Xen and Co.: Communication-Aware CPU Scheduling for Consolidated Xen-Based Hosting Platforms

Recent advances in software and architectural support for server virtualization have created interest in using this technology in the design of consolidated hosting platforms. Since virtualization enables easier and faster application migration as well as secure co-location of antagonistic applications, higher degrees of server consolidation are likely to result in such Virtualization-based Hosting Platforms (VHPs). The authors identify a key shortcoming in existing Virtual Machine Monitors (VMMs) that proves to be an obstacle in operating hosting platforms, such as Internet data centers, under conditions of such high consolidation: CPU schedulers that are agnostic to the communication behavior of modern, multi-tier applications.