Patent Publication Number: US-2020279197-A1

Title: Methods and systems for building custom appliances in a cloud-based network

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/128,787, filed on May 29, 2008, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,657,466 on May 19, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to products and services, more particularly, to systems and methods for cloud computing related services and products. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     The advent of cloud-based computing architectures has opened new possibilities for the rapid and scalable deployment of virtual Web stores, media outlets, and other on-line sites or services. In general, a cloud-based architecture deploys a set of hosted resources such as processors, operating systems, software and other components that can be combined or strung together to form virtual machines. A user or customer can request the instantiation of a virtual machine or set of machines from those resources from a central server or management system to perform intended tasks or applications. For example, a user may wish to set up and instantiate a virtual server from the cloud to create a storefront to market products or services on a temporary basis, for instance, to sell tickets to an upcoming sports or musical performance. The user can lease or subscribe to the set of resources needed to build and run the set of instantiated virtual machines on a comparatively short-term basis, such as hours or days, for their intended application. 
     When a user subscribes to a cloud, the user typically provides the software that to be executed by the virtual machines or utilizes pre-configured software available in the cloud. As such, the user must separately acquire and purchase their own software to be executed by the virtual machines or be limited to the pre-configured software. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods and system that allow a user to customize, on-demand, a software solution in a cloud. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which various embodiments of the present teachings can be practiced; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which various embodiments of the present teachings can be practiced in another regard including multiple cloud arrangements, according to various embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a network configuration in which a cloud management system can build custom appliances, according to various embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a cloud management system, according to various embodiments; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart for custom appliance building in a cloud computing environment, according to various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of information and service portals, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods for providing custom appliances. More particularly, embodiments relate to platforms and techniques in which a cloud management system can enable a user to build, on-demand, a custom appliance from a repository software modules located in a cloud computing environment. 
     According to embodiments, in general, a user can request to build a custom appliance to be instantiated in a cloud computing environment. To provide the building service, the cloud management system can be configured to maintain a repository of software modules, which can be used to create the appliance. In response to the request, the cloud management system can be configured to provide a list of the available software modules to the user. The user can select the desired software modules and send the selection of software modules to the cloud management system. The user can also send configuration information to the cloud management system. 
     Once received, the cloud management system can build the custom appliance based on the user&#39;s request. The cloud management system can retrieve the selected software modules according to the request and construct the software modules according to the request. Once constructed, the cloud management system can be configured to instantiate the custom appliance in the cloud. 
     The cloud management system can also be configured to determine and bill the user for charges associated with building and instantiating the custom appliance. The charge can include a fee for building the appliance based on each software module included in the appliance. Likewise, the charge for building the appliance can be based on the instantiation of the custom appliance in the cloud computing environment, such as utilization of the custom appliance. To determine the charge, the cloud management system can maintain a list of rates for the software modules and instantiation of the custom appliance. 
     By providing the option of building an appliance, the user can construct a custom appliance, on-demand, without acquiring the software separately. Additionally, the cost to the user can be reduced by charging only for the cost of the appliance, as a whole, instantiated in the cloud and not for each individual component. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an overall cloud computing environment, in systems and methods for the management of subscriptions of cloud-based virtual machines can operate, according to embodiments of the present teachings. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in or supported by a cloud network architecture. As used herein, a “cloud” can comprise a collection of resources that can be invoked to instantiate a virtual machine, process, or other resource for a limited or defined duration. As shown for example in  FIG. 1 , the collection of resources supporting a cloud  102  can comprise a set of resource servers  108  configured to deliver computing components needed to instantiate a virtual machine, process, or other resource. For example, one group of resource servers can host and serve an operating system or components thereof to deliver to and instantiate a virtual machine. Another group of resource servers can accept requests to host computing cycles or processor time, to supply a defined level of processing power for a virtual machine. A further group of resource servers can host and serve applications to load on an instantiation of a virtual machine, such as an email client, a browser application, a messaging application, or other applications or software. Other types of resource servers are possible. 
     In embodiments, the entire set of resource servers  108  or other hardware or software resources used to support the cloud  102  along with its instantiated virtual machines is managed by a cloud management system  104 . The cloud management system  104  can comprise a dedicated or centralized server and/or other software, hardware, and network tools that communicate via one or more networks  106  such as the Internet or other public or private network with all sets of resource servers to manage the cloud  102  and its operation. To instantiate a new set of virtual machines, a user can transmit an instantiation request to the cloud management system  104  for the particular type of virtual machine they wish to invoke for their intended application. A user can for instance make a request to instantiate a set of virtual machines configured for email, messaging or other applications from the cloud  102 . The request can be received and processed by the cloud management system  104 , which identifies the type of virtual machine, process, or other resource being requested. The cloud management system  104  can then identify the collection of resources necessary to instantiate that machine or resource. In embodiments, the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources can for example comprise virtual transaction servers used to support Web storefronts, or other transaction sites. 
