Inter-Organizational and Intra-Organizational Repository for Operating System Images

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed in a data processing system comprising a first operating system image (OSI) repository, causes the data processing system to:

• associate the first OSI repository system with a second OSI repository system, wherein each of the first and second OSI repository systems store one or more OSIS for use either natively or virtually by client computing devices;
• define one or more collaboration rules that define a manner by which OSI information in the first OSI repository system is shared with the second OSI repository system;
• and
• perform a collaborative operation between the first OSI repository system and the second OSI repository system, wherein an extent of the collaborative operation is circumscribed by application of the one or more collaboration rules.

An apparatus, 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 first operating system image (OSI) repository that:
• associates the first OSI repository system with a second OSI repository system, wherein each of the first and second OSI repository systems store one or more OSIS for use either natively or virtually by client computing devices;
• defines one or more collaboration rules that define a manner by which OSI information in the first OSI repository system is shared with the second OSI repository system;
• and
• performs a collaborative operation between the first OSI repository system and the second OSI repository system, wherein an extent of the collaborative operation is circumscribed by application of the one or more collaboration rules.