Controlling usage of virtual disks before their attachment to virtual machines
First Claim
1. A method for controlling usage of virtual disks in a data-processing center hosting a set of virtual machines, the method comprising:
- detecting a first request of attaching a new virtual disk comprising a set of new software programs to a first selected virtual machine, wherein the first selected virtual machine has a system virtual disk comprising a guest operating system attached to the system virtual disk and the set of new software programs comprises at least two new software programs;
loading an image of the new virtual disk into a virtual disk repository in response to detecting the first request of attaching the new virtual disk;
discovering the set of new software programs in the new virtual disk from the image of the virtual disk in the virtual disk repository;
adding composition information of the new virtual disk to a composition library, wherein the composition information of the new virtual disk comprises an indication of the set of new software programs, and wherein a unique identifier is associated with the composition information to indicate at least version information and that the composition information is retrieved from the composition library;
retrieving an indication of license entitlements of the set of new software programs from a license repository;
enabling the attachment of the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine in response to a comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the license entitlements of the set of new software programs from the license repository, indicating that further usage of all software programs in the set of the new software programs is allowed;
in response to the enabling, attaching the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine and activating the set of new software programs; and
removing an old virtual disk from the first selected virtual machine, wherein removing the old virtual disk comprises;
deactivating old software programs comprised in the old virtual disk by executing an old de-activation module previously copied to the system virtual disk;
deleting the old de-activation module of the old virtual disk from the system virtual disk of the first selected virtual machine; and
automatically, and without manual intervention, updating the license entitlements of the set of new software programs in response to the attachment of the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine, wherein updating the license entitlements comprises updating a number of instances of the set of new software programs available for use; and
detecting a second request of attaching the new virtual disk to a second selected virtual machine;
retrieving the composition information of the new virtual disk from the composition library after detecting the second request;
preventing the attachment of the new virtual disk to the second selected virtual machine in response to a comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the updated license entitlements of the set of new software programs, wherein the comparison indicates that further usage of at least one of the set of new software programs is not allowed; and
in response to the preventing, returning a warning message that the updated license entitlements cannot be fulfilled .
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Controlling usage of virtual disks in a data-processing center hosting a set of virtual machines is described where each virtual disk comprises a set of software artifacts. A corresponding method comprises detecting a request of adding a new virtual disk comprising a set of new software artifacts to a selected one of the virtual machines, determining composition information of the new virtual disk, which includes an indication of the new software artifacts, retrieving an indication of usage entitlements of the new software artifacts in the data-processing center, enabling or preventing the attachment of the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine according to a comparison between the composition information and the usage entitlements, attaching the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine in response to the enabling thereof, and updating the usage entitlements in response to the attachment of the new virtual disk.
35 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for controlling usage of virtual disks in a data-processing center hosting a set of virtual machines, the method comprising:
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detecting a first request of attaching a new virtual disk comprising a set of new software programs to a first selected virtual machine, wherein the first selected virtual machine has a system virtual disk comprising a guest operating system attached to the system virtual disk and the set of new software programs comprises at least two new software programs; loading an image of the new virtual disk into a virtual disk repository in response to detecting the first request of attaching the new virtual disk; discovering the set of new software programs in the new virtual disk from the image of the virtual disk in the virtual disk repository; adding composition information of the new virtual disk to a composition library, wherein the composition information of the new virtual disk comprises an indication of the set of new software programs, and wherein a unique identifier is associated with the composition information to indicate at least version information and that the composition information is retrieved from the composition library; retrieving an indication of license entitlements of the set of new software programs from a license repository; enabling the attachment of the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine in response to a comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the license entitlements of the set of new software programs from the license repository, indicating that further usage of all software programs in the set of the new software programs is allowed; in response to the enabling, attaching the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine and activating the set of new software programs; and removing an old virtual disk from the first selected virtual machine, wherein removing the old virtual disk comprises; deactivating old software programs comprised in the old virtual disk by executing an old de-activation module previously copied to the system virtual disk; deleting the old de-activation module of the old virtual disk from the system virtual disk of the first selected virtual machine; and automatically, and without manual intervention, updating the license entitlements of the set of new software programs in response to the attachment of the new virtual disk to the first selected virtual machine, wherein updating the license entitlements comprises updating a number of instances of the set of new software programs available for use; and detecting a second request of attaching the new virtual disk to a second selected virtual machine; retrieving the composition information of the new virtual disk from the composition library after detecting the second request; preventing the attachment of the new virtual disk to the second selected virtual machine in response to a comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the updated license entitlements of the set of new software programs, wherein the comparison indicates that further usage of at least one of the set of new software programs is not allowed; and in response to the preventing, returning a warning message that the updated license entitlements cannot be fulfilled . - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising executable code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for causing a data-processing system to perform the steps of:
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detecting a request of attaching a new virtual disk comprising a set of new software programs to a selected virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine has a system virtual disk comprising a guest operating system attached to the system virtual disk and the set of new software programs comprise at least two new software programs; loading an image of the new virtual disk into a virtual disk repository, which is separated from the new virtual disk, in response to detecting the request of attaching the new virtual disk; discovering the set of new software programs in the new virtual disk from the image of the virtual disk in the virtual disk repository; adding composition information of the new virtual disk to a composition library, wherein the composition information of the new virtual disk comprises an indication of the set of new software programs, and wherein a unique identifier is associated with the composition information to indicate at least version information and that the composition information is retrieved from the composition library; retrieving an indication of license entitlements of the set of new software programs from a license repository; enabling the attachment of the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine in response to a comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the license entitlements of the set of new software programs from the license repository indicating that further usage of all software programs in the set of the new software programs is allowed; in response to the enabling, attaching the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine and activating the set of new software programs after copying a new de-activation module from the new virtual disk to the system virtual disk; preventing the attachment of the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine in response to the comparison between the composition information of the new virtual disk and the license entitlements of the set of new software programs which indicates that further usage of at least one of the set of new software programs is not allowed; in response to the preventing, returning a warning message that the license entitlements cannot be fulfilled; and removing an old virtual disk from the selected virtual machine by executing an old deactivation module previously copied to the system virtual disk; and automatically, and without manual intervention, updating the license entitlements of the set of new software programs in response to the attachment of the new virtual disk to the selected virtual machine wherein updating the license entitlements comprises updating a number of instances of the set of new software programs available for use. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification