Patent ID: 8667207
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for dynamically reallocating memory amongst virtual machines executing within a virtualization environment, the method comprising: identifying, by a memory manager executing on a computer, a maximum memory value and a minimum memory value for each virtual machine executing within a virtualization environment of the computer; calculating, by the memory manager, a host compression ratio; determining, by the memory manager using the identified maximum memory value, minimum memory value and the host compression ratio, a target memory value for each virtual machine of the virtualization environment, wherein the target value is the sum of the product of the host compression ratio and the minimum memory value and the product of the inverse of the host compression ratio and the maximum memo value; maintaining, by the memory manager, the target memory value for each virtual machine of the virtualization environment, identifying, by the memory manager, at least one virtual machine having an actual memory usage value less than the target memory value for the at least one virtual machine; allocating, by the memory manager responsive to identifying the at least one virtual machine, additional memory to the at least one virtual machine by inflating a balloon driver; de-allocating, by the memory manager responsive to allocating the additional memory, the additional memory from the at least one virtual machine by deflating the balloon driver; and reallocating, responsive to de-allocating the additional memory, the de-allocated memory to another virtual machine executing within the virtualization environment.