Patent Application
20130091502
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. ยง119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0103730, filed on Oct. 11, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
1. Field
The following description relates to a cloud computing technique, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method of providing a virtual machine using a device cloud.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cloud computing allows users to easily lend storage, network, platform, and computer resources using distributed processing technology and virtualization technology. For example, for services utilizing a large amount of mobile resources, an infrastructure having a significant scale is required. Here, the infrastructure is easily implemented in conjunction with cloud computing constructed in advance, and users pay operation costs only for the amount that they use, thereby reducing unnecessary waste of surplus resources.
In the existing cloud computing field, a virtual desktop technique utilizing a virtual machine for general users provides service on a hosted virtual desktop according to a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) scheme. In this case, a virtual machine of a user operates in a central server and a terminal connects to and uses the virtual machine using remote desktop software.
However, this approach is vulnerable to network influences, and performance of the user connecting to the virtual machine deteriorates when the network condition gets bad. In addition, this approach is a centralized method and only one-to-one connection between terminals and servers is maintained. Accordingly, a method of utilizing scattered devices is inconvenient and there are cases in which the devices cannot be utilized.
The following description relates to a system and method of providing a virtual machine using a device cloud, in which a server program operates in scattered devices so that the devices compose a cloud, and a user can do computing using only a terminal that can use a device cloud without possessing a computer.
In one general aspect, there is provided a system of providing a virtual machine using a device cloud, the system including: a terminal that includes a user interface for a virtual machine request in a server providing cloud services; at least one component device that is registered in is the server to be usable as a virtual machine; and a server that registers the at least one component device as a resource usable as the virtual machine, and controls the at least one component device to operate as the virtual machine usable by the terminal in response to a request from the terminal.
In another general aspect, there is provided a method of providing a virtual machine to at least one terminal in a server device providing cloud services, the method including: receiving a virtual machine request from the terminal; composing the virtual machine in accordance with the virtual machine request from the terminal; and controlling the composed virtual machine to operate.
Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
The following description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will suggest themselves to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.
A system of providing a virtual machine using a device cloud according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal 100, a server 200, and at least one component device 300.
The terminal 100 is a terminal only having a simple user interface 110, or a terminal having built-in software for a user interface.
The user interface 110 transmits a user's request to the server 200 providing device cloud services while communicating with the server 200.
The server 200 registers the at least one component device 300 as a resource usable as a virtual machine and controls the at least one component device 300 to operate as the virtual machine usable by the terminal 100 in response to a request from the terminal 100.
Specifically, the server 200 includes a user request processing unit 210, a virtual machine composition unit 220, a device cloud resource management unit 230, and a device cloud DB 240.
The user request processing unit 210 is a communication interface which receives a user's request from the terminal 100 and transmits the received user's request to the virtual machine composition unit 220, or transmits a composition result processed by the virtual machine composition unit 220 to the terminal 100.
The virtual machine composition unit 220 detects information about resources within the device cloud that have already been registered from the device cloud DB 240 when a virtual machine providing request is input from a user, and transmits the detected information to the user through the user request processing unit 210. Next, the user selects the component devices to be used as the virtual machine through the user interface 110, and the virtual machine composition unit 220 receiving selection information allows the selected component devices to compose the virtual machine through a control command of the device cloud resource management unit 240.
The device cloud resource management unit 240 receives resource information about the component devices connected to the device cloud and stores the received resource information in the device cloud DB 230 as a device to compose the virtual machine. In addition, when a request to compose and operate the virtual machine is received from the virtual machine composition unit 220, the device cloud resource management unit 240 controls a software bus connection to the component devices for composing the virtual machine.
The device cloud DB 240 stores resource information of the component devices 300-1, . . . , 300-N input from the device cloud resource management unit 230, and also stores information of the component device composed as the virtual machine.
The device cloud DB 240 provides information about the devices in response to the request of the virtual machine composition unit 220.
The server 200 may be implemented as a single machine or in a server system in which functions are distributed.
The component devices 300-1, . . . , and 300-N may be registered in the server 300 to be used as the virtual machine, and specifically, are composed of a device cloud connection unit 310, a device function server 320, and a software bus function unit 330.
The device cloud connection unit 310 is responsible for the connection with the server 200 so that the component device 300-1 is included in the device cloud.
The device function server 320 performs and provides a unique function of each of the component devices. The software bus function unit 330 performs connection between the component devices 300-1, . . . , and 300-N such that unique functions of the component devices are linked to compose the virtual machine.
Each of the component devices 300-1, . . . , and 300-N may be implemented in a single device in a physical manner, or several of the component devices 300-1, . . . , and 300-N may be implemented in a single physical device.
