Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising: (a) representing at least state data of a virtual machine in a unit of network storage of a network storage system; and (b) employing data manipulation functionality of the network storage system to implement a virtual machine operation that manipulates at least the state data of the virtual machine.

Abstract: A plurality of virtual machines execute on a network of physical computers. The virtual machines are deployed in fenced and unfenced configurations across multiple physical computers. Host level virtual network devices execute on the physical computers, and intercept the virtual machine network traffic. For each fenced configuration of virtual machines, a distributed virtual switch transmits network traffic between the virtual machines deployed in that fenced configuration, and a virtual router routes network traffic between virtual machines deployed in that fenced configuration and external components.

Abstract: A method and tangible medium embodying code for allocating resource units of an allocatable resource among a plurality of clients in a computer is described. In the method, resource units are initially distributed among the clients by assigning to each of the clients a nominal share of the allocatable resource. For each client, a current allocation of resource units is determined. A metric is evaluated for each client, the metric being a function both of the nominal share and a usage-based factor, the usage-based factor being a function of a measure of resource units that the client is actively using and a measure of resource units that the client is not actively using. A resource unit can be reclaimed from a client when the metric for that client meets a predetermined criterion.