Hypervisor assisted single instance data access by multiple virtual machines

At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program product for providing hypervisor assisted shared access to a single data instance by multiple virtual machines, the computer program product comprising:

• program code for storing a single data instance at a hypervisor level, the stored single data instance to be shared by a plurality of virtual machines;
• program code for providing, from a hypervisor level, a file system driver to each virtual machine of the plurality that is to share the single data instance;
• program code for mounting a file system backed by the hypervisor level single data instance by each virtual machine of the plurality that is to share the single data instance, such that each virtual machine has read level access to the single data instance through its mounted file system;
• program code for suspending, at a hypervisor level, one of the virtual machines with read level access to the single data instance;
• program code for storing, at a hypervisor level, an image of the suspended virtual machine;
• and
• program code for saving a copy of the single data instance as part of the stored image of the suspended virtual machine, at a hypervisor level, such that a subsequent restoration of the suspended virtual machine from the stored image comprises the saved copy of the single data instance being present in the restored virtual machine.

A computer system for providing hypervisor assisted shared access to a single data instance by multiple virtual machines, the computer system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• system memory;
• means for storing a single data instance at a hypervisor level, the stored single data instance to be shared by a plurality of virtual machines;
• means for providing, from a hypervisor level, a file system driver to each virtual machine of the plurality that is to share the single data instance;
• means for mounting a file system backed by the hypervisor level single data instance by each virtual machine of the plurality that is to share the single data instance, such that each virtual machine has read level access to the single data instance through its mounted file system;
• means for suspending, at a hypervisor level, one of the virtual machines with read level access to the single data instance;
• means for storing, at a hypervisor level, an image of the suspended virtual machine;
• and
• means for saving a copy of the single data instance as part of the stored image of the suspended virtual machine, at a hypervisor level, such that a subsequent restoration of the suspended virtual machine from the stored image comprises the saved copy of the single data instance being present in the restored virtual machine.