International Business Machines Corporation

Morgan Jeffrey Rosas

James Anthony Pafumi

Vasu Vallabhaneni

Jacob Jason Rosales

Veena Patwari

Michael Paul Cyr

David Nevarez

Jorge Rafael Nogueras

Neal Richard Marion

Veena Ganti

James Y Wang

Maria Garza

Carl Duane Bender

Naresh Nayar

Basu Vaidyanathan

Anbazhagan Mani

Gary Dean Anderson

George James Romano

Carol B Hernandez

Robert G Kovacs

Provided is a virtual interface, a 'Forwarder' and a Virtual Block Storage Device (VBSD). The virtual interface is the interface between a Command/Response Queue (CRQ), which receives CRQ commands from a virtual machine monitor, and a common interface of the Forwarder. The Forwarder receives I/O commands in a format associated with the common interface and converts the commands into a generic I/O format. The reformatted command is transmitted to the VBSD. The virtual machine monitor sends a read or write (R/W) request to the virtual interface, which passes the request to the Forwarder. The Forwarder receives the request, converts the request into a form readable by the VBSD and transmits the converted request to the VBSD. The VBSD transmits the request to a block storage device and returns the response to the Forwarder. The Forwarder replies to the request from the virtual interface with the response from the ABSD. The virtual interface then responds to the virtual machine monitor.

Virtual machine monitor to I/O stack conduit in virtual real memory

Provided is a virtual interface, a 'Forwarder' and a Virtual Block Storage Device (VBSD). The virtual interlace is the interface between a Command/Response Queue (CRQ), which receives CRQ commands from a hypervisor, and a common interface of the Forwarder. The Forwarder receives I/O commands in a format associated with the common interface and converts the commands into a generic I/O format. The reformatted command is transmitted to the VBSD. The hypervisor sends a read or write (R/W) request to the virtual interface, which passes the request to the Forwarder. The Forwarder receives the request, converts the request into a form readable by the VBSD and transmits the converted request to the VBSD. The VBSD transmits the request to a block storage device and returns the response to the Forwarder. The Forwarder replies to the request from the virtual interface with the response from the ABSD. The virtual interface then responds to the hypervisor.

Hypervisor to I/O stack conduit in virtual real memory

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for logical partition migration. Responsive to a virtual machine monitor initiating a logical partition migration operation to move a logical partition from a source system to a destination system, the mechanism reallocates a portion of processing resources from the logical partition to the virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor uses the portion of processing resources to effect the logical partition migration operation. Responsive to completion of the logical partition migration operation, the mechanism returns the portion of processing resources to the logical partition.

Utilizing client resources during mobility operations

A mechanism is provided n a data processing system for logical partition migration. Responsive to a virtual machine monitor initiating a logical partition migration operation to move a logical partition from a source system to a destination system, the mechanism reallocates a portion of processing resources from the logical partition to the virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor uses the portion of processing resources to effect the logical partition migration operation. Responsive to completion of the logical partition migration operation, the mechanism returns the portion of processing resources to the logical partition.

Provided is conduit configured such that a hypervisor does not need to include logic for communicating directly with an I/O storage device. A virtual Asynchronous Service Interface (VASI) is the interface between a Command/Response Queue (CRQ), which receives CRQ commands from the hypervisor, and a Common Data-Link Interface (CDLI) of a Forwarder. The Forwarder receives I/O commands in a format associated with the CDLI and converts the commands into a generic I/O format understood by a Virtual Block Storage Device (VBSD). The reformatted command is transmitted to the VBSD, which issues commands to the native I/O stack. The hypervisor sends a read or write (R/W) request to the VASI, which passes the request to the Forwarder. The Forwarder converts the request and transmits the converted request to the VBSD. The VBSD transmits the request to the block storage device and returns the response to the Forwarder. The Forwarder replies to the request from the VASI with the response from the ABSD. The VASI then responds to the hypervisor. Also provided is an operation-specific module responsible for understanding and the intelligent processing of data that is transmitted between the hypervisor and the I/O stack.

A first Virtual Input/Output Server (VIOS) of a VIOS cluster performs the functions of: generating, at a sending daemon of the first VIOS, a send message that is to be transmitted to a receiving daemon at a second VIOS; in response to completion of the generating of the send message, forwarding the send message to a sending virtual small computer systems interface (vscsi) kernel extension (VKE) via a system call interface; and in response to the sending VKE receiving the send message from the sending daemon, forwarding the send message to one or more second VIOSes within the VIOS cluster utilizing a kcluster interface. The sending VKE parses at least one of a message header and a sub-header of the send message; and responsive to detection of a broadcast setting for the send message, the VKE forwards the send message to all nodes within the cluster via a cluster broadcast.

Communication protocol for virtual input/output server (VIOS) cluster communication

Systems, methods and media for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients that share a common operating system of logical partition

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using node port ID virtualization

Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using key authentication

Hibernation and remote restore functions of a client logical partition (LPAR) that exists within a data processing system having cluster-aware Virtual Input/Output (I/O) Servers (VIOSes) is performed via receipt of commands via a virtual control panel (VCP) through an underlying hypervisor. The client hibernation data file is stored in a shared repository by a source/original VIOS assigned to the client. The hypervisor receives a remote restart command and assigns a target/remote client LPAR and a target VIOS. The source I/O adapters and target I/O adapters are locked and the target VIOS gathers adapter configuration information from the source VIOS and configures the target adapters to be able to perform the I/O functionality provided by the source adapters to the client LPAR. The target VIOS then retrieves the client's hibernation data file, and the client LPAR is restored at the remote LPAR with the target VIOS providing the client's I/O functionality.

Remote restarting client logical partition on a target virtual input/output server using hibernation data in a cluster aware data processing system

A method, data processing system and computer program product provide scalable data synchronization for a virtual input/output server (VIOS) cluster and one or more registered callers. A first VIOS is commits as a primary node of the VIOS cluster and performs the functions of: registering one or more callers to receive notification from the first VIOS of specific events occurring within the cluster; receiving notification of an occurrence of one of the specific events; and in response to receiving notification of the specific events, a deamon of the first VIOS retrieving a message payload file from a message payload file directory within the shared VIOS DB and passing the message payload file to the API, which forwards/posts the relevant event notification information from the message payload file to the TCP socket of each registered caller.

Single point, scalable data synchronization for management of a virtual input/output server cluster

A mechanism for interfacing block storage devices is disclosed. The mechanism performs operations including receiving communications from an initiator at a block storage device interface, translating the received communications, transmitting the translated communications to a native storage device driver, forwarding the translated communication to a physical adapter, and controlling physical storage devices in response to the communications received from the initiator.

Block storage interface for virtual memory

A method, system, and computer program product provides effective management and deployment of image files within a Virtual Input/Output (I/O) Server (VIOS) cluster. An Image Management (IM) utility utilizes a discovery process to establish connections with objects in order to manage these objects. Following discovery of an ICP client, the IM utility enables creation of a virtual server partition and initiates the importing of a captured image to a VIOS cluster Storage Pool (SP). The IM utility creates logical units (LUs) within the Image Management Fileset (IMF) for each file within the captured image. The IM utility maps the LUs to the VIOS Cluster SP using unique image file handles. The IM utility configures the new storage that comprises the created LUs. The IM utility copies image files to the appropriate storage device/LU. When import/copy of the image is completed, the IM utility activates the virtual server partition.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Morgan Jeffrey Rosas