# US 2014/0156955 A1 · Usage of snapshots prepared by a different host

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- Number: US 2014/0156955 A1
- Document ID: US20140156955A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/690,638
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Red Hat Israel, Ltd.
- Inventors: Federico Simoncelli
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156955A1

## CPC

- G06F 12/16: Protection against loss of memory contents {(contains no material, see G06F11/00)}
- G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects}
- G06F 9/5077: {Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455)}
- G06F 11/1456: {Hardware arrangements for backup}
- G06F 11/2074: {Asynchronous techniques}
- G06F 2009/4557: {Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for preparing and using snapshots in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a first computer system prepares, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second computer system. The first computer system then provides to the second computer system a reference to the prepared snapshot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
preparing in an area of a storage device, by a first computer system, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second computer system; and
providing to the second computer system, by the first computer system, a reference to the prepared snapshot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the preparing comprises allocating the area of the storage device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the preparing comprises initializing the area of the storage device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the area of the storage device is initialized with a header of the snapshot.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the reference to the second computer system enables the second computer system to use the prepared snapshot.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine writes data from the virtual disk to a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine is stored in a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine is stored on a different storage device than the snapshot.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a first computer system to perform a method comprising:
running, by the first computer system, a virtual machine; and
using, by the first computer system, a snapshot of a virtual disk of the virtual machine that is prepared by a second computer system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first computer system, a reference to the snapshot from the second computer system.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first computer system and the second computer system belong to a cluster.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the snapshot is prepared in a first volume, and wherein the virtual machine writes data from the virtual disk to a second volume.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first volume resides on a first storage device and the second volume resides on a second storage device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the snapshot is prepared in a first volume, and wherein the virtual machine is stored in a second volume.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first volume resides on a first storage device and the second volume resides on a second storage device.

### Claim 16

An apparatus comprising:
a first computer system to host a virtual machine; and
a second computer system to:
prepare, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of the virtual machine, and
provide to the first computer system a reference to the prepared snapshot.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first computer system is further to use the prepared snapshot after being provided with the reference.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first computer system and the second computer system belong to a cluster.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising the storage device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine writes data from the virtual disk to a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.