VM disk conversion (resistible to power off)
OwnerDenis Lunev, Kirill Tkhaiinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for conversion of a virtual disk image are described. The described techniques enable a virtual disk image to be converted from a first version to a second version, such as to enable a virtual machine to be used by different host systems. Accordingly, the described techniques can convert a virtual disk image by creating a new header and new metadata for the virtual disk image in a new format. The new header includes pointers to the new metadata and the new metadata includes pointers to data of the virtual disk image. A previous header for the virtual disk image is removed to cause virtual disk image to be converted to a new version.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- determining that a first version of a file that includes a virtual machine disk image is to be converted from the first version to a second version, wherein the first version of the file includes a first header, a first metadata set, and a first data set;
- and
- generating the second version of the file, including:
- generating, within the file and without copying the first data, a second header and a second metadata set, wherein the second metadata set points to reference locations of the first metadata set without copying the first metadata set;
- synchronizing changes made to the file to a persistent storage;
- and
- switching an active header for the file from the first header to the second header, wherein the switching employs an atomic cut technique configured to allow the first version or the second version of the file to remain valid in the event of a system failure or power off event, before and after the atomic cut technique is employed.
A format conversion system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more storage devices comprising processor executable instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- determining that a first version of a file that includes a virtual machine disk image is to be converted from the first version to a second version, wherein the first version of the file includes a first header, a first metadata set, and a first data set;
- and
- generating the second version of the file, including:
- generating, within the file, a second header and a second metadata set, wherein the second metadata set points to reference locations of the first metadata set without copying the first metadata set;
- synchronizing changes made to the file to a persistent storage;
- and
- switching an active header for the file from the first header to the second header, wherein the switching employs an atomic cut technique configured to allow the first version or the second version of the file to remain valid in the event of a system failure or power off event.
A virtual machine environment comprising
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more storage devices comprising processor executable instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- wherein the virtual machine environment that implements a disk conversion system comprising:
- a virtual disk conversion module configured to:
- determine that a first version of a file that includes a virtual machine disk image is to be converted from the first version to a second version, wherein the first version of the file includes a first header, a first metadata set, and a first data set;
- and
- generate the second version of the file, including to:
- generate, within the file, a second header and a second metadata set, wherein the second metadata set points to reference locations of the first metadata set without copying the first metadata set;
- synchronize changes made to the file to a persistent storage;
- and
- switch an active header for the file from the first header to the second header, wherein the switch employs an atomic cut technique configured to allow the first version or the second version of the file to remain valid in the event of a system failure or power off event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.