     In embodiments, the user&#39;s instantiation request can specify a variety of parameters defining the operation of the set of virtual machines to be invoked. The instantiation request, for example, can specify a defined period of time for which the instantiated machine or process is needed. The period of time can be, for example, an hour, a day, or other increment of time. In embodiments, the user&#39;s instantiation request can specify the instantiation of a set of virtual machines or processes on a task basis, rather than for a predetermined amount of time. For instance, a user could request resources until a software update is completed. The user&#39;s instantiation request can specify other parameters that define the configuration and operation of the set of virtual machines or other instantiated resources. For example, the request can specify an amount of processing power or input/output (I/O) throughput the user wishes to be available to each instance of the virtual machine or other resource. In embodiments, the requesting user can for instance specify a service level agreement (SLA) acceptable for their application. Other parameters and settings can be used. One skilled in the art will realize that the user&#39;s request can likewise include combinations of the foregoing exemplary parameters, and others. 
     When the request to instantiate a set of virtual machines or other resources has been received and the necessary resources to build that machine or resource have been identified, the cloud management system  104  can communicate with one or more set of resource servers  108  to locate resources to supply the required components. The cloud management system  104  can select providers from the diverse set of resource servers  108  to assemble the various components needed to build the requested set of virtual machines or other resources. It may be noted that in some embodiments, permanent storage such as hard disk arrays may not be included or located within the set of resource servers  108  available to the cloud management system  104 , since the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources may be intended to operate on a purely transient or temporary basis. In embodiments, other hardware, software or other resources not strictly located or hosted in the cloud can be leveraged as needed. For example, other software services that are provided outside of the cloud  102  and hosted by third parties can be invoked by in-cloud virtual machines. For further example, other non-cloud hardware and/or storage services can be utilized as an extension to the cloud  102 , either on an on-demand or subscribed or decided basis. 
     With the resource requirements identified, the cloud management system  104  can extract and build the set of virtual machines or other resources on a dynamic or on-demand basis. For example, one set of resource servers  108  can respond to an instantiation request for a given quantity of processor cycles with an offer to deliver that computational power immediately and guaranteed for the next hour. A further set of resource servers  108  can offer to immediately supply communication bandwidth, for example on a guaranteed minimum or best-efforts basis. In other embodiments, the set of virtual machines or other resources can be built on a batch basis or at a particular future time. For example, a set of resource servers  108  can respond to a request for instantiation at a programmed time with an offer to deliver the specified quantity of processor cycles within a specific amount of time, such as the next 12 hours. 
     The cloud management system  104  can select group of servers in the set of resource servers  108  that match or best match the instantiation request for each component needed to build the virtual machine or other resource. The cloud management system  104  can then coordinate the integration of the completed group of servers from the set of resource servers  108 , to build and launch the requested set of virtual machines or other resources. The cloud management system  104  can track the combined group of servers selected from the set of resource servers  108 , or other distributed resources that are dynamically or temporarily combined, to produce and manage the requested virtual machine population or other resources. 
     In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can generate a resource aggregation table that identifies the various sets of resource servers that will be used to supply the components of the virtual machine or process. The sets of resource servers can be identified by unique identifiers such as, for instance, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or other addresses. The cloud management system  104  can register the finalized group of servers in the set resource servers  108  contributing to an instantiated machine or process. 
     The cloud management system  104  can then set up and launch the initiation process for the virtual machines, processes, or other resources to be delivered from the cloud. The cloud management system  104  can for instance transmit an instantiation command or instruction to the registered group of servers in set of resource servers  108 . The cloud management system  104  can receive a confirmation message back from each participating server in set of resource servers  108  indicating a status regarding the provisioning of their respective resources. Various sets of resource servers can confirm, for example, the availability of a dedicated amount of processor cycles, amounts of electronic memory, communications bandwidth, or applications or other software prepared to be served. 
