Virtual machine disk image installation

• US 9,280,336 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Poddar, Indrajit, Sukharev, Igor, Ponomarev, Vladislav B., Gaponenko, Yulia, Miroshkin, Alexey
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayim, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/460,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A processor copies first and second installable binary files into first and second disk images of first and second virtual machines, respectively, before instantiating the images. The processor can copy first installation parameters and second installation parameters into the first image. The processor copies additional first installation parameters and additional second installation parameters into the second image. The processor at least partially executes a first installation process, based on the first installation parameters, to install the first installable binary files, and a second installation process, based on the additional second installation parameters, to install the second installable binary files. The processor at least partially executes the installation processes in an interleaved manner in relation to one another, based on dependencies. After instantiating the images, the processor can execute scripts based on the second installation parameters and the additional second installation parameters to complete installation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mounting a first disk image of a first virtual machine and a second disk image of a second virtual machine into a host computing device;

after mounting, copying into the first disk image first installable binary files for first software components before the first virtual machine is tied to a first particular computing device and before the first virtual machine is started for a first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copying into the second disk image second installable binary files for second software components before the second virtual machine is tied to a second particular computing device and before the second virtual machine is started for a first time on the second particular computing device;

after mounting, copying into the first disk image first installation parameters and first scripts for a first installation process that is to install the first installable binary files into the first disk image,

the first installation parameters including offline first parameters able to be populated with values before tying the first virtual machine to the first particular computing device and before starting the first virtual machine for the first time on the first particular computing device, and online first parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device,

the first scripts unable to be executed until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copying into the second disk image second installation parameters and second scripts for a second installation process that is to install the second installable binary files into the second disk image,

the second installation parameters including offline second parameters able to be populated with values before tying the second virtual machine to the second particular computing device and before starting the second virtual machine for the first time on the second particular computing device, and online second parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device,

the second scripts unable to be executed until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device;

after copying, creating a topology model of the first and second software components and modeling dependencies between the first and second software components within the topology model,

the topology model having a structure indicating which of the first and second installable binary files correspond to which of the first and second software components, which of the first and second software components are to be installed within each of the first and second disk images, and the first and second installation parameters, where one or more of the first installation parameters are identical to one or more of the second installation parameters such that the identical installation parameters are shared between the first and second software components,

the dependencies indicating relationships among the first and second software components that are distributed software components, the dependencies used to determine an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, an order in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa,

the dependencies further indicating which of the first installation parameters and the second installation parameters are shared between the first and second software parameters;

after creating the topology model and modeling the dependencies, determining installation operations of first and second installation processes to generate an ordered sequence thereof, based on the modeled dependencies, the installation operations including instantiation operations to instantiate the first and second disk images and activation script execution operations to control execution of the first and second scripts;

after determining the installation operations of the first and second installation processes, performing the installation operations of the first and second installation processes in an interleaved manner as governed by the orders in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa, the installation operations that are performed being offline installation operations;

after performing the installation operations, dismounting the first and second disk images and copying the first disk image to the first particular computing device and the second disk image to the second particular computing device; and

after dismounting and copying, and when the first and second virtual machines are started for the first time, executing the first and second scripts to finish complete installation of the first and second virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the installation operations comprises:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield actual files representing the first and second software components; and

moving the actual files into appropriate directories or folders of the first and second disk images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the installation operations comprises:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield one or more setup files for the first and second software components; and

and executing the setup files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the installation operations comprises:

executing the installable binary files that are setup files for the first and second software components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices than the host computing device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing computer-executable code that when executed by a processor of a host computing device causes the host computing device to:

mount a first disk image of a first virtual machine and a second disk image of a second virtual machine into the host computing device;

after mounting, copy into the first disk image first installable binary files for first software components before the first virtual machine is tied to a first particular computing device and before the first virtual machine is started for a first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the second disk image second installable binary files for second software components before the second virtual machine is tied to a second particular computing device and before the second virtual machine is started for a first time on the second particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the first disk image first installation parameters and first scripts for a first installation process that is to install the first installable binary files into the first disk image,

the first installation parameters including offline first parameters able to be populated with values before tying the first virtual machine to the first particular computing device and before starting the first virtual machine for the first time on the first particular computing device, and online first parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device,

the first scripts unable to be executed until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the second disk image second installation parameters and second scripts for a second installation process that is to install the second installable binary files into the second disk image,

the second installation parameters including offline second parameters able to be populated with values before tying the second virtual machine to the second particular computing device and before starting the second virtual machine for the first time on the second particular computing device, and online second parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device,

the second scripts unable to be executed until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device;

after copying, creating a topology model of the first and second software components and modeling dependencies between the first and second software components within the topology model,

the topology model having a structure indicating which of the first and second installable binary files correspond to which of the first and second software components, which of the first and second software components are to be installed within each of the first and second disk images, and the first and second installation parameters, where one or more of the first installation parameters are identical to one or more of the second installation parameters such that the identical installation parameters are shared between the first and second software components,

the dependencies indicating relationships among the first and second software components that are distributed software components, the dependencies used to determine an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, an order in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa,

the dependencies further indicating which of the first installation parameters and the second installation parameters are shared between the first and second software parameters;

after creating the topology model and modeling the dependencies, determine installation operations of first and second installation processes to generate an ordered sequence thereof, based on the modeled dependencies, the installation operations including instantiation operations to instantiate the first and second disk images and activation script execution operations to control execution of the first and second scripts;

after determining the installation operations of the first and second installation processes, perform the installation operations of the first and second installation processes in an interleaved manner as governed by the orders in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa, the installation operations that are performed being offline installation operations;

after performing the installation operations, dismount the first and second disk images and copying the first disk image to the first particular computing device and the second disk image to the second particular computing device; and

after dismounting and copying, and when the first and second virtual machines are started for the first time, execute the first and second scripts to finish complete installation of the first and second virtual machine.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 7, wherein the host computing device is to perform the installation operations by:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield actual files representing the first and second software components; and

moving the actual files into appropriate directories or folders of the first and second disk images.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 7, wherein the host computing device is to perform the installation operations by:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield one or more setup files for the first and second software components; and

and executing the setup files.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 7, wherein the host computing device is to perform the installation operations by:

executing the installable binary files that are setup files for the first and second software components.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 7, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 7, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices than the host computing device.

13. A host computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

computer-readable code stored on the memory and executable by the processor to;

mount a first disk image of a first virtual machine and a second disk image of a second virtual machine into the host computing device;

after mounting, copy into the first disk image first installable binary files for first software components before the first virtual machine is tied to a first particular computing device and before the first virtual machine is started for a first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the second disk image second installable binary files for second software components before the second virtual machine is tied to a second particular computing device and before the second virtual machine is started for a first time on the second particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the first disk image first installation parameters and first scripts for a first installation process that is to install the first installable binary files into the first disk image,

the first installation parameters including offline first parameters able to be populated with values before tying the first virtual machine to the first particular computing device and before starting the first virtual machine for the first time on the first particular computing device, and online first parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device,

the first scripts unable to be executed until after the first virtual machine has been tied to the first particular computing device and when the first virtual machine has been started for the first time on the first particular computing device;

after mounting, copy into the second disk image second installation parameters and second scripts for a second installation process that is to install the second installable binary files into the second disk image,

the second installation parameters including offline second parameters able to be populated with values before tying the second virtual machine to the second particular computing device and before starting the second virtual machine for the first time on the second particular computing device, and online second parameters that are unable to be populated with values and that are unknowable until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device,

the second scripts unable to be executed until after the second virtual machine has been tied to the second particular computing device and when the second virtual machine has been started for the first time on the second particular computing device;

after copying, creating a topology model of the first and second software components and modeling dependencies between the first and second software components within the topology model,

the topology model having a structure indicating which of the first and second installable binary files correspond to which of the first and second software components, which of the first and second software components are to be installed within each of the first and second disk images, and the first and second installation parameters, where one or more of the first installation parameters are identical to one or more of the second installation parameters such that the identical installation parameters are shared between the first and second software components,

the dependencies indicating relationships among the first and second software components that are distributed software components, the dependencies used to determine an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, an order in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and an order in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa,

the dependencies further indicating which of the first installation parameters and the second installation parameters are shared between the first and second software parameters;

after creating the topology model and modeling the dependencies, determine installation operations of first and second installation processes to generate an ordered sequence thereof, based on the modeled dependencies, the installation operations including instantiation operations to instantiate the first and second disk images and activation script execution operations to control execution of the first and second scripts;

after determining the installation operations of the first and second installation processes, perform the installation operations of the first and second installation processes in an interleaved manner as governed by the orders in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to one another, in which the second software components are to be installed in relation to one another, and in which the first software components are to be installed in relation to the second software components and vice-versa, the installation operations that are performed being offline installation operations;

after performing the installation operations, dismount the first and second disk images and copying the first disk image to the first particular computing device and the second disk image to the second particular computing device; and

after dismounting and copying, and when the first and second virtual machines are started for the first time, execute the first and second scripts to finish complete installation of the first and second virtual machine.

14. The host computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is to perform the installation operations by:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield actual files representing the first and second software components; and

moving the actual files into appropriate directories or folders of the first and second disk images.

15. The host computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is to perform the installation operations by:

unpacking the first and second installable binary files to yield one or more setup files for the first and second software components; and

and executing the setup files.

16. The host computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is to perform the installation operations by:

executing the installable binary files that are setup files for the first and second software components.

17. The host computing device of claim 13, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices.

18. The host computing device of claim 13, wherein the first and second particular computing devices are different computing devices than the host computing device.