In addition, referring to
Referring to
The device function bridge unit 400 ascertains a function of the legacy device 500, and enables the legacy device 500 to be recognized by the device cloud through the device cloud connection unit 410.
The device cloud connection unit 410 is responsible for connection with the server 200 so that the legacy device 500 is included in the device cloud.
The software bus function unit 430 performs connection between other legacy devices or the component devices 300-1, . . . , and 300-N such that unique functions of the legacy devices 500 are linked to compose the virtual machine.
An interlocking operation between components of the system of providing the virtual machine using the device cloud described above will be described in detail together with a method of providing a virtual machine using a device cloud.
The method of providing the virtual machine using the device cloud according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes receiving a virtual machine request from a terminal (see,
Next, a detailed configuration of each operation will be described with reference to
Before the virtual machine is requested by the terminal, resources must be registered in the server 200 by the component devices 300-1 and 300-2.
Referring to
Specifically, the device cloud connection units 310-1 and 310-2 transmit the resource registration information to the device cloud resource management unit 230.
Next, the device cloud resource management unit 230 receiving the resource registration classifies the component devices based on the received resource registration information, and then registers information of the component devices as a resource DB in the device cloud DB 240.
Next, in operation 3, a virtual machine request signal is input from the terminal 100, and in operation 4, the virtual machine request signal is transmitted from the user request processing unit 210 to the virtual machine composition unit 220.
Next, in operation 5, the virtual machine composition unit 220 makes a query into the resource DB of the device cloud DB 240.
Next, in operation 6, the resource DB is provided from the device cloud DB 240.
Next, in operations 7 and 8, the virtual machine composition unit 220 generates a resource list using the received resource DB and transmits the generated resource list to the terminal 100 through the user request processing unit 210.
Next, in operation 9, the terminal 100 selects resources with reference to the received resource list and transmits the selected resource information to the server 200.
In operation 10, the user request processing unit 210 transmits the selection resource list received by the virtual machine composition unit 220 in operation 11, the virtual machine composition unit 220 transmits a virtual machine composition control request to the device cloud resource management unit 230.
Referring to
Next, in operations 14-1 and 14-2, each of device cloud connection units 310-1 and 310-2 of the component devices 1 and 2 (300-1 and 300-2) transmits a software bus connection initialization control signal to the software bus function units 330-1 and 330-2.
Next, in operation 15, the component devices 1 and 2 (300-1 and 300-2) communicates with each other to thereby perform a software bus connection initialization communication.
In operations 16-1 and 16-2, when the software bus connection communication is completed, the software bus function units 330-1 and 330-2 transmit a connection initialization completion notification signal to each of the device cloud connection units 310-1 and 310-2.
Next, in operations 17-1 and 17-2, the device cloud connection units 310-1 and 310-2 transmit the connection initialization completion notification signal to the device cloud resource management unit 230.
Next, in operation 18, the device cloud resource management unit 230 registers corresponding component devices as the virtual machine in accordance with connection initialization information, and in operation 19, the device cloud resource management unit 230 transmits the connection initialization completion notification signal.
Next, in operation 20, the virtual machine composition unit 230 transmits a virtual machine composition notification to the user request processing unit 210.
Next, in operation 21, the user request processing unit 210 transmits the virtual machine composition notification to the terminal 100 and completes a process of registering the virtual machine.
Referring to
Next, in operation 23, the user request processing unit 210 transmits the virtual machine operation request to the device cloud resource management unit 230 through the virtual machine composition unit 220.
Next, in operations 25-1 and 25-2, the device cloud resource management unit 230 transmits a virtual machine operation control signal to the component devices 300-1 and 300-2.
Next, in operations 26-1 and 26-2, the device cloud connection units 310-1 and 310-2 transmit a software bus operation request to the software bus function units 330-1 and 330-2.
Next, operations 27-1 and 27-2, each of the software bus function units 330-1 and 330-2 transmits a device function request to the device function servers 320-1 and 320-2 and the device function servers 320-1 and 320-2 return a device function result.
Next, in operation 29, the software bus function units 330-1 and 330-2 perform software bus connection communication with each other.
Next, the terminal 100 may use the component devices 300-1 and 300-2 as the virtual machine to thereby receive cloud services.
As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, a user may compose his own virtual machine using resources allocated from the device cloud using only a simple terminal capable of connecting to the device cloud to thereby compose a computing environment, and may enhance a utilization rate by easily utilizing scattered devices.
In addition, it is possible to compose a more scalable computing environment using characteristics of each device compared to a case of using a single computer.
In addition, in the cloud services using the present invention, a user can easily use his/her own computing environment even when on the move without specific devices, thus enabling smart work such as mobile work, telecommuting, and the like.
A number of examples have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2011-0103730 | Oct 2011 | KR | national |