     As shown for example in  FIG. 2 , the cloud management system  104  can then instantiate one or more than one set of virtual machines  116 , or other processes based on the resources supplied by the registered set of resource servers  108 . In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can instantiate a given number, for example, 10, 500, 1000, or other numbers of virtual machines to be made available to users on a network  114 , such as the Internet or other public or private network. Each virtual machine can be assigned an instantiated machine ID that can be stored in the resource aggregation table, or other record or image of the instantiated population. Additionally, the cloud management system  104  can store the duration of each virtual machine and the collection of resources utilized by the complete set of instantiated virtual machines  116 . 
     In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can further store, track and manage a user&#39;s identity and associated set of rights or entitlements to software, hardware, and other resources. Each user that populates a set of virtual machines in the cloud can have specific rights and resources assigned and made available to them. The cloud management system  104  can track and configure specific actions that a user can perform, such as provision a set of virtual machines with software applications or other resources, configure a set of virtual machines to desired specifications, submit jobs to the set of virtual machines or other host, manage other users of the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  or other resources, and other privileges or actions. The cloud management system  104  can further generate records of the usage of instantiated virtual machines to permit tracking, billing, and auditing of the services consumed by the user. In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can for example meter the usage and/or duration of the set of instantiated virtual machines  116 , to generate subscription billing records for a user that has launched those machines. Other billing or value arrangements are possible. 
     The cloud management system  104  can configure each virtual machine to be made available to users of the one or more networks  106  via a browser interface, or other interface or mechanism. Each instantiated virtual machine can communicate with the cloud management system  104  and the underlying registered set of resource servers  108  via a standard Web application programming interface (API), or via other calls or interfaces. The set of instantiated virtual machines  116  can likewise communicate with each other, as well as other sites, servers, locations, and resources available via the Internet or other public or private networks, whether within a given cloud  102  or between clouds. 
     It may be noted that while a browser interface or other front-end can be used to view and operate the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  from a client or terminal, the processing, memory, communications, storage, and other hardware as well as software resources required to be combined to build the virtual machines or other resources are all hosted remotely in the cloud  102 . In embodiments, the set of virtual machines  116  or other resources may not depend on or require the user&#39;s own on-premise hardware or other resources. In embodiments, a user can therefore request and instantiate a set of virtual machines or other resources on a purely off-premise basis, for instance to build and launch a virtual storefront or other application. 
     Because the cloud management system  104  in one regard specifies, builds, operates and manages the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  on a logical level, the user can request and receive different sets of virtual machines and other resources on a real-time or near real-time basis, without a need to specify or install any particular hardware. The user&#39;s set of instantiated virtual machines  116 , processes, or other resources can be scaled up or down immediately or virtually immediately on an on-demand basis, if desired. In embodiments, the various sets of resource servers that are accessed by the cloud management system  104  to support a set of instantiated virtual machines  116  or processes can change or be substituted, over time. The type and operating characteristics of the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  can nevertheless remain constant or virtually constant, since instances are assembled from abstracted resources that can be selected and maintained from diverse sources based on uniform specifications. 
     In terms of network management of the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  that have been successfully configured and instantiated, the cloud management system  104  can perform various network management tasks including security, maintenance, and metering for billing or subscription purposes. The cloud management system  104  of a given cloud  102  can, for example, install or terminate applications or appliances on individual machines. The cloud management system  104  can monitor operating virtual machines to detect any virus or other rogue process on individual machines, and for instance terminate the infected application or virtual machine. The cloud management system  104  can likewise manage an entire set of instantiated virtual machines  116  or other resources on a collective basis, for instance, to push or delivery a software upgrade to all active virtual machines. Other management processes are possible. 
     In embodiments, more than one set of virtual machines can be instantiated in a given cloud at the same, overlapping or successive times. The cloud management system  104  can, in such implementations, build, launch and manage multiple sets of virtual machines based on the same or different underlying set of resource servers  108 , with populations of different sets of instantiated virtual machines  116  such as may be requested by different users. The cloud management system  104  can institute and enforce security protocols in a cloud  102  hosting multiple sets of virtual machines. Each of the individual sets of virtual machines can be hosted in a respective partition or sub-cloud of the resources of the cloud  102 . The cloud management system  104  of a cloud can for example deploy services specific to isolated or defined sub-clouds, or isolate individual workloads/processes within the cloud to a specific sub-cloud. The subdivision of the cloud  102  into distinct transient sub-clouds or other sub-components which have assured security and isolation features can assist in establishing a multiple user or multi-tenant cloud arrangement. In a multiple user scenario, each of the multiple users can use the cloud platform as a common utility while retaining the assurance that their information is secure from other users of the overall cloud system. In further embodiments, sub-clouds can nevertheless be configured to share resources, if desired. 
     In embodiments, and as also shown in  FIG. 2 , the set of instantiated virtual machines  116  generated in a first cloud  102  can also interact with a set of instantiated virtual machines or processes generated in a second, third or further cloud  102 . The cloud management system  104  of a first cloud  102  can interface with the cloud management system  104  of a second cloud  102 , to coordinate those domains and operate the clouds and/or virtual machines or processes on a combined basis. The cloud management system  104  of a given cloud  102  can track and manage individual virtual machines or other resources instantiated in that cloud, as well as the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources in other clouds. 
     In the foregoing and other embodiments, the user making an instantiation request or otherwise accessing or utilizing the cloud network can be a person, customer, subscriber, administrator, corporation, organization, or other entity. In embodiments, the user can be or include another virtual machine, application or process. In further embodiments, multiple users or entities can share the use of a set of virtual machines or other resources. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates aspects of a cloud management system  104  and its management of virtual machines  116  of a cloud  102 , according to various embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the cloud management system  104  can comprise a management engine  118  containing control logic for performing the processes of cloud management and a cloud management store  120 . In embodiments as shown, the cloud management system  104  can be configured to build custom appliances according to a user  112  specifications. 
     In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can be configured to maintain a repository of software modules. For example, the management engine  118  can be configured to maintain the repository in cloud management store  120 . The software modules can be any type of software capable of executing on a computing platform. For example, the software modules can include operating systems and applications. 
     In embodiments, to allow users to build custom appliances, the cloud management system  104  can be configured to communicate with the user  112  in order to allow the user  112  to select software modules to be included in the custom appliance. The cloud management system  104  can be configured to communicate with the user  112  via an interface  114  to allow the user to request and provide specifications for the custom appliance. The interface  114  can be any type of interface to allow the user to communicate information to the cloud management system  104 . For example, the interface  114  can be a specific graphical, command-line, or other interface generated by a program or application designed to communicate with the cloud management system  104 . Likewise, the interface  114  can be an interface generated in conventional formats, such as .html, capable of being executed in network programs and applications, such as a web browser. 
     To select and configure the custom appliance, the management engine  118  can provide a list of available software modules, and the interface  114  can be configured to display the list. As such, the user  112  can select the software modules to be included in the custom appliance. For example, if the user desires to request a Web storefront, the user  112  can select an operating system and web site hosting application. In addition to selecting the software modules to include, the user  112  can specify configuration information for the custom appliance. The configuration information can be settings for the appliance that define how the custom appliance will function. For example, if the user requests an e-mail server, the user can specify the domain name of the server and email addresses associated with the server. 
     In addition, the cloud management system  104  can collect information from the user  112  in order to track the user&#39;s custom appliance. The cloud management system  104  can collect information such as identity, payment and billing information via interface  114 . 
     Once the cloud management system  104  receives the specifications and configuration information for the custom appliance, the cloud management system  104  can be configured to build the custom appliance according to the user&#39;s specification. To build the custom appliance, the management engine  118  can retrieve the selected software modules from cloud management store  120 . Once retrieved, the management engine  118  can combine the software modules and apply the user  112  configuration information in order to build the appliance. An appliance comprise one or more software modules combined with a “minimum amount of an operating system” (MiniOS) to allow the software modules to run on virtual machines executing in cloud  102 . An appliance can be any type of software appliance such as those described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/040,831 filed Feb. 29, 2008, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DYNAMICALLY BUILDING A SOFTWARE APPLIANCE”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Once built, the cloud management system  104  can instantiate the custom appliance in the virtual machines  116  or create a new set of virtual machines to support the custom appliance. The virtual machines  116  can be or include, for instance, a set of virtual servers that can support custom appliance. 
     As part of the process of building the custom appliance, the cloud management system  104  embed a management ID into each custom appliance. The management ID can be, for instance, a file, certificate, cookie, or other identification object encoding a unique identifier for that custom appliance. The incorporation of management ID into the custom appliance can permit cloud management system  104  to directly configure, manage, store and track the custom appliance. 
     After building, the cloud management system  104  can determine a charge for the building and/or instantiating the custom appliance in cloud  102 . The charge for building the appliance can be based on an individual charge for each software module included in the custom appliance. 
