IBM researchers say they have developed software that will
automatically direct users to the most bandwidth when accessing a cloud
computing or other virtual system.
According to the IBM patent on the software, it works by looking at the virtual machine data
located in the management information database of a network switch. "A
management entity, such as a provisioning manager, determines the amount
of network bandwidth being utilized through each of the first and
second Ethernet links and the amount of network bandwidth being utilized
by the Internet Protocol addresses attributable to each of the virtual
machines. Accordingly, one of the virtual machines may be migrated from
one compute node to another compute node coupled to an Ethernet link
having a greater amount of unutilized network bandwidth. Virtual
machines may be dynamically migrated in order to provide each virtual
machine with a required amount of network bandwidth," IBM stated.
In other words as network bandwidth rises and becomes constrained in
one node, the system will automatically reassign some of the VMs to
another node with network bandwidth capacity available.
IBM says the software would be best for applications that experience
dramatic or unexpected peaks and valleys in demand for services, such
as:
- Online retailers and auction sites that endure spikes in activity at different times of the day, various days of the week, and during holiday seasons and special promotions;
- Search engines, which must respond to surges in activity on a multitude of topics at any time, driven by popular culture and current events;
- Government and news media Web sites, where local, regional, national and international developments and crises ranging from elections, to conflicts, to natural disasters can drive traffic without warning; and
- Online sites for major sporting events that encounter unpredictable demand from fans for stats, videos and other content during live competition.
IBM says the system works with Linux, Windows, CentOS, and UNIX, and a
variety of hardware platforms, including IBM System x racks and
BladeCenter, PureFlex, and Power Systems.
While there are many approaches to enabling virtualization in a
cloud, most focus on the issues of CPU and memory utilization and
optimization. But even if those functions are managed effectively,
overall system performance can be impeded by restricted network
bandwidth. By focusing on the networking aspect of system optimization
and virtualization, this invention removes a roadblock to overall system
efficiency, allowing processing, memory and networking all to work at
their top levels, IBM stated.
By: Layer 8
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire