JP2011180892A - Virtual server system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a virtual server system for constructing a virtual environment without changing a physical environment. <P>SOLUTION: The virtual server system is equipped with: a physical server device; and an external storage device which is connected freely attachably and detachably to the physical server device. The external storage device is equipped with: a virtual machine setting information storage part for storing setting information about a virtual machine; a virtual infrastructure function part for operating the virtual machine on the basis of the setting information of the virtual machine; and an OS kernel search function part for searching for OS kernels from within the physical server device. The virtual machine executes the OS kernel on the basis of a search result by the OS kernel search function part and operates an OS included in the physical server. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a virtual server system.

  In a virtual server system, a virtual server is constructed by a hypervisor (also called a virtual machine monitor). The hypervisor constructs a virtual server based on information (virtual machine setting information) necessary to construct the virtual server.

  Examples of technologies related to the virtual server system include, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-249446), Patent Document 2 (Special Table 2009-506399), Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-322242), and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-322242. Open 2006-185446), and Patent Document 5 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-178933).

  Incidentally, the hypervisor part may be stored in an external storage device such as a USB memory. By storing the hypervisor part in the external storage device, the user can connect the external storage device to a desired physical machine and construct a virtual server.

  Relatedly, Patent Document 6 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-64301) discloses a technique for enabling an OS stored in a removable memory unit to be started on the removable memory unit without being read into a computer. Is disclosed.

  Patent Document 7 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-26031) describes that the management server stores image data including an OS program and application programs in a storage device, and transmits the image data to a client computer. When the client computer implements virtual hardware and executes the OS program included in the image data on the virtual hardware, executes the application program on the OS and executes the process, and when the process ends, The point that the client computer deletes the image data is described.

JP2007-249446 Special table 2009-506399 JP-A-2005-322242 JP 2006-185446 A JP 2006-178933 A JP2009-64301 JP2009-26031A

  However, even when the hypervisor portion is stored in the external storage device, the virtual machine setting information needs to be prepared in the physical machine. By preparing an area for storing the virtual machine setting information in the physical machine, the physical environment is changed not a little. Therefore, when returning from the virtual environment to the physical environment, there is a problem that it takes time, and in some cases, it may not be possible to return to the original physical environment.

  The virtual server system according to the present invention includes a physical server device and an external storage device that is detachably connected to the physical server device. The external storage device includes a virtual machine setting information storage unit that stores setting information of a virtual machine, a virtualization infrastructure function unit that operates a virtual machine based on the setting information of the virtual machine, and a physical server. And an OS kernel search function unit for searching for an OS kernel. The virtual machine executes the OS kernel based on the search result by the OS kernel search function unit, and operates the OS included in the physical server.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the virtual server system which can construct | assemble a virtual environment without changing a physical environment is provided.

It is a block diagram which shows a virtual server system. It is a flowchart which shows the operating method of a virtual server system.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a virtual server system 3 according to the present embodiment. The virtual server system 3 includes a physical server 1 and an external storage device (USB memory 2). The USB memory 2 is detachably connected to the physical server 1.

  The physical server 1 includes a physical disk 11 and a physical server BIOS function unit 13. The physical disk 11 stores an OS kernel 12, an OS (not shown), and data (not shown). The OS kernel 12 is a program having information and functions necessary for starting up the OS.

  The USB memory 2 stores a virtualization infrastructure function unit 21, a virtual machine setting information storage unit 24, and an OS kernel search function unit 23.

  The virtual machine setting information storage unit 21 stores information necessary for constructing a virtual machine as virtual machine setting information.

  The virtualization infrastructure function unit 21 has a function of operating the virtual machine 22 based on the virtual machine setting information. The virtualization infrastructure function unit 21 is realized by a hypervisor (virtual machine monitor) being executed by a CPU (not shown) included in the physical server 1. That is, the hypervisor is stored in the USB memory 2. The virtualization infrastructure function unit 21 updates the virtual machine setting information described in the virtual machine setting information storage unit 21 when data is written to the virtual machine 22.

  Here, the virtualization platform function unit 21 (hypervisor) includes an OS kernel search program (not shown). The OS kernel search function unit 23 is realized by executing the OS kernel search program. The OS kernel search function unit 23 is activated by an instruction from the virtual machine. The OS kernel search function unit 23 has a function of accessing the physical server 1 and searching for the OS kernel 12.

  Subsequently, an operation method of the virtual server system 3 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the virtual server system 3.

  In the physical server 1, the physical server BIOS 13 operates at startup (step S1).

  When the USB memory 2 is connected to the physical server 1, the physical server BIOS 13 accesses the USB memory 2 when activated. Then, the physical server BIOS 13 notifies the execution instruction to the virtualization infrastructure function unit 21 (step S2).

  When receiving the execution instruction from the physical server BIOS 13, the virtualization infrastructure function unit 21 starts up the virtual machine 22 based on the virtual machine setting information (step S <b> 3).

  When activated, the virtual machine 22 notifies the OS kernel search function unit 23 of an execution instruction. The OS kernel search function unit 23 searches the OS kernel 12 from the physical disk 11. When the OS kernel 12 is found, information indicating the location (address) of the OS kernel 12 is notified to the virtual machine 22 (step S4).

  When the virtual machine 22 receives information indicating the location of the OS kernel 12, the virtual machine 22 executes the OS kernel 12 using the information. As a result, the OS included in the physical disk 11 operates on the virtual machine 22. Thereby, a virtual server is realized (step S5).

  According to the present embodiment, information (hypervisor and virtual machine setting information) necessary for constructing a virtual environment is stored in the USB memory 2. Even when the virtual machine is updated, the contents of the update are reflected in the virtual machine setting information storage unit 24 in the USB memory 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a virtual environment area on the physical server 1.

  For this reason, when the USB memory 2 is connected to the physical server 1, a virtual environment can be constructed. It is possible to move to the virtual environment and return from the virtual environment to the physical environment only by inserting and removing the USB memory 2. Further, since all information for the virtual environment is stored in the USB memory 2, it is possible to move to the virtual environment without preparing another physical machine.

  In addition, if a plurality of USB memories 2 are prepared and virtual machine setting information for constructing different virtual environments (virtual machines 22) is stored in the plurality of USB memories 2, a virtual environment having a different version can be updated or downgraded. It becomes possible to build without doing.

  In the present embodiment, the USB memory 2 is used as the external storage device. However, the external storage device 2 is not limited to the USB memory 2 as long as the device can include the virtualization infrastructure function unit 21, the virtual machine setting information storage unit 24, and the OS kernel function search function unit 23. It is also possible to use an external storage other than the USB memory or another physical server.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Physical server 2 USB memory 3 Virtual server system 11 Physical disk 12 OS kernel 13 Physical server BIOS
21 Virtualization Platform Function Unit 22 Virtual Machine 23 OS Kernel Search Function Unit 24 Virtual Machine Setting Information Storage Unit

Claims (4)

A physical server device,
An external storage device detachably connected to the physical server device;
Comprising
The external storage device is
A virtual machine setting information storage unit for storing virtual machine setting information;
Based on the setting information of the virtual machine, a virtualization infrastructure function unit that operates the virtual machine;
An OS kernel search function unit for searching an OS kernel from the physical server,
A virtual server system in which the virtual machine executes the OS kernel based on a search result by the OS kernel search function unit and operates an OS included in the physical server. The virtual server system according to claim 1,
The virtualization infrastructure function unit is a virtual server system activated by a BIOS included in the physical server device. The virtual server system according to claim 1 or 2,
The virtual server system, wherein the external storage device is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.   An external storage device used in the virtual server system according to claim 1.

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