Virtual private server with isolation of system components

A server comprising:

• a computer system running a single operating system (OS) kernel;
• a plurality of virtual private servers (VPSs) running on the computer system, wherein each VPS functionally appears to a user as a dedicated server, and all the VPSs sharing the same single operating system kernel;
• a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the OS kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs;
• a plurality of applications running within the VPSs and available to users of the VPSs;
• and
• an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users for giving the users access to the application.

A server comprising:

• a host running a single operating system (OS) kernel;
• a plurality of isolated virtual private servers (VPSs) running on the host, and all the VPSs sharing the same single operating system kernel;
• a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the OS kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs;
• wherein the server includes a capability of dynamically reallocating host resources to a first VPS when a second VPS is under-utilizing its resources;
• and
• wherein the server includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application.

A method of managing a server comprising:

• defining a virtual private server (VPS) ID corresponding to a VPS, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the server and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the server includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the server includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• receiving a request from a VPS process to create an object;
• creating an internal operating system (OS) kernel representation of the object;
• checking whether such an object already exists in OS kernel storage;
• if no such object exists in the OS kernel storage, creating an instance of the object to be associated with the VPS ID;
• and
• if such an object already exists in the OS kernel storage, one of rejecting the request and returning the existing object to the VPS process.

A method of managing server resources comprising:

• creating a plurality of isolated virtual private servers (VPSs) running on a host and all the VPSs sharing the same single operating system kernel running on the host;
• the host including a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the OS kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• allocating host resources to each VPS based on a corresponding service level agreement (SLA);
• and
• dynamically changing the host resources available to a particular VPS when such host resources are available.

A method of managing a server comprising:

• creating structures of a single operating system (OS) kernel that handle isolated virtual private server (VPS) specific objects;
• initiating instances of VPSs with corresponding VPS IDs, wherein all the VPS instances are supported within the OS kernel and all the VPSs share the same single operating system kernel;
• wherein the host includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the OS kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• generating instances of OS kernel objects corresponding to the VPS IDs;
• and
• providing services to users of the VPSs.

A system for managing a server comprising:

• means for defining a virtual private server (VPS) ID, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the server and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the server includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• means for receiving a request from a VPS process to create an object;
• means for creating an internal operating system (OS) kernel representation of the object;
• means for checking whether such an object already exists in OS kernel storage;
• means for creating an instance of the object to be associated with the VPS ID if no such object exists in the OS kernel storage;
• and
• means for rejecting the request if such an object already exists in the OS kernel storage.

A system for managing server resources comprising:

• means for creating a plurality of isolated virtual private servers (VPSs) running on a host, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the host and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the host includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• means for allocating host resources to each VPS based on its service level agreement (SLA);
• and
• means for dynamically changing the host resources available to a particular VPS when such host resources are available.

A system for managing a server comprising:

• means for creating structures of a single operating system (OS) kernel that handle virtual private server (VPS) specific objects;
• means for initiating instances of VPSs with corresponding IDs, wherein all the instances are supported within the OS kernel, wherein all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the server includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the server includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• means for generating instances of OS kernel objects corresponding to the VPS IDs;
• and
• means for providing services to users of the VPSs.

A computer program product for managing a server, the computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for controlling a processor, the computer program logic comprising:

• computer program code means for defining a virtual private server (VPS) ID, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the server and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the server includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the server includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• computer program code means for receiving a request from a VPS process to create an object;
• computer program code means for creating an internal operating system (OS) kernel representation of the object;
• computer program code means for checking whether such an object already exists in OS kernel storage;
• computer program code means for creating a new instance of the object to be associated with the VPS ID if no such object exists in the OS kernel storage;
• and
• computer program code means for rejecting the request if such an object already exists in the OS kernel storage.

A computer program product for managing server resources, the computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for controlling a processor, the computer program logic comprising:

• computer program code means for creating a plurality of isolated virtual private servers (VPSs) running on a host, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the host and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the host includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls shared memory interfaces, and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• computer program code means for allocating host resources to each VPS based on a corresponding service level agreement;
• and
• computer program code means for dynamically changing host resources available to a particular VPS when such host resources are available.

A computer program product for managing a server, the computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for controlling a processor, the computer program logic comprising:

• computer program code means for creating operating system (OS) kernel structures that handle virtual private server (VPS) specific objects, wherein multiple VPSs are running on the host and all the VPSs share a single operating system kernel of the server;
• wherein the host includes a user space/kernel space interface that virtualizes the operating system kernel and includes a CPU time scheduler that allocates CPU time between threads of the VPSs and prevents a thread of one VPS from adversely affecting a CPU time allocation of threads of other VPSs, and
• wherein the host includes an application interface that includes system calls, shared memory interfaces and I/O driver control (ioctls) for giving the users access to the application;
• computer program code means for initiating instances of VPSs with corresponding IDs, wherein all the instances are supported within the OS kernel;
• computer program code means for generating instances of OS kernel objects corresponding to the VPS IDs;
• and
• computer program code means for providing services to users of the VPSs.