Fast Provisioning in Cloud Computing Environments

Abstract

A method for provisioning private-cloud server nodes by receiving a request to provision a specified number of server nodes for a private cloud, wherein the request is associated with a user, identifying a plurality of server nodes including (a) the specified number of hypervisor server nodes from a first pool that includes prepared hypervisor server nodes, each of which includes a previously-installed hypervisor, and (b) a management server node from a second pool that includes prepared management server nodes, each of which includes a previously-installed hypervisor and one or more previously-installed management components, configuring the identified server nodes to use a network associated with the user, creating a private cloud that includes the identified server nodes, and providing, to the user, permission to access the identified server nodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed by data processing hardware that causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 determining that a quantity of prepared nodes of a first node type in a first node pool satisfies a threshold; and   in response to determining that the quantity of the prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold:
 determining a replenishment quantity of free nodes to prepare for the first node pool; 
 identifying one or more free nodes from a free node pool based on the determined replenishment quantity; 
 for each free node of the identified one or more free nodes, installing software components corresponding to software components installed on the prepared nodes of the first node type; and 
 after installing the software components, adding the identified one or more free nodes to the first node pool. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold comprises determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool is less than a minimum threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the replenishment quantity of free nodes satisfies the minimum threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold comprises determining that a ratio between the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool and a quantity of prepared nodes of a second node type in a second node pool satisfies a threshold ratio. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the replenishment quantity of free nodes satisfies the threshold ratio. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein adding the identified one or more free nodes to the first node pool comprises removing the identified one or more free nodes from the free node pool. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each free node in the free node pool is not a prepared node of the first node type. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each prepared node of the first node type in the first node pool comprises a previously-installed hypervisor. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each prepared node of the first node type in the first node pool comprises a previously-installed hypervisor and one or more previously-installed management components. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations may further comprise, in response to determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold, removing one of the prepared nodes of the first node type from the first node pool. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 data processing hardware; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 determining that a quantity of prepared nodes of a first node type in a first node pool satisfies a threshold; and 
 in response to determining that the quantity of the prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold:
 determining a replenishment quantity of free nodes to prepare for the first node pool; 
 identifying one or more free nodes from a free node pool based on the determined replenishment quantity; 
 for each free node of the identified one or more free nodes, installing software components corresponding to software components installed on the prepared nodes of the first node type; and 
 after installing the software components, adding the identified one or more free nodes to the first node pool. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold comprises determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool is less than a minimum threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the replenishment quantity of free nodes satisfies the minimum threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold comprises determining that a ratio between the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool and a quantity of prepared nodes of a second node type in a second node pool satisfies a threshold ratio. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the replenishment quantity of free nodes satisfies the threshold ratio. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein adding the identified one or more free nodes to the first node pool comprises removing the identified one or more free nodes from the free node pool. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each free node in the free node pool is not a prepared node of the first node type. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each prepared node of the first node type in the first node pool comprises a previously-installed hypervisor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each prepared node of the first node type in the first node pool comprises a previously-installed hypervisor and one or more previously-installed management components. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations may further comprise, in response to determining that the quantity of prepared nodes of the first node type in the first node pool satisfies the threshold, removing one of the prepared nodes of the first node type from the first node pool.