Techniques for creating a bootable image in a cloud-based computing environment

• US 9,928,052 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Ibanescu, Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US15/341,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques for receiving a request to generate a bootable image in a cloud-based computing environment, creating a block storage volume in the cloud-based computing environment in response to receiving the request, the block storage volume having one or more partitions. Further, an apparatus, method and so forth may include installing software comprising one or more files in a file system on the block storage volume in the cloud-based computing environment, creating a snapshot of the file system including the software in the cloud-based computing environment, and creating a bootable image from the snapshot of the file system in the cloud-based computing environment.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry;

a network interface coupled with the processing circuitry; and

logic, at least partially implemented by the processing circuitry, the logic to;

generate a request to communicate to a remote computing device, the request to initiate generation of a bootable image in a cloud-based computing environment, the request comprising;

block storage configuration information for a block storage volume for the bootable image, and

a filesystem type for a filesystem mountable on the block storage volume for the bootable image,

cause, via the network interface, communication of the request to the remote computing device,

generate a software archive comprising a package of one or more files of software for installation on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image, and

provide, via the network interface, the software archive of the one or more files of software to the remote computing device for installation on a file system residing on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the logic to:

determine a specific region of locality to generate the bootable image, and

send the request to generate the bootable image to the remote computing device in the specific region of locality.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the logic to determine the specific region of locality based on one or more factors comprising a proximity to the specific region, services provided in the specific region, and performance provided in the specific region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the one or more files of software comprising one or more of application executable files, operating system files, data files, and configuration files.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the logic to perform one or more of compression and encryption on the one or more files to generate the software archive of the one or more files.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

memory having one or more applications; and

the logic to access the bootable image on the remote computing device via the network interface for at least one of the one or more applications.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the logic to cause storage of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, the logic to cause processing of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, the logic to initiate one or more instances of a virtual machine using the bootable image in the cloud-based computing environment for at least one of the one or more applications, the one or more instances of the virtual machine to enable the at least one application to store or process data on the remote computing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising:

a display device to present a graphical user interface (GUI); and

the logic to present a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications in the GUI.

11. At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

generate a request to communicate to a remote computing device, the request to initiate generation of a bootable image in a cloud-based computing environment, the request comprising;

block storage configuration information for a block storage volume for the bootable image, and

a filesystem type for a filesystem mountable on the block storage volume for the bootable image,

cause, via a network interface, communication of the request to the remote computing device,

generate a software archive comprising a package of one or more files of software for installation on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image, and

provide, via the network interface, the software archive of the one or more files of software to the remote computing device for installation on a file system residing on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

determine a specific region of locality to generate the bootable image; and

send the request to generate the bootable image to the remote computing device in the specific region of locality.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to determine the specific region of locality based on one or more factors comprising a proximity to the specific region, services provided in the specific region, and performance provided in the specific region.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the one or more files of software comprising one or more of application executable files, operating system files, data files, and configuration files.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to perform one or more of compression and encryption on the one or more files to generate the software archive of the one or more files.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to access the bootable image on the remote computing device via a network interface for at least one of one or more applications stored in memory.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to cause storage of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to cause processing of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to initiate one or more instances of a virtual machine using the bootable image in the cloud-based computing environment for at least one of the one or more applications, the one or more instances of the virtual machine to enable the at least one application to store or process data on the remote computing device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to present a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications in a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

generating a request to communicate to a remote computing device, the request to initiate generation of a bootable image in a cloud-based computing environment, the request comprising;

block storage configuration information for a block storage volume for the bootable image, and

a filesystem type for a filesystem mountable on the block storage volume for the bootable image,

causing, via a network interface, communication of the request to the remote computing device,

generating a software archive comprising a package of one or more files of software for installation on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image, and

providing, via the network interface, the software archive of the one or more files of software to the remote computing device for installation on a file system residing on the block storage volume for generation of the bootable image.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising:

determining a specific region of locality to generate the bootable image; and

sending the request to generate the bootable image to the remote computing device in the specific region of locality.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, comprising determining the specific region of locality based on one or more factors comprising a proximity to the specific region, services provided in the specific region, and performance provided in the specific region.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, the one or more files of software comprising one or more of application executable files, operating system files, data files, and configuration files.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising performing one or more of compression and encryption on the one or more files to generate the software archive of the one or more files.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising accessing the bootable image on the remote computing device via a network interface for at least one of one or more applications stored in memory.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, comprising causing storage of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, comprising causing processing of data on the remote computing device via a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, comprising initiating one or more instances of a virtual machine using the bootable image in the cloud-based computing environment for at least one of the one or more applications, the one or more instances of the virtual machine to enable the at least one application to store or process data on the remote computing device.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, comprising presenting a virtual environment provided by the bootable image for at least one of the one or more applications in a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device.