Updating virtual machine with patch or the like

• US 20070271561A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Golan, Gilad, Fries, Robert M., Winner, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Each of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) is stored in a halted form in a library for retrieval from the library and re-starting on a host. Each re-started VM includes a plurality of software constructs, each of which is at least potentially non-current and requires a software update. To update a non-current VM, such VM is retrieved and re-started on a maintenance host, and each non-current software construct is allowed to be updated by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as a patch. Alternatively, the VM is mounted to a computing device, constituent components of the mounted VM are examined to determine whether each software construct thereof is current, and each non-current software construct is updated by obtaining the required software update from the corresponding update source as a patch and applying same to the mounted VM.

Claims

1. A method with regard to a library of virtual machines (VMs) on a computing device, each VM stored in a halted form in such library for retrieval from the library and re-starting on a host computing device, each VM in the library being a software construct that when re-started on a host computing device emulates a hardware system, each re-started VM including a plurality of software constructs, at least one software construct of each VM in the library being non-current and requiring a software update, the method comprising, for each VM in the library:

retrieving the VM from the library on a periodic basis and re-starting the retrieved VM on a maintenance host computing device having access to at least one update source but not having access to any host computing device;

allowing each non-current software construct of the re-started VM to be updated at the maintenance host computing device by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as at least one patch; and

halting the updated VM and storing the halted VM at the library to await retrieval and re-starting at the host computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising externally triggering each non-current software construct of the re-started VM to be updated.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising each non-current software construct of the re-started VM internally triggering itself to be updated.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a VM controller operates to retrieve a stored VM from the library and re-start the retrieved VM on the maintenance host computing device, and also to halt the re-started VM and store the halted VM at the library, the method being performed by the VM controller.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising the VM controller operating based on a scheduler to periodically deploy each VM of the library to the maintenance host computing device for updating.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising operating based on a scheduler to periodically deploy each VM of the library to the maintenance host computing device for updating.

7. A method with regard to a library of virtual machines (VMs) on a computing device, each VM stored in a halted form in such library for retrieval from the library and re-starting on a host computing device, each VM in the library being a software construct that when re-started on a host computing device emulates a hardware system, each re-started VM including a plurality of software constructs, at least one software construct of each VM in the library being non-current and requiring a software update, the method comprising, for each VM in the library:

retrieving the VM from the library on a periodic basis and mounting the retrieved VM to a computing device not having access to any host computing device;

examining constituent components of the mounted VM to determine whether each software construct of the VM is current, and for each non-current software construct updating same at the maintenance host computing device by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as at least one patch and applying each patch to the mounted VM; and

storing the updated VM at the library to await retrieval and re-starting at the host computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising applying each patch to the non-current software construct as mounted to the computing device, the method also comprising storing the updated VM at the library after dismounting same from the maintenance host computing device.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising applying each patch to the non-current software construct as re-started at the maintenance host computing device, and including dis-mounting the VM from the maintenance host computing device and then re-starting the VM on such maintenance host computing device, the method also comprising storing the updated VM at the library after halting same at the maintenance host computing device.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising mounting the retrieved VM to the computing device such that the constituent components of the mounted VM can be examined in the manner of a disk drive having a plurality of files.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein examining the constituent components of the mounted VM to determine whether each software construct of the VM is current comprises reviewing information from the mounted VM including file versions and registry information.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein a VM controller operates to retrieve a stored VM from the library and mount the retrieved VM to the computing device, and also to store the updated VM at the library, the method being performed by the VM controller.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising the VM controller operating based on a scheduler to periodically deploy each VM of the library to the maintenance host computing device for updating.

14. The method of claim 7 comprising operating based on a scheduler to periodically deploy each VM of the library to the maintenance host computing device for updating.

15. A method with regard to a library of virtual machines (VMs) on a computing device, each VM stored in a halted form in such library for retrieval from the library and re-starting on a host computing device, each VM in the library being a software construct that when re-started on a host computing device emulates a hardware system, each re-started VM including a plurality of software constructs, each software construct of each VM in the library at least potentially being non-current and requiring a software update, the method comprising, for each VM in the library:

periodically determining whether each software construct of the VM is current, and if any software construct of the VM is not current, marking the VM in the library as being non-current;

receiving a selection of a VM from the library to be retrieved and re-started on a host computing device;

determining whether the selected VM is marked in the library as being non-current, and if non-current updating the VM at a maintenance host computing device not having access to any host computing device; and

re-starting the updated VM at the host computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a VM controller operates to retrieve a stored VM from the library and re-start the retrieved VM on the maintenance host computing device, and also to halt the re-started VM and store the halted VM at the library, the method being performed by the VM controller.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the VM controller operating based on a scheduler to periodically determine whether each software construct of the VM is current.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising operating based on a scheduler to periodically determining whether each software construct of the VM is current.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein updating the VM comprises:

retrieving the VM from the library and re-starting the retrieved VM on the maintenance host computing device; and

allowing each non-current software construct of the re-started VM to be updated at the maintenance host computing device by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as at least one patch.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein updating the VM comprises:

retrieving the VM from the library and mounting the retrieved VM to the computing device; and

examining constituent components of the mounted VM to determine whether each software construct of the VM is current, and for each non-current software construct updating same at the maintenance host computing device by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as at least one patch and applying each patch to the mounted VM.