Cairo University

Faculty of Computer and Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science Department

Live Migrations of Virtual Disks or

Configuration Files
For
Prof. Fatma Omara

Report Written By
David Emad Philip
20190191

Academic Year Spring 2022-2023

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Contents
Introduction:................................................................................................................................................3
Transfer of VM files:...................................................................................................................................3
1. Pre-Copy Technique.........................................................................................................................3
2. Post-copy Technique:......................................................................................................................3
3. Hybrid Approach:.............................................................................................................................4
Conclusion:..................................................................................................................................................4
References...................................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction:
Live migration is an essential technique in virtualization technology that enables the seamless
transfer of a running virtual machine (VM) from one physical host to another, without causing any
disruption to its availability. The process involves transferring the VM's disk image from one physical
storage device to another while the VM remains operational, resulting in minimal downtime and
disruption. However, achieving live migration is not without its challenges. One of the most significant
challenges is ensuring that the transfer of the VM's disk image does not cause any interruption to the
VM's availability. This report discusses the techniques used in live migration to transfer VM disk images
from physical storage to another physical storage without any interruption in the availability of the VM.

Transfer of VM files:
The live migration of a running virtual machine requires transferring its disk and memory
state from one physical host to another. To achieve this, the hypervisor must synchronize the
VM's memory state, CPU, and I/O operations between the source and target physical hosts. In
addition, the VM's disk image must be transferred from the source physical storage device to the
target physical storage device.

The disk image transfer can be accomplished using several methods. One method involves using
a specialized protocol such as iSCSI or Fibre Channel to connect the source and target physical
storage devices, allowing the hypervisor to perform a block-level transfer of the VM's disk
image. Another method involves using a network-based file transfer protocol, such as NFS or
SMB, to transfer the VM's disk image.

Regardless of the method used, there are several techniques that can be employed to transfer the
VM's disk image or configuration file without causing any interruption to its availability. These
techniques include:

1. Pre-Copy Technique:
The pre-copy technique is a widely used live migration technique that involves
transferring the VM's memory and disk image contents in small, incremental chunks. The
VM continues to run on the source host during the transfer, and each transferred chunk is
validated by the target host before the next chunk is transferred. This validation ensures
that the VM remains available throughout the process, as the target host can immediately
take over in the event of a failure.

The pre-copy technique is generally faster than the post-copy technique as it minimizes
the amount of data transferred during the final cutover. However, it can be more
susceptible to network latency and bandwidth constraints, as the iterative nature of the
transfer means that multiple roundtrips are required between the source and target hosts.

2. Post-copy Technique:
The post-copy technique involves transferring the VM's memory contents and

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 disk image in its entirety to the target host. The VM continues to run on the source host
until the transfer is complete, at which point the VM's memory state is transferred to the
target host, and the VM is resumed on the target host. This approach can be slower than
the pre-copy technique, as the entire memory and disk image must be transferred before
the VM can be resumed on the target host.

The post-copy technique is generally more resilient to network constraints, as the entire
memory and disk image can be transferred in one go. However, it can be more disruptive
to the VM's operation, as the VM must be paused during the final cutover, resulting in a
brief period of downtime.

3. Hybrid Approach:
Hybrid approaches combine elements of both pre-copy and post-copy techniques
to achieve a balance between speed and resilience. For example, a hybrid approach might
involve performing an initial pre-copy to transfer the majority of the VM's memory and
disk image, followed by a final post-copy to transfer any remaining data.

Hybrid approaches aim to minimize downtime while still providing a resilient migration
process. By transferring the majority of the data using the pre-copy technique, the
downtime can be minimized, and by performing a final post-copy, any remaining data
can be transferred more resiliently. However, hybrid approaches can be more complex to
implement and test than the pre-copy or post-copy techniques alone.

Conclusion:
In summary, transferring a VM's disk or config file without any interruption in
availability involves synchronizing the VM's memory state, CPU, and I/O operations between
the source and target physical hosts, and transferring the VM's disk image using specialized
protocols or file transfer methods. Employing techniques such as pre-copy, post-copy, or hybrid
approaches can help minimize any potential downtime or disruption during the transfer process.

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References:
1. VMware vMotion: Overview,
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.vcenterhost.doc/
GUID-FE2B516E-7366-4978-B75C-64BF0AC676EB.html

2. Microsoft. (2021, February 17). Live Migration Overview. Retrieved April 27, 2023,
from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/manage/
live-migration-overview

3. Rong et al., "Live virtual machine migration techniques: survey and research challenges,"
Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1097-1113, 2011.

4. Kourai, K., & Murakami, T. (2017). Live Migration Techniques for Virtual Machines: A
Survey. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 19(1), 434-455.

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