virtualization management apis
TRANSCRIPT
Virtualization Management APIs: VMware, DMTF & Xen Ajit Mayya
Director of Engineering
Larry Lamers Sr. Engineering Manager
Daniel Hiltgen Staff Engineer
Goals
Participants will leave with an understanding of:The evolution of VMware’s Virtualization management interfacesVMware’s Open Interface InitiativesVMware’s involvement in industry standard organizationsVMware’s plans around extensible management architecture
Overview of Presentation
Evolution of VMware Product APIsVMware ControlVI SDK
Open Interface Initiatives Virtual Machine Disk FormatVirtual Machine Interface – Hypervisor/Guest OS InterfaceManagement InterfacePerformance
Industry StandardsDMTFOthers
Futures & RoadmapsExtensible Architecture
VMware’s Goals for Open Interfaces & Standards
“Standards, specifications, and open interfaces are what will make it possible for the entire industry to fully leverage virtualization on the x86 platforms. There should be complete transparency and unconstrained availability (standards, open interfaces) of the interfaces between the hardware and the virtualization, the virtualization and the operating system, and the format of the virtual machines.” Diane GreeneSteve Herrod – VP R&D
We will submit our interfaces and formats to the industry to accelerate this opportunity.We will adopt those formats that comply with openness and 3rd party control.Let hypervisors compete on features, partner relationships, quality, performance, price, and support.
ESX
Big Picture
Hardware
VMkernel
VSI
VC S
erve
r
Vpxd
VI API
VC UIPlug-in API3rd Party UI
Plug-in
Host agent
VI APICIMOM (Pegasus, SFCB, etc.)
CMPI
CIM XML
DriverInterface(DDK) 3rd Party Driver
Provider
char / proc
VM VMHypervisor – OS Interface
VM File format
PerformanceComparisons
Evolution of VMware’s API – VMware:Control
TechnologyPerl & COM modulesProprietary protocol
CapabilityVM monitoring & statistics gatheringVM configuration changesVM power operations
Product coverageGSXESX
Current statusDeprecated since release of VI 3 – June 2006Will be phased out at a future date
Evolution of VMware’s API – VI SDK version 1.0
TechnologyWeb services interface – HTTP, SOAP, XMLInterface specification via WSDL, programming language agnosticExtensive samples
CapabilityVM configuration and provisioningVM power operations, monitoring and statistics gatheringVM power operationsVM customization, VM cloning, Templates, VMotionScheduled tasks
Product coverageVC 1.1 – managed environments only
Current statusSupported in backward compatibility mode as of VI 3 release
VMware’s VI SDK 2.0 Key Features
TechnologyWeb services interface – HTTP, SOAP, XMLInterface specification via WSDL, programming language agnosticExtensive samples
CapabilityAll features from 1.0 VI SDKInventory traversal, traversal rules, fine grained property selectionFilter specification for object and property selectionHost Configuration• Networking configuration• Storage Configuration
Platforms Covered by VI SDK 2.0
Product Coverage VC 2.0 Managed Hosts• ESX 2.5.x, ESX 3.0ESX 3.0VMware Server support planned
ClientsAxis 1.xVS2003, VS2005VMware Perl Toolkit – available on SourceForgeSOAP 1.1 & WS-I Basic Profile 1.0
VMware Open Interface Initiatives
VM File Format - how a virtual machine is stored VMDK
Virtual Machine Interface (VMI) – Hypervisor/Guest OS Interfaceallow choice in hypervisor
Virtualization ManagementVMware Infrastructure SDKCIM SDK
Performance measurementsVirtual machine performance benchmarks
http://www.vmware.com/interfaces/ for more detail
VM File Format
VM File Format
Disk Format - how a virtual machine is stored A virtual machine encapsulates an entire server or desktop environment in a file. The virtual machine disk format specification describes and documents the virtual machine environment and how it is stored. The virtual machine disk format specification is critical to how virtual environments are provisioned, manipulated, patched, updated, scanned and backed up.
