HANDLING TEMPORARY FILES OF A VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20100306173A1
• Filed: 05/31/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat Israel Ltd. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat Israel Ltd. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: FRANK, SHAHAR
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A method and system for handling temporary data of a virtual machine are described. In one embodiment, virtual machines are hosted by a server and accessed by remote clients over a network. The server assigns first storage and second storage to each virtual machine, where the first storage is designated for temporary data of a respective virtual machine and the second storage is designated for persistent data of a respective virtual machine. The server monitors events pertaining to the virtual machine. Upon detecting a predefined event pertaining to one of the virtual machines, the server causes at least a subset of the temporary data to be removed from the first storage of this virtual machine.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a virtual machine, a write operation;

determining, by the virtual machine, whether the write operation pertains to a temporary file; and

if the write operation pertains to a temporary file, the causing the write operation to be performed on a first disk, the first disk being designated for temporary files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the disk designated for temporary files is periodically wiped out by a server hosting the virtual machine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the write operation does not pertain to a temporary file, causing the write operation to be performed on a second disk, the second disk being designated for persistent data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first disk and the second disk are of different storage types.

5. A computer-implemented method for a server hosting a plurality of virtual machines, the method comprising:

assigning, by the server, a first storage and a second storage to each virtual machine, the first storage being designated for temporary files of a respective virtual machine and the second storage being designated for persistent data of a respective virtual machine;

monitoring, by the server, events pertaining to the plurality of virtual machines;

detecting, by the server, a predefined event pertaining to one of the plurality of virtual machines; and

causing at least a subset of temporary files to be removed from the first storage of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first storage and the second storage are of different storage types.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein causing at least a subset of the temporary files to be removed from the first storage comprises:

deleting a disk image of the first storage; and

creating a new disk image for the first storage.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein causing at least a subset of the temporary data to be removed from the first storage comprises:

identifying, based on at least one parameter, a subset of temporary files to be removed; and

deleting the subset of the temporary files from an image of the first storage of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one parameter is the date a temporary file was last accessed.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined event is any one of restarting a virtual machine and shutting down a virtual machine.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

performing a backup operation for a virtual machine, the backup operation excluding a backup of the first storage of the virtual machine.

12. A system comprising:

data storage to store a plurality of first disks designated for temporary files and a plurality of second disks designated for persistent data; and

a host coupled to the data storage to run a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the host further comprises a temporary files manager operable to

assign a first disk and a second disk to each virtual machine,

monitor events pertaining to the plurality of virtual machines,

detect a predefined event pertaining to one of the plurality of virtual machines, and

cause at least a subset of temporary files to be removed from the first disk of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first disk and the second disk are of different storage types.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the temporary file manager is to cause at least a subset of the temporary files to be removed from the first disk by:

deleting a disk image of the first disk; and

creating a new disk image for the first disk.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the temporary file manager is to cause at least a subset of the temporary files to be removed from the first disk by:

identifying, based on at least one parameter, a subset of temporary files to be removed; and

deleting the subset of the temporary files from an image of the first disk of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the predefined event is any one of restarting a virtual machine and shutting down a virtual machine.

17. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

assigning, by the server, a first storage and a second storage to each virtual machine, the first storage being designated for temporary files of a respective virtual machine and the second storage being designated for persistent data of a respective virtual machine;

monitoring, by the server, events pertaining to the plurality of virtual machines;

detecting, by the server, a predefined event pertaining to one of the plurality of virtual machines; and

causing at least a subset of temporary files to be removed from the first storage of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first storage and the second storage are of different storage types.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein causing at least a subset of the temporary files to be removed from the first storage comprises:

deleting a disk image of the first storage; and

creating a new disk image for the first storage.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein causing at least a subset of the temporary data to be removed from the first storage comprises:

identifying, based on at least one parameter, a subset of temporary files to be removed; and

deleting the subset of the temporary files from an image of the first storage of the one of the plurality of virtual machines.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one parameter is the date a temporary file was last accessed.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the predefined event is any one of restarting a virtual machine and shutting down a virtual machine.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

performing a backup operation for a virtual machine, the backup operation excluding a backup of the first storage of the virtual machine.