# US 11,442,590 B2 · Intuitive GUI for creating and managing hosts and virtual machines

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- Number: US 11,442,590 B2
- Document ID: US11442590B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/073,981
- Filed: 2020-10-19
- Published: 2021-05-13
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-12-31
- Assignees: VMware, Inc.
- Applicants: VMware, Inc.
- Inventors: Mornay Van Der Walt; Dave Shanley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442590B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
- H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects}
- H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting
- H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04L 41/50: Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
- G06F 3/0608: {Saving storage space on storage systems}
- G06F 9/45533: {Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors}
- G06F 2009/45562: {Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

In a computer-implemented method for configuring an appliance in a virtualization infrastructure via a graphical user-interface a list of hosts and a centralized management tool of the virtualization infrastructure is displayed via the graphical user-interface. The hosts are for hosting one or more virtual machines. The centralized management tool is for centrally managing the virtualization infrastructure. In response to selecting one of the hosts, displaying host configuration properties associated with the selected hosts via the graphical user-interface. The host configuration properties are associated with a displayed user input field.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for creating a virtual machine in a hyper-converged computing device supporting a virtualization infrastructure via a graphical user-interface, comprising:
displaying in a first portion of said graphical user-interface, a first set of options for creating a virtual machine, wherein said first set of options comprises:
uploading a new image of said virtual machine or mounting said new image of said virtual machine; and
displaying in a second portion of said graphical user-interface, a second set of options for creating said virtual machine, wherein said second set of options comprises:
reusing an existing image of said virtual machine, wherein said first portion and said second portion are displayed concurrently and in proximity to one another;
wherein said hyper-converged computing device comprises:
a plurality of independent server nodes each comprising: a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage, wherein said plurality of independent server nodes is configured to deploy and host a plurality of virtual machines;
a software module comprising a centralized management tool for providing central management of said plurality of virtual machines, said software module installed within at least one independent server node of said plurality of independent server nodes, said software module comprising a hypervisor supporting a virtual machine execution space for instantiating a virtual machine within said at least one independent server node; and
a single enclosure comprising said plurality of independent server nodes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to a user selection in said first portion, displaying options of said user selection in said second portion that are associated with said user selection in said first portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to a user selection in said second portion, displaying options of said user selection in said first portion that are associated with said user selection in said second portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to a user selection in said second portion, displaying options of virtual machine sizes in said first portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:
in response to a user selection of a virtual machine size, displaying attributes of said selected virtual machine size in said first portion.

### Claim 6

A computer-implemented method for creating and managing appliances and virtual machines via a graphical user-interface, comprising:
providing central management of said virtual machines of said appliances at a centralized management tool of said appliances, said centralized management tool providing a graphical user interface for creating and managing appliances and virtual machines via said graphical user-interface, wherein said appliances comprise a plurality of hosts for hosting said virtual machines, wherein said central management tool is installed within at least one host of said plurality of hosts for supporting a virtual machine execution space of the plurality of hosts such that the at least one host can execute a virtual machine within the virtual machine execution space, wherein said appliances are pre-configured hyper-converged computing devices comprising said plurality of hosts within a single enclosure, said plurality of hosts each comprising a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage;
enabling a plurality of user-interface features for creating and managing appliances and virtual machines via said graphical user-interface; and
in response to user input, displaying said plurality of user-interface features via said graphical user-interface such that relevant process steps of said creating and managing said appliances and virtual machines are progressively displayed substantially in a forward direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:
displaying user-interface features only pertaining to creating and managing said appliances.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:
displaying user-interface features only pertaining to creating and managing said virtual machines.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein said relevant process steps of said creating and managing said appliances and virtual machines are progressively displayed only in said forward direction.