Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, and software to deploy instant guest clusters in a computing environment. In one example, a host is configured to initiate startup operations of a first virtual machine and stop the startup operations prior to performing guest customization operations. The host is further configured to, in response to a request for a second virtual machine, initiate the second virtual machine as an instant clone of the first virtual machine and execute the guest customization operations for the second virtual machine based on metadata provided for the second virtual machine, wherein the metadata provides configuration information for the second virtual machine.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes: a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs); an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server executing in a first VM of the VMs; guest cluster infrastructure software (GCIS) executing in the master server, the GCIS configured to create a set of objects defining a container orchestration cluster, and manage lifecycles of second VMs of the VMs based on state of the set of objects; and guest software executing in the second VMs to implement the container orchestration cluster as a guest cluster of the host cluster, the guest software having components that interface with the GCIS.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes: a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs); an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server executing in a first VM of the VMs; guest cluster infrastructure software (GCIS) executing in the master server, the GCIS configured to create a set of objects defining a container orchestration cluster, and manage lifecycles of second VMs of the VMs based on state of the set of objects; and guest software executing in the second VMs to implement the container orchestration cluster as a guest cluster of the host cluster, the guest software having components that interface with the GCIS.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs and native VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs, the native VMs including applications executing on guest operating systems; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server having a pod VM controller to manage lifecycles of the pod VMs and a native VM controller to manage lifecycles of the native VMs.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing data plane isolation for VM mobility operations are provided. In one set of embodiments, these techniques include creating a virtual network path between a source host system and a destination host system participating in a VM mobility operation, which allows the host systems to exchange data for carrying out the operation without exposing their physical IP addresses to each other and without requiring the use of intermediate proxies. In certain embodiments, the virtual network path can be dynamically established upon initiation of the VM mobility operation and dynamically rolled back upon operation completion, thereby reducing the overhead of virtual path management.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs and native VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs, the native VMs including applications executing on guest operating systems; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server having a pod VM controller to manage lifecycles of the pod VMs and a native VM controller to manage lifecycles of the native VMs.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing application-assisted VM provisioning operations, and in particular application-assisted live migration, are provided. In one set of embodiments, a hypervisor of a source host system can notify a guest application that the VM within which the guest application runs will be imminently live migrated from the source host system to a destination host system, prior to actually carrying out the live migration. In response, the guest application can execute one or more remedial actions that mitigate or avoid issues which may arise with respect to its runtime operation when the VM is stunned and switched over to the destination host system.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server configured to manage the pod VMs and first VMs of the VMs. The virtualized computing system further includes a guest cluster executing in the first VMs and managed by the orchestration control plane, the guest cluster including a guest master server configured to, in cooperation with the master server, deploy first pods in the pod VMs.

Abstract: An example method of checking compatibility of a guest cluster executing as a virtual extension of a host cluster having an orchestration control plane managing the guest cluster, the host cluster being part of a software defined data center (SDDC), is described.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server configured to manage the pod VMs and first VMs of the VMs. The virtualized computing system further includes a guest cluster executing in the first VMs and managed by the orchestration control plane, the guest cluster including a guest master server configured to, in cooperation with the master server, deploy first pods in the pod VMs.

Abstract: Examples provide a method of migrating a multi-process virtual machine (VM) from at least one source host to at least one destination host in a virtualized computing system. The method includes: copying, by VM migration software executing in the at least one source host, guest physical memory of the multi-process VM to the at least one destination host; obtaining, by the VM migration software, at least one device checkpoint for at least one device supporting the multi-process VM, the multi-process VM including a user-level monitor (ULM) and at least one user-level driver (ULD), the at least one ULD interfacing with the at least one device, the ULM providing a virtual environment for the multi-process VM; transmitting the at least one device checkpoint to the at least one destination host; restoring the at least one device checkpoint; and resuming the multi-process VM on the at least one destination host.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs and native VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs, the native VMs including applications executing on guest operating systems; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server having a pod VM controller to manage lifecycles of the pod VMs and a native VM controller to manage lifecycles of the native VMs.

Abstract: To leverage the attributes of object storage for applications/systems created to interface with a network files system, an object storage backed file system can accept the defined file system commands from the applications/systems and transform the file system commands into requests that target object storage. The file system is “backed” by object storage because attributes and content of file system entities are stored in objects. For instance, content data and metadata of a file are stored in objects in object storage. This object storage backed file system can be considered a bridge between a client perceived hierarchical file system namespace and a flat namespace of an object storage.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs), the VMs including pod VMs, the pod VMs including container engines supporting execution of containers in the pod VMs; and an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server configured to manage the pod VMs and first VMs of the VMs. The virtualized computing system further includes a guest cluster executing in the first VMs and managed by the orchestration control plane, the guest cluster including a guest master server configured to, in cooperation with the master server, deploy first pods in the pod VMs.

Abstract: An example method of checking compatibility of a guest cluster executing as a virtual extension of a host cluster having an orchestration control plane managing the guest cluster, the host cluster being part of a software defined data center (SDDC), is described.

Abstract: An example virtualized computing system includes: a host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts, the virtualization layer supporting execution of virtual machines (VMs); an orchestration control plane integrated with the virtualization layer, the orchestration control plane including a master server executing in a first VM of the VMs; guest cluster infrastructure software (GCIS) executing in the master server, the GCIS configured to create a set of objects defining a container orchestration cluster, and manage lifecycles of second VMs of the VMs based on state of the set of objects; and guest software executing in the second VMs to implement the container orchestration cluster as a guest cluster of the host cluster, the guest software having components that interface with the GCIS.

Abstract: To leverage the attributes of object storage for applications/systems created to interface with a network files system, an object storage backed file system can accept the defined file system commands from the applications/systems and transform the file system commands into requests that target object storage. The file system is “backed” by object storage because attributes and content of file system entities are stored in objects. For instance, content data and metadata of a file are stored in objects in object storage. This object storage backed file system can be considered a bridge between a client perceived hierarchical file system namespace and a flat namespace of an object storage.

Abstract: Systems and methods for replicating object-based operations generated based on file system commands are disclosed. In an aspect, an object storage backed file system (OSFS) translates each of multiple file system commands into a respective transaction group of one or more object-based operations. A transaction identifier is assigned to the object-based operations in each of the transaction groups. An OSFS cache records the transaction groups to an intent log that buffers the transaction groups prior to commitment of the object-based operations to a backend object store. The OSFS cache determines for each of the transaction groups, whether the transaction group modifies a file system namespace.

Abstract: A system has been designed that uses defined, abstracted object commands to facilitate adaptation to heterogeneous backend targets. The backend targets are heterogeneous at least in terms of data access protocols. The architecture of the system allows the system to adapt to changes in data access protocols and addition of data access protocols. The system can operate as a bridge between multiple instances of multiple file systems and the heterogeneous backend targets. The system directs the abstracted object commands to an object storage adapter. The object storage adapter is designed to route a defined, abstracted object command to at least one of a number of modules that translate the abstracted object command.

Abstract: To leverage the attributes of object storage for applications/systems created to interface with a network files system, an object storage backed file system can accept the defined file system commands from the applications/systems and transform the file system commands into requests that target object storage. The file system is “backed” by object storage because attributes and content of file system entities are stored in objects. For instance, content data and metadata of a file are stored in objects in object storage. This object storage backed file system can be considered a bridge between a client perceived hierarchical file system namespace and a flat namespace of an object storage.