Dynamic Cloud Image Updates Based on Subjective Customization and User Input

• US 20180253320A1
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Published: 09/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Emejulu, Nnaemeka I., Lavery, Andrew J., Maldari, Mario A., Ramamoorthy, Karthikeyan
• Granted Patent: US 10,467,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for use with a set of images including a first image, with each image of the set of images respectively representing a computer and respectively including software and configuration settings data. The mechanism deploys a plurality of first image instantiations of the first image for respective use by a plurality of users. The mechanism tracks use of the plurality of first image instantiations to create a historical usage data set indicative of how the plurality of users are customizing the plurality of first image instantiations.

Claims

1. A method for use with a set of images including a first image, with each image of the set of images respectively representing a computer and respectively including software and configuration settings data, the method comprising:

deploying a plurality of first image instantiations of the first image for respective use by a plurality of users; and

tracking use of the plurality of first image instantiations to create a historical usage data set indicative of how the plurality of users are customizing the plurality of first image instantiations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical usage data set includes information indicative of at least one of the following types of customization:

additional software added, software removed, user customization such as screen size, language packs resolution, mouse settings, power settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical usage data set further includes information indicative of characteristics of the plurality of users who make customizations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the characteristics of the plurality of users who make customizations includes information relating to at least one of the following types of user characteristics:

users that travel frequently, users that worn low light settings, users are in the field, users in a particular geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

voting on deltas;

searching on the deltas; and

surveys relating to the deltas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking includes three (3) core levels of monitoring for deltas as follows:

user preferences;

installed and uninstalled software programs; and

specific application customization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying the plurality of first image instantiations comprises deploying, by a crowd-sourced user environment image creation and deployment system executing on at least one processor of a data processing system, a base user environment image to a set of users to install a set of user environments, wherein the base user environment image has built-in instrumentation that scans for user customizations on the base user environment image.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the crowd-sourced user environment image creation and deployment system, a set of output files from the built-in instrumentation in the set of user environments, wherein the set of output files list changes resulting from the user customizations to the set of user environments; and

generating, by the crowd-sourced user environment image creation and deployment system, at least one updated base user environment image based on the set of output files and user feedback.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of user environments comprises a set of installation images for physical computing devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of user environments comprises a set of deployment images for virtual machine environments.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the changes resulting from the user customizations comprise at least one of software added, software removed, screen size adjustment, language pack resolution, mouse settings, or power settings.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of output files includes information indicative of characteristics of the set of users who make the customizations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the characteristics of the set of users who make the customizations include information relating to at least one of users that travel frequently, users that work in low light settings, users are in the field, or users in a particular geographic location.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the at least one updated base user environment image comprises:

generating a user interface presenting the changes resulting from the user customizations to the set of user environments; and

receiving the user feedback on the changes resulting from the user customizations to the set of user environments.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user feedback comprises at least one of votes, ratings, reviews, or surveys.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the instrumentation tracks changes to at least one of user preferences, installed and uninstalled software programs, or specific application customizations.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a search interface presenting available custom operating system environments and customizations with ratings based on the user feedback;

receiving from a given user a selection of a custom operating system environment and at least one customization; and

deploying to the given user a custom user environment image based on the selected custom operating system environment and the selected at least one customization.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on at least one processor of a data processing system, causes the computing device to implement a crowd-sourced user environment image creation and deployment system, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to:

deploy a plurality of first image instantiations of the first image for respective use by a plurality of users; and

track use of the plurality of first image instantiations to create a historical usage data set indicative of how the plurality of users are customizing the plurality of first image instantiations.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein deploying the plurality of first image instantiations comprises deploying a base user environment image to a set of users to install a set of user environments, wherein the base user environment image has built-in instrumentation that scans for user customizations on the base user environment image, wherein the computer readable program further causes the data processing system to:

receive a set of output files from the built-in instrumentation in the set of user environments, wherein the set of output files list changes resulting from the user customizations to the set of user environments; and

generate at least one updated base user environment image based on the set of output files and user feedback.

20. A data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement a crowd-sourced user environment image creation and deployment system, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to;

deploy a plurality of first image instantiations of the first image for respective use by a plurality of users; and

track use of the plurality of first image instantiations to create a historical usage data set indicative of how the plurality of users are customizing the plurality of first image instantiations.