Systems and methods for defining virtual machine dependency mapping

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a first hypervisor for instantiating virtual machines, the first hypervisor comprising a program of executable instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media accessible to the processor, and configured to, when read and executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• maintaining a virtual machine dependency map, the virtual machine dependency map having a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries indicating a target virtual machine and one or more other virtual machines upon which the target virtual machine is dependent;
• responsive to receiving a power on command for a first virtual machine, performing dependency check operations comprising:
• determining, from the virtual machine dependency map, depended-upon virtual machines upon which the first virtual machine is dependent;
• determining whether the depended-upon virtual machines include one or more non-operational virtual machines wherein a non-operational virtual machine includes:
• a virtual machine in a powered off state;
• and
• a virtual machine with a non-functional guest operating system;
• responsive to determining that the depended-upon virtual machines do not include any non-operational virtual machines, executing the power on command;
• responsive to determining that the depended-upon virtual machines include one or more non-operational virtual machines, determining whether an equivalent virtual machine exists for each of the one or more non-operational virtual machines;
• responsive to determining that that no equivalent virtual machine exists for one or more of the non-operational virtual machines, preventing the power on command from executing;
• responsive to determining that at least one operational, equivalent virtual machine exists for each non-operational virtual machine, executing the power on command.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium;
• and
• computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causing the processor to perform hypervisor operations for instantiating virtual machines, the hypervisor operations comprising:
• maintaining a virtual machine dependency map, the virtual machine dependency map having a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries indicating a target virtual machine and one or more other virtual machines upon which the target virtual machine is dependent;
• responsive to receiving a power on command for a first virtual machine, performing dependency check operations comprising:
• determining, from the virtual machine dependency map, depended-upon virtual machines upon which the first virtual machine is dependent;
• and
• determining whether the depended-upon virtual machines include one or more non-operational virtual machines wherein a non-operational virtual machine includes:
• a virtual machine in a powered off state;
• and
• a virtual machine with a non-functional guest operating system;
• responsive to determining that the depended-upon virtual machines do not include any non-operational virtual machines, executing the power on command;
• responsive to determining that the depended-upon virtual machines include one or more non-operational virtual machines, determining whether an equivalent virtual machine exists for each of the one or more non-operational virtual machines;
• responsive to determining that that no equivalent virtual machine exists for one or more of the non-operational virtual machines, preventing the power on command from executing;
• and
• responsive to determining that at least one operational, equivalent virtual machine exists for each non-operational virtual machine, executing the power on command.