface of a computing node. Also received from the cloud provider is a cloud provider's IP address associated with the cloud provider's media access control address. A virtual machine on the computing node is configured such that the cloud provider's IP address serves as an IP address of the virtual machine and such that a virtualization system media access control address serves as a MAC address of the virtual machine. The virtualization system correlates the cloud provider's media access control address to the IP address of the virtual machine. In some cases, the cloud provider's media access control address stored in a virtual switch of a hypervisor.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for configuring private cloud computing resources to run a workload in the execution context of a dynamically configured virtualization system. Embodiments commence upon receiving a computing workload demand specification from a resource demander. The workload demand specification is delivered to a brokerage service. The brokerage service in turn identifies an available computing resource of a private cloud provider that matches up with the received computing workload demand specification. A virtualization system that is dynamically configured for the specified workload is installed on some or all of the available computing resources of the private cloud provider. Once the virtualization system is configured, installed and able to accept a workload for execution, the computing workload is scheduled to run in the virtualization system.

Abstract: Upon receiving a request to hibernate a hypervisor of a virtualization system running on a first computer, acts are carried out to capture a state of the hypervisor, where the state of the hypervisor comprises hypervisor logical resource parameters and an execution state of the hypervisor. After hibernating the hypervisor by quiescing the hypervisor and storing the state of the hypervisor into a data structure, the data structure is moved to a different location. At a later moment in time, the data structure is loaded onto a second computing machine and restored. The restore operation restores the hypervisor and all of its state, including all of the virtual machines of the hypervisor as well as all of the virtual disks and other virtual devices of the virtual machines. Differences between the first computing machine and the second computing machine are reconciled before execution of the hypervisor on the second machine.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for deploying a virtualization system onto cloud computing infrastructure. Virtual machines of a virtualization system are deployed onto computing nodes that are interconnected via a cloud provider's networking infrastructure. When migrating a virtual machine from a source computing node to a target computing node that is also interconnected to the cloud provider's networking infrastructure, the addressing of the to-be-migrated virtual machine changes. Dynamically-updated media access control translation tables are maintained at the computing nodes. The media access control translation tables are populated with cloud provider media access control addresses received from the cloud provider. A virtual switch at each computing node modifies incoming and outgoing packets of a to-be-migrated virtual machine based on contents of that node's media access control translation table.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for implementing disaster recovery for virtual machines. Consistency groups are implemented for virtual machines, where the consistency group link together two or more VMs. The consistency group includes any set of VMs which need to be managed on a consistent basis in the event of a disaster recovery scenario.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing access to storage devices in a distributed data storage environment. Embodiments operate to manage communications between a client computing device and storage target devices in a distributed storage system. The distributed storage system comprises one or more computing nodes and at least one storage target device. A client computing device interfaced with the distributed storage system uses an IP address to access a leader virtualized controller. Upon receipt of a storage access protocol message by the leader virtualized controller elected from a set of virtualized controllers, a redirect message comprising a second IP address that identifies a second virtualized controller is sent to the client computing device. The client computing device connects to the second virtualized controller. Messages are sent between the client computing device and the second virtualized controller, which in turn accesses the storage target device to carry out storage I/O protocol messaging.

Abstract: Systems for high-performance computing. A storage control architecture is implemented by a plurality of nodes, where a node comprises combinations of executable containers that execute in cooperation with virtual machines running above a hypervisor. The containers run in a virtual machine above a hypervisor, and/or can be integrated directly into the operating system of a host node. Sensitive information such as credit card information may be isolated from the containers in a separate virtual machine that is configured to be threat resistant, and which can be accessed through a threat resistant interface module. One of the virtual machines of the node may be a node-specific control virtual machine that is configured to operate as a dedicated storage controller for a node. One of the virtual machines of the node may be a node-specific container service machine that is configured to provide storage-related and other support to a hosted executable container.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved approach to implement a management environment for the storage infrastructure of a virtualization system. The invention provides the ability at a granular basis to allow a user/administrator to configure and control the service levels for virtualization objects in a virtualization system, particularly for storage-related components.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes host machines that form elements of the virtualization environment, and that include a hypervisor, a user virtual machine (UVM), a connection agent, and an I/O controller. The system further includes a virtual disk comprising a plurality of storage devices, the virtual disk being accessible by all of the I/O controllers. At least one of host machines receives a request associated with one of the elements using an application programming interface (API), and including a context-specific identifier. The host machine determines, using reflection, a type of the context-specific identifier and processes the request based on a mapping, according to the determined type, from the context-specific identifier to a unique identifier associated with the element.

