Patent ID: 9736043
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. A method to manage data traffic in a data center that includes servers configured in communication over a hierarchical network with a plurality of layers, the method comprising: monitoring a first packet transfer of first packets over the hierarchical network between a first virtual machine under execution by a first server and a second virtual machine under execution by a second server, wherein individual ones of the first packets include a first identifier that corresponds to the first virtual machine and a second identifier that corresponds to the second virtual machine; based, at least in part, on the monitoring the first packet transfer, determining that the first packet transfer utilizes a higher layer of the hierarchical network; and relocating the first virtual machine to a third server such that a second packet transfer of second packets over the hierarchical network between the first virtual machine under execution by the third server and the second virtual machine under execution by the second server utilizes a layer of the hierarchical network other than the higher layer of the hierarchical network, wherein the relocating the first virtual machine is based on at least a level of data traffic at the higher layer, and wherein the level of data traffic at the higher layer indicates whether the relocating the first virtual machine occurs: