SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REPURPOSING VIRTUAL MACHINES

• US 20140189685A1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kripalani, Sanjay Harakhchand
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• 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 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

Software, firmware, and systems repurpose existing virtual machines. After a virtual machine is created, the system stores data associated with the virtual machine to permit its later repurposing. Repurposing data includes data associated with the virtual machine when the virtual machine is in a generic state from which it may be configured for use by two or more users/applications. When the system receives a request to create a new virtual machine, rather than create a brand new virtual machine, the system repurposes an existing virtual machine. The system identifies a virtual machine to repurpose, deletes data associated with the identified virtual machine, and loads a saved copy of repurposing data. The system may then load user data or otherwise customize the database and virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method to be performed by a computing system for repurposing a virtual machine, the method comprising:

receiving a request that a virtual machine be created for a user;

receiving a specification for the virtual machine that is to be created for the user,

wherein the specification for the virtual machine identifies at least one configuration parameter for the virtual machine, and

wherein the at least one configuration parameter is associated with a value;

identifying an existing virtual machine that is repurposable and that meets or exceeds the specification,

wherein repurposing data is associated with the existing virtual machine that is repurposable,

wherein the repurposing data includes data that was associated with the existing virtual machine at an earlier time, and

wherein the existing virtual machine is associated with another user;

selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing; and

repurposing the existing virtual machine by loading repurposing data in the virtual machine, without having to create a new virtual machine for the user,

wherein repurposing the existing virtual machine includes switching permissions or ownership of the repurposed existing virtual machine from the other user to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing includes choosing the existing virtual machine from among multiple existing virtual machines, wherein the existing virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on a time period that the existing virtual machine has been idle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing includes choosing the existing virtual machine from among multiple existing virtual machines, wherein the existing virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on a relative similarity between the existing virtual machine and the specification.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing the existing virtual machine for the user, wherein the existing virtual machine is customized based at least in part on credentials associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein loading repurposing data includes:

deleting data corresponding to the repurposing data, wherein the data corresponding to the repurposing data is presently associated with the existing virtual machine, and

merging the repurposing data with the existing virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the repurposing data includes a copy of a database in a data storage management system that stores metadata, media management, policies, reporting, and/or licensing information for the existing virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the repurposing data includes a copy of a database associated with the existing virtual machine, wherein the copy of the database was created before the existing virtual machine was customized by or for a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing includes choosing the existing virtual machine from among multiple existing virtual machines, wherein the existing virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on the existing virtual machine having a minimum set of criteria to meet the received specification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification for the virtual machine includes configuration parameters that are similar to or less than a configuration of a virtual machine that is idle, and wherein selecting the existing virtual machine includes selecting the virtual machine that is idle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing includes selecting a virtual machine that is flagged as being repurposable.

11. A tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processing device, performs a method comprising:

receiving a request that a virtual machine be created for a user;

receiving a specification for a virtual machine that is to be created for the user,

wherein;

the specification for the virtual machine identifies at least one configuration parameter for the virtual machine, and

the at least one configuration parameter is associated with a value;

identifying an existing virtual machine that that meets or exceeds the specification,

wherein;

the existing virtual machine is associated with stored data that was copied from data associated with the virtual machine at a time before the virtual machine had been used by a user,

selecting the virtual machine;

deleting data currently associated with the virtual machine;

merging with the virtual machine the stored data that was copied from data associated with the virtual machine at the time before the virtual machine had been used by a user.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein selecting the virtual machine includes choosing the virtual machine from among multiple virtual machines, wherein the virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on a time period that the virtual machine has been idle.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein selecting the virtual machine includes choosing the virtual machine from among multiple virtual machines, wherein the virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on a relative similarity between the virtual machine and the specification.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

customizing the virtual machine for the user, wherein the virtual machine is customized based at least in part on credentials associated with the user.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the stored data that was copied from data associated with the virtual machine at the time before the virtual machine had been used by a user includes a copy of a database in a data storage management system that stores metadata, media management, policies, reporting, and/or licensing information for the virtual machine.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the stored data that was copied from data associated with the virtual machine at the time before the virtual machine had been used by a user includes a copy of a database associated with the virtual machine, wherein the copy of the database was created before the virtual machine was customized by or for a user.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein selecting the virtual machine includes choosing the virtual machine from among multiple virtual machines, wherein the virtual machine is chosen based at least in part on having a minimum set of criteria to meet the received specification.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the specification for the virtual machine includes configuration parameters that are similar to or less than a configuration of a virtual machine that is idle, and wherein selecting the virtual machine includes selecting the virtual machine that is idle.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein selecting the virtual machine includes choosing the virtual machine from among multiple virtual machines based at least in part on the virtual machine being archived.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the stored data that was copied from data associated with the virtual machine at the time before the virtual machine had been used by a user was copied at a time before the virtual machine had been customized for the user but after the virtual machine had been customized for a group of users.

21. A system for repurposing a virtual machine, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to the at least one processor;

means for receiving a request that a virtual machine be created for a user;

means for receiving a specification for the virtual machine that is to be created for the user,

wherein the specification for the virtual machine identifies at least one configuration parameter for the virtual machine, and

wherein the at least one configuration parameter is associated with a value;

means for identifying an existing virtual machine that is repurposable and that meets or exceeds the specification,

wherein repurposing data is associated with the existing virtual machine that is repurposable,

wherein the repurposing data includes data that was associated with the existing virtual machine at an earlier time, and

wherein the existing virtual machine is associated with another user;

means for selecting the existing virtual machine for repurposing; and

means for repurposing the existing virtual machine by loading repurposing data in the virtual machine, without having to create a new virtual machine for the user,

wherein repurposing the existing virtual machine includes switching permissions or ownership of the repurposed existing virtual machine from the other user to the user.