# US 11,310,117 B2 · Pairing of a probe entity with another entity in a cloud computing environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,117 B2 - Document ID: US11310117B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/910,689 - Filed: 2020-06-24 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-24 - Assignees: Red Hat, Inc. - Applicants: Red Hat, Inc. - Inventors: Ashraf T. Hasson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310117B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/142: using statistical or mathematical methods - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 43/12: Network monitoring probes - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A cloud orchestration system (COS) receives a request to initiate a first entity. The COS accesses configuration data that indicates the first entity is paired with a probe entity, the probe entity being configured to analyze network traffic associated with the first entity. The COS identifies a first computing host of a plurality of computing hosts on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity. The COS causes the generation on a virtual network device of a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated. The COS causes the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by a cloud orchestration system, a request to initiate a first entity, the first entity being a first container or a first virtual machine; accessing configuration data that indicates the first entity is paired with a probe entity, the probe entity being configured to analyze network traffic associated with the first entity, the probe entity being a probe container or a probe virtual machine; identifying a first computing host of a plurality of computing hosts on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity; causing, by the cloud orchestration system, the generation on a virtual network device of a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and causing, by the cloud orchestration system, the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing, by the cloud orchestration system, the generation on the virtual network device of the first port and the replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated, comprises: sending, by a compute services of the cloud orchestration system, a request to a network layer function to generate the virtual network device with the first port and the replication port; and receiving, by the compute services from the network layer function, a first port identifier and a replication port identifier; and wherein causing, by the cloud orchestration system, the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively further comprises: initiating, by the compute services, the first entity with the first port identifier; and initiating, by the compute services, the probe entity with the replication port identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises the first virtual machine and the probe entity comprises the probe virtual machine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first computing host on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity comprises: accessing resource utilization information associated with each computing host of the plurality computing hosts; determining an anticipated resource utilization for both the first entity and the probe entity; and based on the resource utilization information associated with each computing host of the plurality of computing hosts and the anticipated resource utilization for both the first entity and the probe entity, identifying the first computing host on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, by the cloud orchestration system, user input that requests information regarding entities executing on the first computing host; in response to the user input, accessing entity metadata that identifies each entity executing on the first computing host; and presenting, on a display device, information identifying the entities executing on the first computing host, the information including information that identifies the first entity and the probe entity as being paired with each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: making a determination that the first computing host is overutilized; in response to the determination, accessing resource utilization information that identifies resource utilization of each migratable entity executing on the first computing host; determining that the first entity and the probe entity are migratable entities and are an entity pair; generating aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair that is based on the resource utilization associated with the first entity and the resource utilization associated with the probe entity; and selecting, based on the aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair and the resource utilization information associated with every other migratable entity executing on the first computing host, a second computing host to which to migrate the first entity and the probe entity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: making a determination to migrate the first entity to a second computing host; causing, by the cloud orchestration system on the second computing host, the initiation of a second virtual network device with a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and causing, by the cloud orchestration system on the second computing host, the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port of the second virtual network device, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising: removing, by the cloud orchestration system, the first entity and the probe entity from the first computing host; and removing, by the cloud orchestration system, the virtual network device on the first computing host. ### Claim 9 A cloud orchestration system, comprising: a memory; and one or more processor devices coupled to the memory to: receive a request to initiate a first entity, the first entity being a first container or a first virtual machine; access configuration data that indicates the first entity is paired with a probe entity, the probe entity being configured to analyze network traffic associated with the first entity, the probe entity being a probe container or a probe virtual machine; identify a first computing host of a plurality of computing hosts on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity; cause the generation on a virtual network device of a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and cause the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cloud orchestration system of claim 9 wherein to cause the generation on the virtual network device of the first port and the replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated, the one or more processor devices are further to: send a request to a network layer function to generate the virtual network device with the first port and the replication port; and receive, from the network layer function, a first port identifier and a replication port identifier; and wherein to cause the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively, the one or more processor devices are further to: initiate the first entity with the first port identifier; and initiate the probe entity with the replication port identifier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The cloud orchestration system of claim 9 wherein the first entity comprises the first virtual machine and the probe entity comprises the probe virtual machine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The cloud orchestration system of claim 9 wherein the one or more processor devices are further to: receive user input that requests information regarding entities executing on the first computing host; in response to the user input, access entity metadata that identifies each entity executing on the first computing host; and present, on a display device, information identifying the entities executing on the first computing host, the information including information that identifies the first entity and the probe entity as being paired with each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The cloud orchestration system of claim 9 wherein the one or more processor devices are further to: make a determination that the first computing host is overutilized; in response to the determination, access resource utilization information that identifies resource utilization of each migratable entity executing on the first computing host; determine that the first entity and the probe entity are migratable entities and are an entity pair; generate aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair that is based on the resource utilization associated with the first entity and the resource utilization associated with the probe entity; and select, based on the aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair and the resource utilization information associated with every other migratable entity executing on the first computing host, a second computing host to which to migrate the first entity and the probe entity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The cloud orchestration system of claim 9 wherein the one or more processor devices are further to: make a determination to migrate the first entity to a second computing host; cause, on the second computing host, the initiation of a second virtual network device with a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and cause, on the second computing host, the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port of the second virtual network device, respectively. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that comprises instructions configured to cause one or more processor devices to: receive, by a cloud orchestration system, a request to initiate a first entity, the first entity being a first container or a first virtual machine; access configuration data that indicates the first entity is paired with a probe entity, the probe entity being configured to analyze network traffic associated with the first entity, the probe entity being a probe container or a probe virtual machine; identify a first computing host of a plurality of computing hosts on which to initiate the first entity and the probe entity; cause the generation on a virtual network device of a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and cause the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein to cause the generation on the virtual network device of the first port and the replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated, the instructions further cause the one or more processor devices to: send a request to a network layer function to generate the virtual network device with the first port and the replication port; and receive, from the network layer function, a first port identifier and a replication port identifier; and wherein to cause the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port, respectively, the instructions further cause the one or more processor devices to: initiate the first entity with the first port identifier; and initiate the probe entity with the replication port identifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the first entity comprises the first virtual machine and the probe entity comprises the probe virtual machine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processor devices to: receive user input that requests information regarding entities executing on the first computing host; in response to the user input, access entity metadata that identifies each entity executing on the first computing host; and present, on a display device, information identifying the entities executing on the first computing host, the information including information that identifies the first entity and the probe entity as being paired with each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processor devices to: make a determination that the first computing host is overutilized; in response to the determination, access resource utilization information that identifies resource utilization of each migratable entity executing on the first computing host; determine that the first entity and the probe entity are migratable entities and are an entity pair; generate aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair that is based on the resource utilization associated with the first entity and the resource utilization associated with the probe entity; and select, based on the aggregate resource utilization for the entity pair and the resource utilization information associated with every other migratable entity executing on the first computing host, a second computing host to which to migrate the first entity and the probe entity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processor devices to: make a determination to migrate the first entity to a second computing host; cause, on the second computing host, the initiation of a second virtual network device with a first port and a replication port to which traffic associated with the first port is replicated; and cause, on the second computing host, the first entity and the probe entity to be initiated and communicatively coupled to the first port and the replication port of the second virtual network device, respectively.