     Additionally, the cloud management system  104  can base the charge for the custom appliance on the instantiation of the custom appliance in the cloud  102 . As such, the cloud management system  104  can track the utilization of the custom appliance in order to determine the charge. For example, the management engine  118  can track such data as the duration the custom appliance is instantiated in the cloud  102 , the time period that the custom appliance is instantiated (peak or off-peak times), and the computing resources consumed by the custom appliance (number of resource servers, computing cycles, bandwidth, memory usage, storage usage). To track the usage, the management engine  128  can communicate with the cloud  102  via network  106  to monitor the virtual machines  116 . 
     For the instantiation charge, the cloud management system  104  can determine a fee or charge for the virtual machines  116  instantiated in the cloud  102  based on the tracked usage. For example, the cloud management system  104  can base the fee for each individual virtual machines  116  on the instantiation time, such as hours instantiated, of each virtual machine  116 . Additionally, the cloud management system  104  can base the fee of the amount of resources utilized by each individual virtual machine  116 . For example, the cloud management system  104  can base the fees on computing resources, for instance computer cycles, bandwidth, memory utilization, storage utilization, consumed by a virtual machine  116  Likewise, the cloud management system  104  can base the fee on a combination of instantiation time and consumed computing resources. 
     Additionally, the cloud management system  104  can base the fees charged on the time period in which each virtual machine  116  is instantiated. For example, the cloud management system can charge different rates for peak time periods (e.g. time periods when the cloud  102  is heavily utilized) and off-peak time periods Likewise, the cloud management system  104  can base the fee on a combination of the tracked time period, the tracked instantiation time and the consumed computing resources. 
     In order to determine the charge, in embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can maintain a list of rates for individual components, the various usages, such as instantiation duration, computing resources consumed, and instantiation time period. Additionally, the cloud management system  104  can maintain a list of discounts available based on the usage of the cloud  102 . For example, the cloud management system  104  can maintain a list of discounts for volume usage of the cloud computing environment or reduced rates based on the amount of usage by the user. The cloud management system  104  can maintain the list of rates and discounts in cloud management store  126 . To determine the fees, the cloud management system  104  can retrieve the list of rates and calculate the charges based on the individual components or the tracked usage. 
     In embodiments, the cloud management system  104  can bill the user  112  for the charges associated with building and/or instantiating the virtual appliance. The cloud management system  104  can initiate a payment process, via any electronic or physical payment process, for the extracted fees. For example, the management engine  118  can generate a bill to be transmitted to user  112  or can initiate automatic payment if the user  112  has provided payment information. The cloud management system  104  can perform the billing process on-demand or in a periodic manner. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resources that can be incorporated in a cloud management system  104  configured to communicate with instantiated virtual machines  116  and the user  112  via one or more networks  106 , according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, cloud management system  104  can comprise a processor  130  communicating with memory  132 , such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of or in conjunction with operating system  136 . Operating system  136  can be, for example, a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietary operating system or platform. Processor  130  also communicates with cloud management store  126 , such as a database stored on a local hard drive. Processor  130  further communicates with network interface  134 , such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicates with one or more networks  106 , such as the Internet or other public or private networks. Processor  138  also communicates with cloud management store  120  and management engine  118 , to execute control logic and control the operation of virtual machines and other resources in cloud  102 . Other configurations of cloud management system  104 , associated network connections, and other hardware and software resources are possible. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a flow diagram of overall appliance building in a cloud environment, according to embodiments of the present teachings. In  502 , processing can begin. In  504 , cloud management system  104  can receive a request to build a custom appliance. The request can be received from a customer, administrator, or other user. 
     In  506 , the cloud management system  104  can provide a list of available software modules to the user. In  508 , the cloud management system  104  can receive the user&#39;s specification and configuration information for the custom appliance. This can include the software modules selected by the user and configuration information for the completed appliance. 
     Then, in  510 , the cloud management system  104  can build the appliance based on the user&#39;s specification and configuration information. For example, the cloud management system  104  can retrieve the selected software modules and combine the software modules. Then, in  512 , the cloud management system  104  can instantiate the custom appliance in the cloud  102 . 
     After building, in  514 , the cloud management system  104  can determine and bill the user for the charges associated with the custom appliance. The cloud management system  104  can perform the billing process on-demand or in a periodic manner. 
     Then, in  518 , if the cloud  102  terminates, the process can end, but the process can return to any point and repeat. 
     In the foregoing and other embodiments, the user making an instantiation request or otherwise accessing the cloud network can be a person, customer, subscriber, corporation, organization, or other entity. In embodiments, the user can be or include another virtual machine, application or process. In further embodiments, multiple users or entities can share the use of a set of virtual machines or other resources. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.