Dynamically preparing server-specific installation images using a virtual media source node

• US 10,055,219 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nutanix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nutanix Incorporated
• Inventors: Olderdissen, Jan Ralf Alexander, Jambure, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Chavis, John
• Application Number:
  US15/093,651
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 717169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems for computing cluster management. A boot media source node is connected to a computing cluster. Boot image patching operations commence upon receiving, by the boot media source node, communications from at least one computing node of a plurality of computing nodes of the computing cluster. Such a communication comprises an indication of an address range of a requested segment of a boot image. The boot media source node retrieves a patch to be applied over the requested segment. The overlap range of the retrieved patch and the requested segment are calculated. The boot media source node processes the patch by allocating a segment in volatile memory of the server node, and forming an in-memory patched segment without storing the patched segment to non-volatile memory. The in-memory patched segment is delivered to the requestor and the boot media source node receives next segments from the same or different computing nodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server node, a communication from at least one computing node from a plurality of computing nodes, the communication comprising an indication of an address range of a requested segment of a boot image in non-volatile storage accessed by the server node;

retrieving, by the server node, at least one patch to be applied to the requested segment in response to the communication from the at least one computing node;

applying the at least one patch without changing the boot image in the non-volatile storage by forming, in volatile memory of the server node, an in-memory patched segment of the boot image without storing the patched segment to non-volatile memory; and

responding, to the communication by sending at least the in-memory patched segment to the at least one computing node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server node is a laptop computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computing nodes is a computing cluster.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the computing cluster comprises heterogeneous nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the at least one patch completely overlaps the requested segment of the boot image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the at least one patch only partially overlaps the requested segment of a boot image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one patch to be applied to the requested segment comprises two or more patches.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-memory patched segment forms a portion of an ISO image comprising at least a portion of the boot image and at least the in-memory patched segment, the server node maintains a plurality of in-memory patched segments to be provided in response to communications from nodes of the plurality of nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot image comprises at least a portion of at least one of, a Linux boot image, a Windows boot image, or an ESX installable image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot image comprises at least a portion of, hypervisor executable program code, or a virtual machine executable program code, or patched code segments thereto.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a set of acts, the set of acts comprising:

receiving, by a server node, a communication from at least one computing node from a plurality of computing nodes, the communication comprising an indication of an address range of a requested segment of a boot image in non-volatile storage accessed by the server node;

retrieving, by the server node, at least one patch to be applied to the requested segment in response to the communication from the at least one computing node;

applying the at least one patch without changing the boot image in the non-volatile storage by forming, in volatile memory of the server node, an in-memory patched segment of the boot image without storing the patched segment to non-volatile memory; and

responding, to the communication by sending at least the in-memory patched segment to the at least one computing node.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the server node is a laptop computer.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of computing nodes is a computing cluster.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computing cluster comprises heterogeneous nodes.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the processor causes the processor to perform acts of determining when the at least one patch completely overlaps the requested segment of the boot image.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the processor causes the processor to perform acts of determining when the at least one patch only partially overlaps the requested segment of a boot image.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one patch to be applied to the requested segment comprises two or more patches.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the in-memory patched segment forms a portion of an ISO image comprising at least a portion of the boot image and at least the in-memory patched segment, the server node maintains a plurality of in-memory patched segments to be provided in response to communications from nodes of the plurality of nodes.

19. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and

a processor or processors that execute the sequence of instructions to cause the processor or processors to perform a set of acts, the set of acts comprising;

receiving, by a server node, a communication from at least one computing node from a plurality of computing nodes, the communication comprising an indication of an address range of a requested segment of a boot image in non-volatile storage accessed by the server node;

retrieving, by the server node, at least one patch to be applied to the requested segment in response to the communication from the at least one computing node;

applying the at least one patch without changing the boot image in the non-volatile storage by forming, in volatile memory of the server node, an in-memory patched segment of the boot image without storing the patched segment to non-volatile memory; and

responding, to the communication by sending at least the in-memory patched segment to the at least one computing node.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the boot image comprises at least a portion of at least one of, a Linux boot image, a Windows boot image, or an ESX installable image.