Running a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots
First Claim
1. A computer program product for implementing a method for a computing system to run a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:
- an act of a snapshot component taking a snapshot of a physical system volume of the physical machine while the physical system volume is in an operational state; and
an act of the virtual machine initializing using the physical system volume snapshot, thereby allowing the physical system volume snapshot to be a snapshot of a virtual system volume of the virtual machine representing an initial state of the virtual system volume, wherein the virtual machine accesses the same system volume as the physical machine;
an act of the virtual machine updating the virtual system volume from the initial state as a result of a software update or patch installation;
an act of testing the software update or patch on the virtual machine for expected functionality;
an act of the snapshot component taking a snapshot of the virtual system volume while the virtual system volume is in an operational state;
an act of the physical machine initializing using the snapshot of the virtual system volume thereby allowing the virtual system volume to be a physical system volume snapshot representing an initial state of the physical system volume, wherein;
the virtual machine has the same operating system as the physical machine.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the running of a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine. In one example, a computer system performs a method for running a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine. A snapshot component takes a snapshot of the physical system volume while the physical system volume is in an operational state. The virtual machine initializes using the physical system volume snapshot thereby allowing the physical system volume snapshot to be a virtual system volume snapshot representing an initial state of a virtual system volume. The physical system volume snapshot includes instances of all the files within the physical system volume at the time the snapshot was taken.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A computer program product for implementing a method for a computing system to run a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:
-
an act of a snapshot component taking a snapshot of a physical system volume of the physical machine while the physical system volume is in an operational state; and an act of the virtual machine initializing using the physical system volume snapshot, thereby allowing the physical system volume snapshot to be a snapshot of a virtual system volume of the virtual machine representing an initial state of the virtual system volume, wherein the virtual machine accesses the same system volume as the physical machine; an act of the virtual machine updating the virtual system volume from the initial state as a result of a software update or patch installation; an act of testing the software update or patch on the virtual machine for expected functionality; an act of the snapshot component taking a snapshot of the virtual system volume while the virtual system volume is in an operational state; an act of the physical machine initializing using the snapshot of the virtual system volume thereby allowing the virtual system volume to be a physical system volume snapshot representing an initial state of the physical system volume, wherein; the virtual machine has the same operating system as the physical machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. On a computer system, a method for running a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine, the method comprising:
-
an act of a snapshot component taking a snapshot of a physical system volume of the physical machine while the physical system volume is in an operational state; an act of the virtual machine initializing using the physical system volume snapshot, thereby allowing the physical system volume snapshot to be a snapshot of a virtual system volume of the virtual machine representing an initial state of the virtual system volume, wherein the virtual machine accesses the same system volume as the physical machine; an act of updating the virtual system volume from the initial state as a result of a software update or patch installation; and an act of testing a software update or patch on the virtual machine for expected functionality; an act of the snapshot component taking a snapshot of the virtual system volume while the virtual system volume is in an operational state; an act of the physical machine initializing using the snapshot of the virtual system volume thereby allowing the virtual system volume to be a physical system volume snapshot representing an initial state of the physical system volume, wherein the virtual machine has the same operating system as the physical machine. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. On a computer system, a method for running a virtual machine directly from a physical machine using snapshots of the physical machine, the method comprising:
-
an act of a snapshot component taking a snapshot of a physical data volume of the physical machine and a physical system volume of the physical machine while the physical data volume and the physical system volume are in an operational state; an act of the virtual machine initializing using the physical system volume snapshot, thereby allowing the physical system volume snapshot to be a snapshot of a virtual system volume of the virtual machine representing an initial state of the virtual system volume, wherein the virtual machine accesses the same system volume and the same data volume as the physical machine while the system volume and the data volume are in an operational state on the physical machine; an act of the snapshot component taking a snapshot of the virtual system volume while the virtual system volume is in an operational state; an act of the physical machine initializing using the snapshot of the virtual system volume thereby allowing the virtual system volume to be a physical system volume snapshot representing an initial state of the physical system volume, but continuing to use the physical data volume. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification