Abstract: A method of installing an image of a virtualization software installing an image of a virtualization software in a heterogeneous duster of hosts that include first hosts having server hardware of a first type and at least one second host having server hardware of a second type, includes: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a base image of the virtualization software and an add-on image of the virtualization software; retrieving metadata of the base image and metadata of add-on image; generating first and second desired images of the virtualization software, which are to be applied respectively to the first hosts and the at least one second host, based on the metadata of the base image and metadata of the add-on image; and instructing each of the first and second hosts to install a desired image of the virtualization software therein.

Abstract: A method of installing an image of a virtualization software in a cluster of hosts includes: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a base image of the virtualization software and a solution to be enabled; retrieving metadata of the base image, metadata of the solution, and a constraint of the solution; generating a desired image of the virtualization software based on the metadata of the base image and the metadata of the solution in accordance with the constraint; and instructing each host in the duster to install the desired image of the virtualization software.

Abstract: A method of validating a desired image of a virtualization software and a firmware package to be installed in a host against a hardware compatibility list (HCL) includes: acquiring a bill of materials for the host that list hardware devices of the host; for each of the hardware devices, searching for firmware and driver thereof in the HCL; for each driver included in the desired image that corresponds to one of the hardware devices, determining whether or not the driver is compatible according to the HCL; for each firmware included in the firmware package that corresponds to one of the hardware devices, determining whether or not the firmware is compatible according to the HCL; and validating the desired image of the virtualization software and the firmware package to be installed in the host if each of the hardware device has a compatible driver and a compatible firmware.

Abstract: An example method of managing a lifecycle of virtualization software in a host is described. The method includes: obtaining, by an initiator in a current version of the virtualization software, a software installation bundle (SIB) from an image repository for a target version of the virtualization software, the SIB including a patcher; verifying, by the initiator, authenticity of the SIB; mounting at least one payload of the SIB in a root filesystem of the virtualization software, and initiating, by the initiator, the patcher in the at least one payload as mounted to perform at least one check operation.

Abstract: A method of remediating system services relies on a first dependency graph with super nodes, to each of which a set of system services are assigned, and second dependency graphs, each of which represents dependencies among the system services that are in one of the sets. The method includes the steps of: comparing an actual configuration state of the system services to a desired configuration state of the system services to identify configurations that are in drift; identifying system services corresponding to the configurations that are in drift; determining an order of updating configurations of the identified system services using the first and second dependency graphs; and applying the desired configurations of the identified system services in the order determined, wherein after the configurations of an identified system service are updated, the system service executes with the updated configurations.

Abstract: An image of a virtualization software and firmware in a plurality of hosts are upgraded by performing the steps of: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a desired state of the virtualization software and a desired state of the firmware; based on the software specification, preparing a desired image of the virtualization software that includes software components of a desired version of the firmware; and coordinating an upgrade to the desired image of the virtualization software and the desired version of the firmware in the hosts. The upgrade includes an upgrade in each of the hosts to the desired version of the firmware, and an upgrade in each of the hosts to the desired image of the virtualization software that includes the software components of the desired version of the base image and the software components of the desired version of the firmware.

Abstract: An image of a virtualization software in a plurality of hosts is installed or upgraded by performing the steps of: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a desired state of the virtualization software; based on the software specification, preparing a desired image of the virtualization software by retrieving metadata of the desired state of the virtualization software and determining components that make up the desired state of the virtualization software; and instructing each of the hosts to install the desired image of the virtualization software or upgrade a current image of the virtualization software to the desired image of the virtualization software. One of the components defines a set of payloads for a core kernel of the virtualization software.

Abstract: A method of remediating configurations of a plurality of system services running in each of a plurality of hosts, wherein each of the hosts is configured with a virtualization software for supporting execution of virtual machines therein, includes the steps of: retrieving actual configurations of the system services, wherein the actual configurations are stored in accordance with a configuration schema of the system services and include a user configuration, which is a configuration initiated by the user, and a system configuration, which is a configuration initiated by the host in response to the user configuration; retrieving desired configurations of the system services from a desired configuration file; comparing each of the actual configurations with a corresponding one of the desired configurations; and upon determining that at least one actual configuration, which is not a system configuration, is different from a corresponding one of the desired configurations, replacing the at least one actual config

Abstract: A method of remediating system services relies on a first dependency graph with super nodes, to each of which a set of system services are assigned, and second dependency graphs, each of which represents dependencies among the system services that are in one of the sets. The method includes the steps of: comparing an actual configuration state of the system services to a desired configuration state of the system services to identify configurations that are in drift; identifying system services corresponding to the configurations that are in drift; determining an order of updating configurations of the identified system services using the first and second dependency graphs; and applying the desired configurations of the identified system services in the order determined, wherein after the configurations of an identified system service are updated, the system service executes with the updated configurations.

Abstract: A method of managing configurations of a plurality of system services, including a first system service and a second system service, in each of a plurality of hosts, wherein each of the hosts is configured with a virtualization software for supporting execution of virtual machines therein includes steps of: upon receiving an application programming interface (API) call to apply configurations of the system services defined in a desired configuration file to the system services, parsing the desired configuration file to identify a first configuration for the first system service and a second configuration for the second system service, and storing the first and second configurations in accordance with a configuration schema defined for the first and second system services, wherein the first system service executes with the stored first configuration applied thereto and the second system service executes with the stored second configuration applied thereto.

