Data access accelerator

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to:
• obtain a copy of a production dataset from a shared storage system, wherein the copy is received by an accelerator virtual machine,
• the accelerator virtual machine is hosted by a virtualization server,
• a plurality of application virtual machines are communicatively coupled to the accelerator virtual machine,
• the copy comprises data that is common to the plurality of application virtual machines (“common data”) that are communicatively coupled to the accelerator virtual machine, and
• the copy is stored in a consolidated cache of the accelerator virtual machine;
• intercept, by a file system client, a request for requested data, wherein
• the request is received from a first application virtual machine of the plurality of application virtual machines,
• the request is directed from the first application virtual machine to a storage system, and
• the requested data comprises
• a subset of the common data, and
• data that has been changed by the first application virtual machine (“changed data”) is recorded in a writeable overlay, wherein
• the writeable overlay comprises information that is specific to the first application virtual machine but is not associated with any other application virtual machine of the plurality of application virtual machines;
• forward the request from the file system client to the accelerator virtual machine, wherein
• the file system client does not forward the request to the storage system;
• and
• serve, to the first application virtual machine, a first portion of the requested data from the consolidated cache of the accelerator virtual machine, and a second portion of the requested data from the writeable overlay, wherein
• the first portion of the requested data comprises the subset of the common data, and
• the second portion of the requested data comprises the changed data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:

• obtain a copy of a production dataset from a shared storage system, wherein the copy is received by an accelerator virtual machine,
• the accelerator virtual machine is hosted by a virtualization server,
• a plurality of application virtual machines are communicatively coupled to the accelerator virtual machine,
• the copy comprises data that is common to the plurality of application virtual machines (“common data”) that are communicatively coupled to the accelerator virtual machine, and
• the copy is stored in a consolidated cache of the accelerator virtual machine;
• intercept, by a file system client, a request for requested data, wherein
• the request is received from a first application virtual machine of the plurality of application virtual machines,
• the request is directed from the first application virtual machine to a storage system, and
• the request comprises
• a subset of the common data, and
• data that has been changed by the first application virtual machine (“changed data”) is recorded in a writeable overlay, wherein
• the writeable overlay comprises information that is specific to the first application virtual machine but is not associated with any other application virtual machine of the plurality of application virtual machines;
• forward the request from the file system client to the accelerator virtual machine, wherein
• the file system client does not forward the request to the storage system;
• and
• serve, to the first application virtual machine, a first portion of the requested data from the consolidated cache of the accelerator virtual machine, and a second portion of the requested data from the writeable overlay, wherein
• the first portion of the requested data comprises the subset of the common data, and
• the second portion of the requested data comprises the changed data.