Green Cloud VM Migration: Power Use Analysis

To migrate virtual machines requires not only time but also energy. If pursuing a follow-the-renewables computing paradigm, migrating virtual machines between data centres on the basis of clean energy availability, understanding not only the time requirements of migration but also its energy consumption is key. Existing research has paid little attention to the energy required to perform virtual machine migrations however. In this paper we present the results of an experimental study focused on the power and energy consumption of various workloads throughout the migration process. We also discuss challenges encountered during the study restricting our ability to migrate certain types of workloads. Based on our analysis we draw conclusions about the types of workloads suitable for migration and the manner in which each can be most effectively migrated.