Data caching system and method for hypervisor-based computer systems

A method, comprising:

• running a hypervisor on a computer;
• wherein the hypervisor is running one or more virtual machines on the computer;
• wherein the hypervisor comprises a virtual caching appliance (VCA) and an intermediate multipathing module that interfaces with the VCA;
• wherein the VCA and the intermediate multipathing module are connected by a communication path;
• passing, by the intermediate multipathing module, an I/O (input/output) request from a virtual machine to the virtual caching appliance (VCA) in the hypervisor;
• and
• determining, by the VCA, if the I/O request is to be passed from the VCA to a solid state storage that is coupled to the computer or if the I/O request is to be passed from the VCA to a hard disk storage that is coupled to the computer wherein the intermediate multipathing module intercepts I/O requests from a virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines on the computer to a virtual disk, propagates the intercepted I/O requests to the VCA, and propagates data returned from the VCA in response to the intercepted I/O requests to the virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines on the computer that made the intercepted I/O requests.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions operable to permit an apparatus to:
• run a hypervisor on a computer;
• wherein the hypervisor is running one or more virtual machines on the computer;
• wherein the hypervisor comprises a virtual caching appliance (VCA) and an intermediate multipathing module that interfaces with the VCA;
• wherein the VCA and the intermediate multipathing module are connected by a communication path;
• pass, by the intermediate multipathing module, an I/O (input/output) request from a virtual machine to the virtual caching appliance (VCA) in the hypervisor;
• and
• determine, by the VCA, if the I/O request is to be passed from the VCA to a solid state storage that is coupled to the computer or if the I/O request is to be passed from the VCA to a hard disk storage that is coupled to the computer wherein the intermediate multipathing module intercepts I/O requests from a virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines on the computer to a virtual disk, propagates the intercepted I/O requests to the VCA, and propagates data returned from the VCA in response to the intercepted I/O requests to the virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines on the computer that made the intercepted I/O requests.