Loading runtime configuration files into virtual machine instances which when executed transform a stored virtual machine image into a customized configuration

A system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, to:
• identify, by a processing device, a plurality of virtual machine configuration files that are utilized to transform a stored virtual machine image to a desired customized configuration, wherein the plurality of virtual machine configuration files are stored in a storage memory accessible by a virtual machine instance;
• create a file list referencing the plurality of virtual machine configuration files, wherein the file list specifies, for every virtual machine configuration file of the plurality of configuration files, a current location of the virtual machine configuration file in the storage memory and a target location of the virtual machine configuration file in a file system of the virtual machine instance, wherein a virtual machine configuration file of the plurality of configuration files comprises a script executable to modify a parameter of the stored virtual machine image in order to transform the stored virtual machine image to the desired customized configuration;
• launch the virtual machine instance;
• responsive to receiving, via a User Data interface, an HTTP GET request transmitted by the virtual machine instance to a pre-defined Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), communicate the file list to the virtual machine instance via the User Data interface;
• cause the virtual machine instance to retrieve each virtual machine configuration file specified by the file list from the respective current location of the virtual machine configuration file in the storage memory;
• and
• cause the virtual machine instance to store each retrieved virtual machine configuration file into the target location specified by the file list and to execute each virtual machine configuration file in order to transform the stored virtual machine image into the desired customized configuration.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing device of a file system server, cause the processing device to:

• identify, by a processing device, a plurality of virtual machine configuration files that are utilized to transform a stored virtual machine image to a desired customized configuration, wherein the plurality of virtual machine configuration files are stored in a storage memory accessible by a virtual machine instance;
• create a file list referencing the plurality of virtual machine configuration files, wherein the file list specifies, for every virtual machine configuration file of the plurality of configuration files, a current location of the virtual machine configuration file in the storage memory and a target location of the virtual machine configuration file in a file system of the virtual machine instance, wherein a virtual machine configuration file of the plurality of configuration files comprises a script executable to modify a parameter of the stored virtual machine image in order to transform the stored virtual machine image to the desired customized configuration;
• launch the virtual machine instance;
• responsive to receiving, via a User Data interface, an HTTP GET request transmitted by the virtual machine instance to a pre-defined Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), communicate the file list to the virtual machine instance via the User Data interface;
• cause the virtual machine instance to retrieve each virtual machine configuration file specified by the file list from the respective current location of the virtual machine configuration file in the storage memory;
• and
• cause the virtual machine instance to store each retrieved virtual machine configuration file into the target location specified by the file list and to execute each virtual machine configuration file in order to transform the stored virtual machine image into the desired customized configuration.