User-level virtual networking mechanisms to support virtual machine migration over multiple clouds

Dynamic allocation of multiple cloud resources adapting to application needs over time can be achieved by taking advantage of wide-area VM live migration technologies. However, migration of VMs across different subnets, potentially in multiple clouds, requires networking support to keep the network state of moving VMs unchanged. Two problems make traditional solutions to machine mobility inefficient in this scenario: (1) administrative overheads due to coordination requirements between moving machines and the network infrastructure; and (2) degraded network performance of machines moved away from their “home” networks. New solutions are needed to efficiently support the migration of virtual machines over multiple cloud providers. The user-level virtual network architecture presented in this paper implements mechanisms to allow VM migration over clouds without requiring support from the physical network infrastructure, and automatically reconfiguring virtual networks to maximize the network performance of migrated virtual machines.