VM File Format
BeliefShould be open, available without license, and not owned by a single party
BenefitsAccelerate solutions that depend on the format (e.g., backup, system imaging, patch management, replication, virtual machine migration)Preserve customer environments if they choose to move between vendorsSimplify distribution of virtual appliances
StatusVMware VMDK format available without license (large # of downloads and tools)
Virtual Machine Interface (VMI)
HYPERVISOR/GUEST OS INTERFACE
VMI – Hypervisor/Guest OS Interface
In a fully virtualized environment, operating systems issue hardware instructions that are intercepted by the virtualization software. In certain situations it may be advantageous for the operating system inside a virtual machine to directly communicate to the underlying virtualization software. The virtual machine interface defines the mechanism for such communication to occur. These instructions enable the virtualization software to more efficiently use resources of the computer and perform tasks on behalf of operating systems running in virtual machines, such as managing memory resources.
VMI – Hypervisor/Guest OS Interface
BeliefShould be open & freely available to OS and hypervisor vendorsShould be “transparent”… the same binary should work on hardware and on a hypervisor
BenefitsCustomers benefit from ability to use same OS image everywhereISVs benefit from having fewer OS versions to certify and supportHypervisor choice can be independent of guest OS choice
StatusTechnology Preview now available, full support to follow.Working with the Linux community on common “paravirt_ops” approachUnclear as to approach Microsoft will take with enlightenments
Management
Virtualization Management
Virtualization Management
These interfaces enable management software to deploy, control, and monitor virtual machines running in different virtualization environments. These tools automatically execute many of the daily tasks in the data center, decreasing costs and increasing reliability. VMware supports a rich set of additional interfaces that allow customers to realize the full potential of virtualization.
Virtualization Management
BeliefThe common management-related functions used within virtualization should be standardizedStandards based management is focused on CIM-based models
BenefitsEnable 3rd-party management tools to work with VMware virtualization products (ESX Server, Server, Workstation, VirtualCenter, …)
StatusWorking this through the DMTF SVPC workgroup
Performance Comparisons
Performance Comparisons
BeliefProperly measuring the performance of virtualization is challengingThe industry will benefit from easy-to-run, representative, managed benchmarks
BenefitsCustomers can make better performance-focused tradeoffs in hardware and software choices
StatusVMware is working with partners on “VMmark”VMware is part of the SPEC Working Group looking into virtualization benchmarks
Industry Standards - DMTF
Leadership ParticipationSVPC Virtualization working group –• Larry Lamers – Co-chair• Daniel Hiltgen – Editor of Resource Allocation Profile• Carl Waldspurger – Editor of Processor Profile
Member Participation CIM Core working groupSVPC Cluster working groupServer Management working groupDesktop Mobile & Pre-OS working groupArchitecture working groupWIP (WBEM Infrastructure and Protocols) Generic Operations
DMTF SVPC – Phase 1 Goals
Resource Allocation ProfileAllocation Capabilities ProfileSystem Virtualization ProfileVirtual System Profile Generic Resource ProfileProcessor Resource Allocation ProfileMemory Resource Allocation ProfileNetwork Port Resource Allocation ProfileRemovable Media Resource Allocation ProfileBlock Based Storage Resource Allocation ProfileFile Based Storage Resource Allocation ProfileVirtual HBA ProfileShared HBA Profile
DMTF SVPC - Phase 2
Multi-System Virtualization ProfilePhysical PartitioningSerial and Parallel Controller Resource Allocation ProfileDisplay Controller Resource Allocation ProfileVirtual USBVirtual IBVirtual Keyboard, MouseConsole MetricsVirtual System LifecycleFarmVLANL2 SwitchNetwork BridgingTemplateTemplate Management
DMTF Initiatives
CDMAs an extension of the DMTF’s Common Information Model (CIM), the Common Diagnostic Model (CDM) specification is widely used within the industry to evaluate the health of computer systems in multi-vendor environments. The CDM initiative creates diagnostic instrumentation that can be utilized by platform management applications, and its tight synergy with the other manageability domains in CIM further enables integration of diagnostics into critical management functions.
SMASHThe DMTF's System Management Architecture for Server Hardware (SMASH) initiative, which includes the Server Management Command Line Protocol (CLP), is a suite of specifications that deliver architectural semantics, industry standard protocols and profiles to unify the management of the data center.
SMI-SThe Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) is developed by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) to standardize interoperable storage management technologies, based on the rich foundation provided by the DMTF’s CIM and WBEM. For more information, visit the SNIA’s SMI-S Web page.
