System and method for migrating virtual machines with storage while in use

A method comprising:

• receiving a request to migrate a virtual machine from a first host machine to a second host machine;
• determining from an access data structure on the first host machine that data of the virtual machine is not in use;
• determining from a location data structure on the first host machine that the data is located on the first host machine;
• and
• transferring the data from the first host machine to a shared storage space that is separate from and shared by the first host machine and the second host machine.

An apparatus comprising a non-transitory memory having programmed instructions that when executed cause the apparatus to:

• receive an indication of a virtual machine migration from a first host machine to a second host machine;
• determine that an access value associated with data of the virtual machine is set to a first access value in an access data structure, the first access value indicative of the data not being in use;
• determine that a location value associated with the data is set to a first location value in a location data structure, the first location value indicative of the data being on the first host machine before the transfer;
• and
• transfer the data from the first host machine to a shared storage space that is shared by and separate from the first host machine and the second host machine.

A non-transitory computer readable memory storing computer program code to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

• determining, in response to receiving a request to migrate data from a first storage space to a second storage space, from an access data structure on the first storage space that the data is not in use;
• determining from a location data structure on the first storage space that the data is located on the first storage space;
• transferring the data from the first storage space to a third storage space, wherein the third storage space is separate from and shared by the first storage space and a second storage space;
• and
• transferring the data from the third storage space to the second storage space.

A method comprising:

• receiving a request to migrate a virtual machine from a first host machine to a second host machine;
• transferring data associated with the virtual machine from the first host machine to a shared storage space in response to the request, wherein the shared storage space is separate from and shared by the first host machine and the second host machine;
• preventing access to at least a portion of the data during the transfer from the first host machine to the shared storage space;
• allowing access to the portion of the data in the shared storage space after the transfer;
• creating an access data structure on the shared storage space for the data after the transfer, wherein the access data structure comprises an access value indicative of whether the data is in use in the shared storage space;
• determining that the access value is set to a first value indicative of the data not being in use before transferring the data from the shared storage space to the second host machine;
• and
• changing the access value to a second value during the transfer of the data from the shared storage space to the second host machine.

A method comprising:

• receiving a request to migrate a virtual machine from a first host machine to a second host machine;
• transferring data associated with the virtual machine from the first host machine to a shared storage space in response to the request, wherein the shared storage space is separate from and shared by the first host machine and the second host machine;
• preventing access to at least a portion of the data during the transfer from the first host machine to the shared storage space;
• allowing access to the portion of the data in the shared storage space after the transfer;
• and
• creating a location data structure for the data on the shared storage space after the transfer, wherein the location data structure comprises a location value indicative of the data being on the shared storage space or the second host machine.