Abstract: Systems for rule-based data protection of virtualized computing entities. A method embodiment commences upon receiving specification parameters that correspond to one or more data protection schemes or data protection configurations such as schemes for making backups or snapshots. Based on the specification parameters and the data protection configurations, one or more resource entities associated with the data protection configurations are identified. Each of the resource entities are accessed and one or more applicable data protection administration rules that correspond to the respective resource entities are applied. The resource entities might be organized hierarchically. Determination of which data protection administration rules are applicable to the resource entities is based on the type of resource entity being considered. The combination of the resource entity type and respective applicable rules is used to generate entity-specific data protection commands.

Abstract: Systems for achieving and maintaining a specified state of a computing resource in a distributed computing environment. A method embodiment commences upon receiving one or more specification parameters that describe a desired target state associated with a particular computing resource and/or of a particular computing environment. The specification parameters that characterize the desired target state of a resource are recorded in a target state data structure. Periodically, an agent issues a state progression query to determine if the computing resource has reached its desired target state. The query is then processed by collecting state parameters that describe the then-current state of the computing resource or environment. The target state data structure is accessed to identify one or more state differences between the desired target state and the then-current state of the particular computing resource and/or its particular computing environment.

Abstract: Systems for high-performance computing. A storage control architecture is implemented by a plurality of nodes, where a node comprises combinations of executable containers that execute in cooperation with virtual machines running above a hypervisor. The containers run in a virtual machine above a hypervisor, and/or can be integrated directly into the operating system of a host node. Sensitive information such as credit card information may be isolated from the containers in a separate virtual machine that is configured to be threat resistant, and which can be accessed through a threat resistant interface module. One of the virtual machines of the node may be a node-specific control virtual machine that is configured to operate as a dedicated storage controller for a node. One of the virtual machines of the node may be a node-specific container service machine that is configured to provide storage-related and other support to a hosted executable container.

Abstract: Systems for distributed data storage. A user accesses a user interface in a distributed virtualization system comprising computing nodes that support virtualized controllers that include preconfigured APIs to receive application extension modules. The system receives a user command from a user interface at the virtualized controller, the user command corresponding to a download request for at least one application extension. A successful download and integration event causes integration of the containerized application extension into the system. The additional functionality of the containerized application extension is offered to the user. The user can address additional functionality of the containerized application extension through a user interface.

Abstract: Systems for managing a distributed computing system. A method embodiment commences upon receiving user-provided specification parameters that describe a target state of a computing entity. After generating a set of resource management commands to achieve the specified target state of a computing entity, the resource management commands are scheduled for execution. As execution of the resource management commands is being carried out, the execution status of the resource management commands is continuously monitored. If performance of the resource management commands raises an error and/or the resource entity state is different than predicted, a set of remediation actions are determined, and an additional set of processing operations are invoked to accomplish the remediation actions. When all resource management commands and/or any remediation actions have completed successfully, the target resource entity state has been achieved.

Abstract: Systems for distributed data storage. A user accesses a user interface in a distributed virtualization system comprising computing nodes that support virtualized controllers that include preconfigured APIs to receive application extension modules. The system receives a user command from a user interface at the virtualized controller, the user command corresponding to a download request for at least one application extension. A successful download and integration event causes integration of the containerized application extension into the system. The additional functionality of the containerized application extension is offered to the user. The user can address additional functionality of the containerized application extension through a user interface.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved approach to implement a management environment for the storage infrastructure of a virtualization system. The invention provides the ability at a granular basis to allow a user/administrator to configure and control the service levels for virtualization objects in a virtualization system, particularly for storage-related components.