Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for operating a physical server in a network. The method stores multiple copies of a virtual machine (VM) image at a network-accessible storage. The method uses a first copy of the VM image as a virtual disk to execute a VM on a hypervisor of a first physical computing device. The method uses a second copy of the VM image as a virtual disk accessible via a smart network interface controller (NIC) of a second physical computing device to execute an operating system of the second physical computing device.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for operating a physical server in a network. The method stores multiple copies of a virtual machine (VM) image at a network-accessible storage. The method uses a first copy of the VM image as a virtual disk to execute a VM on a hypervisor of a first physical computing device. The method uses a second copy of the VM image as a virtual disk accessible via a smart network interface controller (NIC) of a second physical computing device to execute an operating system of the second physical computing device.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a compute manager that manages (i) virtual machines executing on host computers and (ii) physical computers. The method uses a first set of application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicate with a virtual machine (VM) executing on a host first computer via a hypervisor executing on the host first computer. The method uses the first set of APIs to communicate with a second computer via a smart network interface controller (NIC) of the second computer, wherein the smart NIC translates the first set of APIs into a different, second set of APIs for the second computer so that the compute manager manages the VM and the second computer with the same first set of APIs.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method, at a host computer, of provisioning a first program for enabling resource sharing on a smart network interface card (NIC) of the host computer. The method receives the first program at the host computer along with a second program for sharing resources of the host computer. The method installs the second program on the host computer. The method provides the first program to the smart NIC for the smart NIC to install on the smart NIC.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for operating a physical server in a network. The method stores multiple copies of a virtual machine (VM) image at a network-accessible storage. The method uses a first copy of the VM image as a virtual disk to execute a VM on a hypervisor of a first physical computing device. The method uses a second copy of the VM image as a virtual disk accessible via a smart network interface controller (NIC) of a second physical computing device to execute an operating system of the second physical computing device.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a compute manager that manages (i) virtual machines executing on host computers and (ii) physical computers. The method uses a first set of application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicate with a virtual machine (VM) executing on a host first computer via a hypervisor executing on the host first computer. The method uses the first set of APIs to communicate with a second computer via a smart network interface controller (NIC) of the second computer, wherein the smart NIC translates the first set of APIs into a different, second set of APIs for the second computer so that the compute manager manages the VM and the second computer with the same first set of APIs.