Transferring a Virtual Machine from a Remote Server Computer for Local Execution by a Client Computer

• US 20080201414A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Umair, Muhammad, Amir Husain, Syed M.
• Application Number:
  US12/032,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/301 where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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

Various embodiments of a system and method for transferring a virtual machine stored on a server computer system to a client computer system in order to execute the virtual machine locally on the client computer system are disclosed. The system and method may also be operable to transfer the virtual machine back from the client computer system to the server computer system. File differencing techniques may be used in both directions so that only changed data in the virtual machine image file is transferred across the network. The client computer system may be operable to download the virtual machine image file from the server computer system using common communication protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP so that the virtual machine can be transferred to the client computer system without needing to be able to access files on the server computer system through a VPN.

Claims

1. A computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions executable by a client computer system to implement:

at an initial time, connecting to a server computer system that stores a first version of a virtual machine image file;

downloading a complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system to the client computer system using one or more of the following communication protocols;

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP);

at a subsequent time, re-connecting to the server computer system, wherein the server computer stores a second version of the virtual machine image file at the subsequent time, wherein the second version of the virtual machine image file includes first changed data that has changed from the first version of the virtual machine image file and first unchanged data that has not changed;

downloading the first changed data of the second version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system to the client computer system without downloading the first unchanged data;

updating the virtual machine image file stored on the client computer system using the first changed data; and

executing a virtual machine implemented by the virtual machine image file on the client computer system after updating the virtual machine image file.

2. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

in response to first user input to the virtual machine received while executing the virtual machine on the client computer system, changing the virtual machine image file on the client computer system to produce a third version of the virtual machine image file, wherein the third version of the virtual machine image file includes second changed data that has changed from the second version of the virtual machine image file and second unchanged data that has not changed; and

uploading the second changed data of the third version of the virtual machine image file from the client computer system to the server computer system without uploading the second unchanged data.

3. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 2, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

while executing the virtual machine on the client computer system, receiving second user input requesting to transfer execution of the virtual machine to the server computer system;

ceasing execution of the virtual machine on the client computer system in response to the second user input;

wherein the second changed data of the third version of the virtual machine image file is uploaded from the client computer system to the server computer system in response to the second user input.

4. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

storing information on the client computer system indicating an expiry date of the virtual machine image file; and

deleting the virtual machine image file from the client computer system in response to determining that the expiry date has been reached.

5. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

encrypting the virtual machine image file, wherein the virtual machine image file is stored on the client computer system in an encrypted form.

6. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving from the server computer system a command to delete the virtual machine image file; and

deleting the virtual machine image file from the client computer system in response to the command.

7. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

after connecting to the server computer system at the initial time but before downloading the complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file, establishing a virtualization session to communicate with the virtual machine executing on the server computer system; and

during the virtualization session, receiving user input requesting to transfer execution of the virtual machine from the server computer system to the client computer system, wherein the complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file is downloaded from the server computer system in response to the user input.

8. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

instantiating the virtual machine from the first version of the virtual machine image file on the client computer system after downloading the complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file.

9. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving user input specifying an address of the server computer system;

wherein connecting to the server computer system uses the specified address.

10. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 9,

wherein receiving the user input specifying the address of the server computer system comprises receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) of the server computer system.

11. A client computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing program instructions; and

a non-volatile storage device;

wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to implement;

at an initial time, connecting to a server computer system that stores a first version of a virtual machine image file;

downloading a complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system to the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system using one or more of the following communication protocols;

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP);

at a subsequent time, re-connecting to the server computer system, wherein the server computer stores a second version of the virtual machine image file at the subsequent time, wherein the second version of the virtual machine image file includes first changed data that has changed from the first version of the virtual machine image file and first unchanged data that has not changed;

downloading the first changed data of the second version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system without downloading the first unchanged data;

updating the virtual machine image file stored on the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system using the first changed data; and

executing a virtual machine implemented by the virtual machine image file stored on the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system after updating the virtual machine image file.

12. The client computer system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

in response to first user input to the virtual machine received while executing the virtual machine, changing the virtual machine image file stored on the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system to produce a third version of the virtual machine image file, wherein the third version of the virtual machine image file includes second changed data that has changed from the second version of the virtual machine image file and second unchanged data that has not changed; and

uploading the second changed data of the third version of the virtual machine image file to the server computer system without uploading the second unchanged data.

13. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

while executing the virtual machine, receiving second user input requesting to transfer execution of the virtual machine to the server computer system;

ceasing execution of the virtual machine in response to the second user input;

wherein the second changed data of the third version of the virtual machine image file is uploaded to the server computer system in response to the second user input.

14. The client computer system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

storing information indicating an expiry date of the virtual machine image file stored on the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system; and

deleting the virtual machine image file from the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system in response to determining that the expiry date has been reached.

15. The client computer system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

encrypting the virtual machine image file, wherein the virtual machine image file is stored on the non-volatile storage device of the client computer system in an encrypted form.

16. The client computer system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

after connecting to the server computer system at the initial time but before downloading the complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file, establishing a virtualization session to communicate with the virtual machine executing on the server computer system; and

during the virtualization session, receiving user input requesting to transfer execution of the virtual machine from the server computer system to the client computer system, wherein the complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file is downloaded from the server computer system in response to the user input.

17. A method comprising:

at an initial time, connecting to a server computer system that stores a first version of a virtual machine image file;

downloading a complete copy of the first version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system to a client computer system using one or more of the following communication protocols;

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP);

at a subsequent time, re-connecting to the server computer system, wherein the server computer stores a second version of the virtual machine image file at the subsequent time, wherein the second version of the virtual machine image file includes first changed data that has changed from the first version of the virtual machine image file and first unchanged data that has not changed;

downloading the first changed data of the second version of the virtual machine image file from the server computer system to the client computer system without downloading the first unchanged data;

updating the virtual machine image file stored on the client computer system using the first changed data; and

executing a virtual machine implemented by the virtual machine image file on the client computer system after updating the virtual machine image file.