Methods and apparatus to improve workload domain management in virtualized server systems using a free pool of virtualized servers

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve workload domain management of virtualized server systems. An example system includes memory, programmable circuitry, and instructions to program the programmable circuitry to generate a pool of virtualized servers based on a policy, determine whether a utilization of a first virtualized server is less than a first threshold, the first threshold based on at least one type of resource provisionable to the first virtualized server, determine that a firmware status associated with the first virtualized server corresponds to a first firmware version, transfer a workload of the first virtualized server to a second virtualized server after a determination that a second firmware version is available for the first virtualized server, deallocate the first virtualized server from the first workload domain to the pool of the virtualized servers, and update the first virtualized server to the second firmware version.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 memory;   programmable circuitry; and   instructions to program the programmable circuitry to:
 generate a pool of virtualized servers based on a policy; 
 determine whether a utilization of a first virtualized server is less than a first threshold, the first threshold based on at least one type of resource provisionable to the first virtualized server; 
 determine that a firmware status associated with the first virtualized server corresponds to a first firmware version; 
 transfer a workload of the first virtualized server to a second virtualized server after a determination that a second firmware version is available for the first virtualized server; 
 deallocate the first virtualized server from a first workload domain to the pool of the virtualized servers; and 
 update the first virtualized server to the second firmware version. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to obtain a firmware upgrade schedule, the firmware upgrade schedule to include the second firmware version. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to transfer the workload to the second virtualized server based on a second firmware status of the second virtualized server indicating the second virtualized server includes the second firmware version. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of resource is a processor resource. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of resource is a storage resource. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to allocate a third virtualized server from the pool of the virtualized servers to the first workload domain after a third firmware status of the third virtualized server indicates that the third virtualized server includes the second firmware version. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to compose the third virtualized server from a pool of resources after a determination that there are insufficient free pool servers in the pool of the virtualized servers. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions to program programmable circuitry to at least:
 generate a pool of virtualized servers based on a policy;   determine whether a utilization of a first virtualized server is less than a first threshold, the first threshold based on at least one type of resource provisionable to the first virtualized server;   determine that a firmware status associated with the first virtualized server corresponds to a first firmware version;   transfer a workload of the first virtualized server to a second virtualized server after a determination that a second firmware version is available for the first virtualized server;   deallocate the first virtualized server from a first workload domain to the pool of the virtualized servers; and   update the first virtualized server to the second firmware version.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to obtain a firmware upgrade schedule, the firmware upgrade schedule to include the second firmware version. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to transfer the workload to the second virtualized server based on a second firmware status of the second virtualized server indicating the second virtualized server includes the second firmware version. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one type of resource is a processor resource. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one type of resource is a storage resource. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to allocate a third virtualized server from the pool of the virtualized servers to the first workload domain after a third firmware status of the third virtualized server indicates that the third virtualized server includes the second firmware version. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are to cause the programmable circuitry to compose the third virtualized server from a pool of resources after a determination that there are insufficient free pool servers in the pool of the virtualized servers. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 generating a pool of virtualized servers based on a policy;   determining whether a utilization of a first virtualized server is less than a first threshold, the first threshold based on at least one type of resource provisionable to the first virtualized server;   determining that a firmware status associated with the first virtualized server corresponds to a first firmware version;   transferring a workload of the first virtualized server to a second virtualized server after a determination that a second firmware version is available for the first virtualized server;   deallocating the first virtualized server from a first workload domain to the pool of the virtualized servers; and   updating the first virtualized server to the second firmware version.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including obtaining a firmware upgrade schedule, the firmware upgrade schedule to include the second firmware version. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the transferring of the workload to the second virtualized server is based on the second virtualized server including the second firmware version. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one type of resource is a processor resource. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further including allocating a third virtualized server from the pool of the virtualized servers to the first workload domain after a determination that the third virtualized server includes the second firmware version. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including composing the third virtualized server from a pool of resources after a determination that there are insufficient free pool servers in the pool of the virtualized servers.