A Knowledge of VM Access and lifecycle is imperative in your cloud computing journey. Since Virtual Machine (VMs) a core cloud vital has effectively changed the way we manage cloud resources and deploy applications. VMs can allow multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine, providing enhanced flexibility, resource utilization, and isolation. This article is about the various ways to access VMs and understand the lifecycles, to help you grasp the concept of VM Access and lifecycle more effectively an illustrative diagram is included in this post.
Types of VM Access and Lifecycle
VM access and lifecycle hold the key to efficient and flexible cloud computing. Let’s look at the way to access the virtual machine and explore the lifecycle.
Remote Access
Remote access to a virtual machine refers to the ability to connect and interact with a VM from a remote location. This is particularly useful for administrators, developers, and users who need to manage or use a VM without being physically present at the host machine. There are different ways to achieve remote access to a GCP VM:
- Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): RDP is commonly used for Windows-based VMs, it allows users to connect to the VM’s desktop interface. Requirements include RDP clients, a PowerShell terminal, it requires the setting of the window password, and a firewall rule to allow tcp:3389
- SSH (Secure Shell): Primarily used in Linux and Unix environments, SSH provides secure remote access to a VM’s command-line interface. It’s widely favored for its encryption capabilities. This includes SSH from the GCP console and cloudShell via Cloud SDK. SSH from a computer or third-party client, and this requires you to generate key pair, and firewall rule to allow tcp:22
- Web-based Interfaces: Some virtualization platforms offer web-based interfaces that allow users to access and manage VMs through a browser. These interfaces often provide a graphical representation of the VM’s desktop.
Virtual Machine Lifecycle
The lifecycle of a virtual machine consists of several stages that span from creation or provisioning to termination. Understanding this lifecycle is crucial for effective VM management and resource utilization.
- Provisioning:
The VM lifecycle begins with the creation and provisioning of a virtual machine. During this stage, administrators define the VM’s hardware specifications, such as the number of CPUs, amount of RAM, storage size, and network settings. Once configured, the VM’s operating system and required applications are installed.
2. Staging:
After the initial setup, the VM is deployed onto a hypervisor or virtualization platform. This deployment can be local, where the VM resides on a physical machine, or remote, where it’s hosted on a cloud infrastructure. The deployment process involves associating the VM with specific hardware resources and networking configurations.
Once the VM is deployed, it’s configured according to its intended purpose. This involves installing software, applying security settings, configuring network connections, and optimizing performance parameters. Configuration management tools can streamline and automate this process, ensuring consistency across multiple VMs.
3. Running:
During this phase, the VM is actively running and performing its designated tasks. Administrators and monitoring tools keep a close watch on the VM’s performance, resource usage, and overall health. Monitoring helps identify potential issues and ensures optimal utilization of resources. As demands on the VM change, it might be necessary to scale its resources. Regular backups are essential at this phase to safeguard VM data against hardware failures, data corruption, or accidental deletion. Backup strategies can involve creating snapshots of the VM’s state at specific points in time or replicating VM data to remote locations.
In case of a failure, these backups facilitate quick recovery. VM migration involves moving a VM from one host or data center to another. This can be done for various reasons, such as load balancing, hardware maintenance, or data center consolidation. Live migration allows VMs to be moved without interrupting their operation, ensuring minimal downtime.
4. Stopping of Shutdown: When a VM is no longer needed or becomes obsolete, it’s stopped or shut down. This involves de-provisioning its resources, removing it from the virtualization platform, and potentially archiving its data. Proper shutdown processes are crucial for optimizing resource usage and maintaining a well-organized virtual environment.
VM Lifecycle in Diagram
Changing VM State from Running
| ACTION | METHODS | SHUTDOWN/SCRIPT-TIME | STATE |
| Rest | Console, gcloud, API, OS | No | Remains running |
| Restart | Console, gcloud, API, OS | No | Terminated -> Running |
| Reboot | OS: Sudo reboot | ~ 90 sec | Running -> Running |
| Stop | Console, gcloud, API, | ~ 90 sec | Running -> Terminated |
| Shutdown | OS: Sudo Shutdown | ~ 90 sec | Running -> Terminated |
| Delete | Console, gcloud, API, | ~ 90 sec | Running -> N/A |
| Preemption | Automatic | ~ 30 sec | N/A (“ACPI Power Off”) |
Conclusion
In conclusion, VM access and lifecycle management are fundamental concepts for anyone working with virtualization technologies. Different types of access methods, such as remote and console access, provide avenues for interaction with VMs while understanding the VM lifecycle ensures efficient resource usage and effective management. As cloud technology continues to evolve, grasping these concepts of VM access and lifecycle will become increasingly valuable for businesses and individuals alike. Hope you grasp some knowledge about VM access and lifecycle. Join me in my next article as you continue to … follow the cloud.