Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a graphical user interface for receiving a server configuration (e.g., receiving a new configuration or a modification to an existing configuration). The graphical user interface (UI) includes several UI control elements for defining components of the server configuration. It also includes a display area for displaying graphical representations of the defined components of the server configuration. Examples of control elements in some embodiments include control elements for adding, deleting, and modifying servers. In some embodiments, at least one control element is displayed when a cursor control operation is performed on the UI. The cursor control operation (e.g., a right hand click operation) in some embodiments opens a display area that shows the control element. In some embodiments, at least two different components in the server configuration correspond to two different layers (e.g., a web server layer and a data storage layer) in the server configuration.

Abstract: An orchestration engine that interfaces with the various clouds to implement the system solution. The orchestration engine builds, configures, and converges the single system solution. The orchestration engine builds the system by instantiating machines and services on the various clouds. The orchestration engine configures the system according to input from the client and the solution provider and then converges the various systems by establishing relationships and connections between the various services. Optionally, the orchestration engine also runs tests to verify that the system is working properly. Once the system has been built, configured and converged, the orchestration engine provides the client with a single entry point for using the system solution.

Abstract: An orchestration engine that interfaces with the various clouds to implement the system solution. The orchestration engine builds, configures, and converges the single system solution. The orchestration engine builds the system by instantiating machines and services on the various clouds. The orchestration engine configures the system according to input from the client and the solution provider and then converges the various systems by establishing relationships and connections between the various services. Optionally, the orchestration engine also runs tests to verify that the system is working properly. Once the system has been built, configured and converged, the orchestration engine provides the client with a single entry point for using the system solution.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for creating an image of a virtual machine. The method identifies a particular computer system operating as a virtual machine with a particular configuration on a hardware resource of a hosting system that includes several hardware resources. The method captures data representing the particular computer system. Capturing the data includes copying a particular section of the data, computing a checksum for the particular section of the data, and streaming the particular section with the computed checksum to a storage.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for extracting and adapting system configuration. The method extracts a first configuration from a first node of a first hosting system. The first node includes several resources for hosting the first configuration. The method analyzes the first configuration in order to determine attributes of the first configuration. The determined attributes are relevant to hosting the first configuration on a second node of a second hosting system having several nodes. The method generates a second configuration based on the determined attributes. The method hosts the second configuration at the second node of the second hosting system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a hosting system for provisioning and managing servers (e.g., virtual servers, dedicated servers). In some embodiments, the hosting system receives a configuration for one or more servers for a particular entity (e.g., customer, user). The hosting system then identifies a grid identity and a set of virtual local area network (VLAN) identities for the particular entity. The hosting system then deploys the set of servers on one or more of the hardware nodes using the grid identity and the set of VLAN identities. In some embodiments, the set of VLAN identities includes a first VLAN identity for a private network and a second VLAN identity for a public network.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that, at a particular node of a hosting system that includes several nodes for hosting virtual machines, retrieves data representing a particular computer system from a storage. The data includes several sections and checksums for the sections. The method validates the sections by using the checksums. The method copies the sections of data onto a disk volume of the node that is allocated for a virtual machine in order to deploy the particular computer system. The method configures the particular computer system to operate as the virtual machine by configuring information specific to the particular instantiation of the particular computer system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of managing cloud resources on several of nodes of a hosting system. The method receives a cloud resource configuration. The method identifies a particular node from the several nodes to host the cloud resource configuration. The method sets an administrative state of the hosting system to reflect the hosting of the cloud resource configuration on the particular node. The administrative state includes information for each node in the hosting system. Each node includes a performer operating on the node that manages an operational state of the node based on the administrative state of the node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a hosting system for managing virtual and dedicated servers. The system includes a front-end user interface (UI) that allows users to configure, provision, and control virtual and dedicated servers through UI elements. The back-end system includes different actuators that perform different tasks related to the virtual and dedicated server. To interface with these different actuators, the hosting system includes a remote management component (1) that receives a user request from the front-end UI, (2) identifies an actuator that can fulfill the user request, and (3) sends the user request to the identified actuator.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a hosting system for provisioning and managing servers (e.g., virtual servers, dedicated servers). In some embodiments, the hosting system receives a configuration for one or more servers for a particular entity (e.g., customer, user). The hosting system then identifies a grid identity and a set of virtual local area network (VLAN) identities for the particular entity. The hosting system then deploys the set of servers on one or more of the hardware nodes using the grid identity and the set of VLAN identities. In some embodiments, the set of VLAN identities includes a first VLAN identity for a private network and a second VLAN identity for a public network.