Abstract: Examples described herein include systems and methods for retaining information about bad memory pages across an operating system reboot. An example method includes detecting, by a first instance of an operating system, an error in a memory page of a non-transitory storage medium of a computing device executing the operating system. The operating system can tag the memory page as a bad memory page, indicating that the memory page should not be used by the operating system. The operating system can also store tag information indicating memory pages of the storage medium that are tagged as bad memory pages. The example method can also include receiving an instruction to reboot the operating system, booting a second instance of the operating system, and providing the tag information to the second instance of the operating system. The operating system can use the tag information to avoid using the bad memory pages.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improved error logging during system boot and shutdown. A hardware initialization firmware on a computing device can include a logging module. When errors occur during early system booting or late system shutdown, the firmware can create error logs. The logging module can receive the error logs and prioritize them according to a set of rules. The logging module can select error logs of the highest priority up to a predetermined maximum amount. The logging module can modify the error logs using a shorthand form and write them to nonvolatile random-access memory. The firmware can initialize runtime services and launch an operating system. A system logger on the operating system can retrieve the error logs, save them to a file, and erase them from the memory.

Abstract: An example method of managing a lifecycle of virtualization software in a host is described. The method includes: obtaining, by an initiator in a current version of the virtualization software, a software installation bundle (SIB) from an image repository for a target version of the virtualization software, the SIB including a patcher; verifying, by the initiator, authenticity of the SIB; mounting at least one payload of the SIB in a root filesystem of the virtualization software, and initiating, by the initiator, the patcher in the at least one payload as mounted to perform at least one check operation.

Abstract: A method of updating a desired state of a virtualization software for a cluster of hosts includes: in response to a notification of a change associated with the cluster, determining versions of a base image of the virtualization software that are compatible with the cluster; for each compatible version of the base image, determining versions of an add-on image of the virtualization software that are compatible with the compatible version of the base image and the cluster; presenting as a recommended image a complete image of the virtualization software, the complete image containing a first version of the base image that is compatible with the cluster and a first version of the add-on image that is compatible with the first version of the base image and the cluster; and upon acceptance of the recommended image, updating a software specification to include the recommended image.

Abstract: A method of installing an image of a virtualization software installing an image of a virtualization software in a heterogeneous duster of hosts that include first hosts having server hardware of a first type and at least one second host having server hardware of a second type, includes: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a base image of the virtualization software and an add-on image of the virtualization software; retrieving metadata of the base image and metadata of add-on image; generating first and second desired images of the virtualization software, which are to be applied respectively to the first hosts and the at least one second host, based on the metadata of the base image and metadata of the add-on image; and instructing each of the first and second hosts to install a desired image of the virtualization software therein.

Abstract: A method of installing an image of a virtualization software in a cluster of hosts includes: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a base image of the virtualization software and a solution to be enabled; retrieving metadata of the base image, metadata of the solution, and a constraint of the solution; generating a desired image of the virtualization software based on the metadata of the base image and the metadata of the solution in accordance with the constraint; and instructing each host in the duster to install the desired image of the virtualization software.

Abstract: A method of upgrading an image of a virtualization software and firmware in a plurality of hosts having hardware supported by multiple hardware support managers including first and second hardware support managers, includes generating a software specification that specifies a desired state of the virtualization software and a desired state of first firmware for first hardware supported by the first hardware support manager and second firmware for second hardware supported by the second hardware support manager, preparing a desired image of the virtualization software that includes software components of the desired state of the first and second firmware, and coordinating an upgrade by (1) instructing the first and second hardware support managers to upgrade the hosts to the desired state of the first and second firmware, and (2) instructing each of the hosts to upgrade to the desired image of the virtualization software.

Abstract: A method of validating a desired image of a virtualization software and a firmware package to be installed in a plurality of hosts against a hardware compatibility list (HCL) includes: acquiring hardware inventory of the hosts to determine hardware devices installed therein; for each of the hardware devices, searching for firmware and driver thereof in the HCL; for each driver included in the desired image that corresponds to one of the hardware devices, determining whether or not the driver is compatible according to the HCL; for each firmware included in the firmware package that corresponds to one of the hardware devices, determining whether or not the firmware is compatible according to the HCL; and validating the desired image of the virtualization software and the firmware package to be installed in the hosts if each of the hardware device has a compatible driver and a compatible firmware.

Abstract: An image of a virtualization software in a plurality of hosts is installed or upgraded by performing the steps of: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a desired state of the virtualization software; based on the software specification, preparing a desired image of the virtualization software and storing the desired image of the virtualization software in a storage location accessible to the hosts; and instructing each of the hosts to install the desired image of the virtualization software or upgrade a current image of the virtualization software to the desired image of the virtualization software.

Abstract: An image of a virtualization software and firmware in a plurality of hosts are upgraded by performing the steps of: in response to a user input, generating a software specification that specifies a desired state of the virtualization software and a desired state of the firmware; based on the software specification, preparing a desired image of the virtualization software that includes software components of a desired version of the firmware; and from a virtual machine management server that is programmed to deploy virtual machines in the hosts, coordinating an upgrade to the desired image of the virtualization software and the desired version of the firmware in the hosts by (1) instructing a hardware support manager to upgrade the hosts to the desired version of the firmware, and (2) instructing each of the hosts to upgrade to the desired image of the virtualization software.