Utilizing snapshots to provide builds to developer computing devices

• US 8,719,767 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Bansod, Ketan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US13/076,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method and system for utilizing snapshots to provide software builds to developer computing devices is described. In some examples, the system, in response to receiving a request for a software build, performs a snapshot of a storage volume containing the requested build, and mounts the snapshot to the developer computing device, enabling the developer computing device to access the software build. In some examples, the system, in response to receiving a request for a software build, establishes a virtual machine, performs a snapshot of a storage volume containing the requested build, mounts the snapshot to the established virtual machine, and provides the virtual machine to the requesting computing device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a build to a computing device associated with a developer, the method comprising:

providing a user interface presenting for selection a list of accessible builds associated with software under development;

receiving via the provided user interface a request from a computing device to access a selected build within the list of builds associated with the software under development;

determining that the computing device providing the request does not include software resources necessary to compile the requested build;

if the computing device does not include the software resources, establishing a virtual machine that includes the software resources associated with the requested build;

performing a snapshot of a storage volume containing the requested build;

mounting the snapshot to the established virtual machine;

providing the established virtual machine to the computing device requesting access to the requested build to provide the computing device with access to the requested build via the mounted snapshot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage volume containing the requested build is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and wherein a hardware snapshot mechanism associated with the storage array performs the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage volume containing the requested build is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and wherein a software snapshot mechanism associated with a data storage system that stores data to the storage array performs the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting the performed snapshot after the snapshot is dismounted from the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more changes made to the requested build; and

updating the requested build; and

deleting the performed snapshot after the snapshot is dismounted from the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more changes made to the requested build; and

performing a snapshot of the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build; and

deleting the snapshot of the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build after the snapshot is dismounted from the computing device.

7. A system for providing access to a build within a development environment, the system comprising:

a memory having instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute;

a request component configured to receive a request from a computing device to access the build within the development environment, wherein the request component is configured to provide a user interface to the computing device within the development environment that lists builds available to be accessed by the computing device and receives a selection of an available build to be accessed by the computing device;

a snapshot component, wherein the snapshot component is configured to perform a snapshot of a storage volume of data containing the build; and

a virtualization component, wherein the virtualization component is configured to establish a virtual machine and mount the performed snapshot to the virtual machine and provide the virtual machine to the computing device to provide the computing device, via the virtual machine and the mounted snapshot, with access to the build and with access to software resources used to manipulate the build when the computing device does not already include the software resources needed to manipulate the build.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the volume of data is an external storage array and the snapshot component is configured to cause a snapshot mechanism associated with the external storage array to perform the snapshot of the volume of data containing the build.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the virtualization component is configured to utilize cloud-based computing resources in order to establish the virtual machine that mounts the performed snapshot and provides the computing device within the development environment access to the build and access to resources used to manipulate the build.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the established virtual machine includes software capable of compiling the requested build.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of providing a build to a development machine, the method comprising:

providing a user interface presenting for selection a list of accessible builds associated with software under development;

receiving via the provided user interface a request from a computing device to access a selected build within the list of builds associated with the software under development;

determining that the computing device providing the request does not include the software and resources necessary to compile the requested build;

if the computing device does not include the software and resources, establishing a virtual machine that includes the software and the resources associated with the requested build;

performing a snapshot of a storage volume containing the requested build;

mounting the snapshot to the established virtual machine;

providing the established virtual machine to the computing device requesting access to the build to provide the computing device with access to the build via the mounted snapshot.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the volume containing the requested build is contained by a storage array in communication with the development machine over a network;

and wherein a hardware snapshot mechanism associated with the storage array performs the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the volume containing the requested build is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and wherein a software snapshot mechanism associated with a data storage system that stores data to the storage array performs the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build.

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

deleting the performed snapshot after the snapshot is dismounted from the development machine.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying one or more changes made to the requested build; and

updating the requested build; and

deleting the performed snapshot after the snapshot is dismounted from the development machine.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying one or more changes made to the requested build; and

performing a snapshot of the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build; and

deleting the snapshot of the snapshot of the volume containing the requested build after the snapshot is dismounted from the development machine.