Other Industry Standards Groups
PCI SIG I/O virtualization work group
Standard Performance Evaluation Corp (SPEC)Virtualization performance
SNIAFile Virtualization
Trusted Computing GroupTrusted Platform Module (TPM)
Futures & Roadmap
VI API Client side ToolkitsVI Extensibility ArchitectureXen ManagementSDK Evolution
VI SDK Toolkits
CurrentAxis, VS, other off-the-shelf SOAP toolkits
Future – VI API ToolkitsClient defined Object ModelStub generation in language of choiceHigh performance – Property collector basedEarly Access• Perl Toolkit – Open Source &
VMware supported versionsFuture Language Support• C++, Java, C#, VB, Python, PHP, ... Hardware
VMkernel
VCServer Vpxd
VI API
VI SDK Client
ESX
Host agent
VI API
Toolkit Stubs &Utilities
ESX
VI Extensibility
Hardware
VMkernel
VSI
VCServer Vpxd
VI API private
VC UIPlug-in API3rd Party UI
Plug-in
3rd Party UI
Host agent
VI APICIMOM (Pegasus, SFCB, etc.)
CMPI
CIM XML / WS-CIM
Posixsubset
3rd Party App
DriverInterface(DDK) 3rd Party Driver
private
Provider
char / proc
Xen
Xen and Management Interfaces
Hardware
Xen Hypervisor
CIMOMCMPI
CIM XML / WS-CIM
Xen-CIMProviders
Xenstore Host Utilities
Xen-RPC
libxen (C-bindings) Pyxen (python bindings)
xm
Dom0 XendVM VM
Feat
ures
/Mat
urity
Time
Specification
Implementation
Gap
Closing Remarks
Q: Why are open interfaces and formats important?A: In every industry, open interfaces and formats has been a critical enabler to accelerating ubiquitous adoption. Virtualization is no different. As great as the momentum is today for virtualization, it is still in its early stages of adoption. VMware is taking this step to spur the growth of virtualization, accelerate solution delivery to customers and achieve wide spread adoption. VMware is also taking this step because partners and customers have asked for it.Q: Why is this significant for customers?A: Open interfaces and formats will give customers access to a broader range of virtualization solutions that are also compatible across an increased number of industry products.Q: How will this benefit the industry?A: Open interfaces and formats will facilitate greater collaboration and innovation across an ecosystem of virtualization vendors and expand the market opportunities for all.Q: Why is VMware proposing these open interfaces and formats?A: The most successful interfaces and formats in the technology business have been based on de facto customer deployed standards. VMware's technology has been deployed widely for over seven years and incorporates a significant amount of real-world experience.
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Backup Slides
Open Interfaces and Formats FAQs
Q: What is VMware announcing regarding Open Interfaces and Formats?A: VMware is collaborating with a group of leading technology vendors to define open virtualization standards. As an initial step, VMware will contribute its existing frameworks and APIs to facilitate the development of these standards in an industry neutral manner.Q: What is a Hypervisor?A: A Hypervisor is a basic component of virtualization software and it provides the capabilities necessary to partition and multiplex the system. In ESX Server terminology, this roughly corresponds to the ESX Virtual Machine Monitor.Q: Which open interfaces and formats is VMware making available?A: VMware's open interfaces and formats include the following:
Virtual Machine Disk Format - Virtual machine disk formats that enable virtual machine provision, migration and maintenance across platforms. Virtual Machine Interface - APIs between hypervisors and guest operating systems. Management Interface - Framework that governs the standardized operation and management of stand-alone virtual machine environments as well as highly dynamic, data center-scale deployment of virtualized systems. Virtual machine performance benchmarks – Properly measuring the performance of virtualization
Q: Who can use these open interfaces and formats?A: VMware intends this to be an open, vendor neutral effort. Any vendor that shares in the common goal of open virtualization standards can participate.
Presentation Download
Please remember to complete yoursession evaluation form
and return it to the room monitorsas you exit the session
The presentation for this session can be downloaded at http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/vmworld/sessions/
Enter the following to download (case-sensitive):
Username: cbv_repPassword: cbvfor9v9r
Some or all of the features in this document may be representative of feature areas under development. Feature commitments must not be included in contracts, purchase orders, or sales agreements of any kind. Technical feasibility and market demand will affect final delivery.