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for automatedly allocating hosting resources controlled by different hypervisors. The method receives a configuration for a computer system specifying a set of resources required to operate as a virtual machine on a node of a hosting system. The hosting system includes several nodes, where each node includes resources for hosting at least one virtual machine and one of several hypervisors for managing access of the virtual machine to the resources of the node. The method identifies a particular node from the several nodes with sufficient available resources to host the virtual machine based on the set of resources specified in the configuration. The method allocates the set of resources from the particular node by directing a hypervisor of the particular node to apportion the set of resources on the particular node, the set of resources for hosting the virtual machine on the particular node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for creating an image of a virtual machine. The method identifies a particular computer system operating as a virtual machine with a particular configuration on a hardware resource of a hosting system that includes several hardware resources. The method captures data representing the particular computer system. Capturing the data includes copying a particular section of the data, computing a checksum for the particular section of the data, and streaming the particular section with the computed checksum to a storage.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a server hosting environment having several nodes. Each node is for using one or more hypervisors in order to host several configurations of several computer systems. The method receives a first configuration of a computer system. The first configuration includes an operating system that directly accesses hardware of the computer system. The method generates a second configuration that is based on the first configuration. The second configuration includes the first configuration modified to be operable on a particular hypervisor of a particular node in the several nodes. The method installs the second configuration on the particular node in order to allow the particular node to operate on the second configuration in conjunction with the particular hypervisor. The second configuration accesses a set of virtual hardware provided by the particular hypervisor.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that defines a user interface (UI) that displays several UI elements representing several virtual machines deployed in a particular configuration for a particular user in a hosting and storage system that includes several nodes for hosting user specified virtual machines. The method receives input from the user through the UI to save the particular configuration of virtual machines. For each virtual machine in the particular configuration, the method stores an image of the virtual machine. The method stores data representing the particular configuration of virtual machines. The data includes references to the stored images of the virtual machines and connections between the virtual machines.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that, at a caching network of a hosting and storage system that includes several nodes for hosting virtual machines for users, receives a request for an image of a particular computer system configuration for deployment as a virtual machine on a particular node of the hosting system. The method determines whether the requested image is presently stored on the caching network. When the image is present on the caching network, the method streams the image to the particular node of the hosting system for deployment as a virtual machine on the particular node. When the image is not presently stored on the caching network, the method retrieves a copy of the image from a permanent storage network and then streams the image to the particular node of the hosting system for deployment as a virtual machine on the particular node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a virtual machine hosting system. The virtual machine hosting system includes several nodes. Each node includes resources for hosting at least one virtual machine. The virtual machine hosting system includes a first management module for automatedly provisioning resources of the several to a several virtual machines by identifying a particular node with sufficient available resources to host a user-specified virtual machine configuration and by allocating to the virtual machine, an amount of resources of the particular node required to host said virtual machine. The virtual machine hosting system includes, at the particular node, a second management module for receiving the user-specified virtual machine configuration from the first management module and for configuring the allocated resources of the particular node to perform the virtual machine as specified within the user-specified virtual machine configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method. The method interfaces with several nodes of a hosting system to collect statistics that includes available resources of each node for hosting virtual machines. The method identifies a set of nodes with sufficient available resources to host a configuration for a virtual machine based on the collected statistics. The method determines an optimal node from the set of nodes that hosts the configuration with a particular set of performance parameters that yields improved performance than when hosting the configuration using any of the other nodes in the set of nodes. The method deploys the configuration for the virtual machine to the optimal node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for adapting a system configuration. The method identifies a first configuration for a first computer system. The method retrieves a configuration information for a second computer system from a library that stores configuration information that includes several operating systems and several kernels. The method defines a second configuration that is based on (i) the first configuration and (ii) the retrieved configuration information. The method hosts the second configuration at the second computer system. The second computer system is a computer system in several computer systems of a server hosting environment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for managing a hosting system that includes several nodes for hosting several virtual machines. The method identifies a particular size of disk volume to monitor within the hosting system. The method determines whether the number of disk volumes of the particular size that are (i) built on a set of hardware resources of a node of the hosting system and (ii) not allocated to a specific virtual machine falls below a threshold. When the number of disk volumes of the particular size falls below the threshold, the method determines at least one particular node on which to build a new disk volume of the particular size. The method sends instructions to the particular node to build a disk volume of the particular size. Some embodiments monitor images of a particular computer system within the hosting system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a server hosting environment that includes several nodes, where each node is for using one or more hypervisors in order to host several configurations of several computer systems. The method receives a first configuration of a particular computer system. The first configuration accesses a first set of virtual hardware provided by a first hypervisor of a first node. The method generates a second configuration that is based on the first configuration. The second configuration is operable on a different second hypervisor of a second node in the several nodes. The method installs the second configuration on the second node. The second configuration accesses a second set of virtual hardware provided by the second hypervisor to host the second configuration using the second hypervisor.