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Microsoft patents cloud system that swaps server roles at edge sites

This patent describes a method for managing servers in small, local cloud data centers called edge zones. The system monitors how busy the servers are and automatically switches a server's job from running customer tasks to supporting the network, or vice versa, depending on demand.

Why it mattersThis helps cloud providers use their local hardware more efficiently by ensuring servers are always doing the most needed job.

In the filing’s own words

A cloud-computing system dynamically manages allocation of infrastructure nodes and compute nodes in an edge zone of the cloud-computing system. The edge zone begins with a first number of infrastructure nodes and a second number of compute nodes. As the edge zone executes customer workloads, the cloud-computing system determines whether the infrastructure nodes are over utilized or under utilized. When the infrastructure nodes are under utilized, the cloud-computing system re-assigns an infrastructure node to the compute nodes. When the infrastructure nodes are over utilized, the cloud-computing system re-assigns a compute node to the infrastructure nodes. In this way, the cloud-computing system dynamically maintains an optimal balance between resources devoted to supporting the edge zone (the infrastructure nodes) and resources devoted to executing customer workloads (the compute nodes). In other words, the cloud-computing system continually maximizes use of edge zone resources for executing the customer workloads while maintaining necessary infrastructure.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A cloud-computing system that provides services to a client, the cloud-computing system comprising: a data center comprising a first set of nodes, wherein the data center has a first geographic location different from a second geographic location of the client; an edge zone comprising a second set of nodes, wherein the edge zone has a third geographic location, wherein the second geographic location is more proximate to the third geographic location than to the first geographic location, wherein the first set of nodes are greater in number than the second set of nodes, and wherein the second set of nodes comprises: a first pool of nodes for performing workloads of the client; and a second pool of nodes for providing services other than performing the workloads of the client; and a node pool manager that receives health information for the first pool of nodes and the second pool of nodes and usage information for the second pool of nodes, determines, based on the health information and the usage information, a best node located at the edge that is executing a smallest amount of workloads to re-provision a node between the first pool of nodes and the second pool of nodes, and causes the best node to be re-provisioned based on the determination, wherein the second pool of nodes provides auxiliary services that support proper functioning of the edge zone or proper functioning of virtual machines hosted on the edge zone.

Facts

Company
Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
Official title
Automatic node fungibility between compute and infrastructure nodes in edge zones
Patent number
US12743322B2
Application number
18026030
Filed
Sep 10, 2021
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Inventors
5
Claims
20

Classified under

G06F 9/5083 Physics & computingG06F 9/45558 Physics & computingG06F 2009/4557 Physics & computingG06F 2009/45595 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.