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 and methods for rebalancing storage-oriented workloads across resources of a distributed data storage facility. Communications are initiated between a client computing device and a plurality of storage target devices of a distributed storage system. The distributed storage system comprises one or more computing nodes that can host virtualized controllers. A client computing device interfaced with the distributed storage system uses an IP address to access an initial virtualized controller. Upon detecting a change event, conditions of the computing environment are analyzed to determine rebalancing options. Analysis of the rebalancing options results in identification of an alternative virtualized controller. A redirect message that identifies the alternative virtualized controller is sent to the computing device. The client computing device connects to the alternative virtualized controller.

Abstract: A method for time series analysis of time-oriented usage data pertaining to computing resources of a computing system. A method embodiment commences upon collecting time series datasets, individual ones of the time series datasets comprising time-oriented usage data of a respective individual computing resource. A plurality of prediction models are trained using portions of time-oriented data. The trained models are evaluated to determine quantitative measures pertaining to predictive accuracy. One of the trained models is selected and then applied over another time series dataset of the individual resource to generate a plurality of individual resource usage predictions. The individual resource usage predictions are used to calculate seasonally-adjusted resource usage demand amounts over a future time period. The resource usage demand amounts are compared to availability of the resource to form a runway that refers to a future time period when the resource is predicted to be demanded to its capacity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for aggregating policies to enforce on computing entities of a computing system. A method embodiment commences upon administrative definition of a set of named policy associations that are applicable to various types of such computing entities. The occurrence of two or more named policy associations that are associated with a particular computing entity cause the policies to be processed to detect and reconcile possible conflicts. Reconciliation is accomplished by applying a set of conflict resolution rules. The result of detection and reconciliation of conflicts is a policy aggregate that comprises two or more non-conflicting policy subcomponents. During ongoing uses of the computing entities, policy actions are taken so as to enforce the semantics of the policy subcomponents onto the computing entity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for unified application-level backup and restore using heterogeneous cloud-based backup service providers. An application programming interface is configured to process both data level replication operations as well as application-level operations that are executed to carry out high-level commands between a virtualized computing environment and any one or more of the heterogeneous cloud-based backup service providers. The API receives commands from applications in the virtualized computing environment. The API processes commands from the applications so as to facilitate replication of data to selected one or more cloud-based backup service providers. The commands perform data level replication operations as well as application-level operations for storing content to the cloud-based service provider. After a failure event and/or upon receipt of a restore command, the API initiates application-level operations that restore the application and its constituent entities.

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: A system and method include receiving, by a search system of a virtual computing system, a search query via a search console, converting the search query into a structured query, and retrieving search results based on the structured query. The system and method further include activating a subset of widgets that satisfy a condition based on the search results and determining a view for each activated widget. Each widget is configured to display a particular type of the search results and the view for each widget is based upon a number of the search results of the particular type that the widget is configured to display. The system and method additionally include displaying the activated widget on the search console according to the view of that widget.

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: 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: 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: 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 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: Described is an architecture for providing access to administrative functionality in a virtualization system using implied authentication. This approach avoids the problems associated with the requirements to use a user ID and password to access an admin console. The user ID and password can be rendered completely unnecessary, or where the user ID and password combination is only used as a supplement to the implied authentication.

Abstract: Performing a hot-swap of a storage device for a node in a virtualization environment having a plurality of storage devices, includes performing pass-thru of a storage manager managing the plurality of storage devices to a service virtual machine, such that the service virtual machine communicates with the plurality of storage devices without going through a storage software layer of its corresponding hypervisor, booting the hypervisor from a device other than the plurality of storage devices and performing the hot-swap of the storage device.

Abstract: A method and architecture for managing placement of a virtual machine onto a host in a virtualization environment comprises identifying a virtual machine (VM) for placement from a first host onto a different host, and placing the VM onto a second host, the second host selected based at least in part upon a cost corresponding to memory capacity and local storage capacity on the second host such that the cost is associated with displacement of second VM data of a second VM from the local storage on the second host to maintain the first VM data in the local storage on the second host rather than on the remote storage.

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: 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: A method for providing real time replication status for a networked virtualization environment for storage management, includes scanning metadata to identify replication status for all virtual disks (vDisks) in the networked virtualization environment, generating replication tasks for vDisks that are identified as under replicated based on the scan, performing the replication tasks, monitoring the progress of the replication tasks and determining the real time replication status of the networked virtualization environment based on the scanned metadata and the monitored progress of the replication tasks.

Abstract: Examples of systems described herein include a computing node configured to execute a hypervisor and a hypervisor independent interface software layer configured to execute on the computing node. The interface software layer may be configured to determine configuration information and an operating system for a virtual machine to be created, receive an instruction to create the virtual machine through the hypervisor independent interface software layer, convert the instruction to create the virtual machine into a hypervisor specific command, create a virtual machine instance responsive to the hypervisor specific command, generate an image file by accessing a customization tool library from a plurality of customization tool libraries based, at least in part, on the customization information operating system for the virtual machine, attach the image file to the virtual machine, and power on the virtual machine instance.

Abstract: A method for dynamically adjusting between asynchronous and synchronous data replication policies in a networked virtualization environment, includes identifying a current data replication policy for a user virtual machine (VM) determining a load level by a source service VM associated with the user VM and calculating a desired data replication policy for the user VM based on at least the load level.