vDSM: Distributed Shared Memory in Virtualized Environments

Abstract

Despite the prevalence and popularity of distributed frameworks, traditional clusters that can provide a single system image (SSI)are still of great importance since their programming model are simpler and more general. Currently, virtual clusters have largely replaced traditional cluster computing platforms. This provides a chance to reconsider the design of SSI systems, taking advantage of the characteristics of virtualized environments. This paper presents vDSM, a distributed shared memory designed with virtualization in mind and is suitable for use in a virtualized environment. We use RDMA networks to speed up vDSM and propose techniques to further improve the performance of vDSM. With the help of vDSM, a distributed hypervisor can be built to run unmodified legacy operating systems transparently, providing even more transparency than traditional SSI solutions.