US 8,516,480 B1 · Enabling offline work in a virtual data center

Abstract

Virtualization snapshots are utilized for efficiently synchronizing virtual machines present on a client system and a server system. A snapshot of a virtual machine (VM) is taken by the client system before making modifications to the VM. The modifications to the VM are stored by the virtualization snapshot separate from the VM itself. The modified portions of the VM are communicated by the client system to the server system. The server system applies the modifications to a locally stored VM that corresponds to the original VM on the client system. The modified VM on the server system matches the modified VM on the client. As a result synchronization between the VMs on client system and the server system is obtained without transferring the entire VM multiple times. The server system performs format conversions between a format of the client system and the server system on the VM.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for synchronizing changes in virtual machines (VMs) between two or more systems, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a first system, a virtualization snapshot of a source VM;
receiving, by the first system, instructions for execution, wherein the execution is performed using the source VM;
executing, by the first system, the received instructions resulting in modifications of the source VM, wherein the virtualization snapshot stores modified portions of the source VM separate from the source VM,
comprising:
determining whether execution of the received instructions causes modification of a data block of the source VM;
and
storing a modified data block on the first system separate from the source VM responsive to determining that the execution of the received instructions causes modification of the data block;
sending, by the first system, the modified portions of the source VM to a second system comprising a destination VM, wherein the destination VM matches the source VM before the modifications;
receiving, by the second system, the modified portions from the first system;
and
applying, by the second system, the modified portions to the destination VM to obtain a modified destination VM that matches the modified source VM.

8 more elements

A computer-implemented system for synchronizing changes in virtual machines (VMs) between two or more systems, the system comprising:

a computer processor;
and
a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules configured to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising:
a snapshot manager module configured to
take a virtualization snapshot of a source VM;
a virtualization agent module configured to
receive instructions for execution, wherein the execution is performed using the source VM;
and
execute the received instructions resulting in modifications of the source VM, wherein the virtualization snapshot stores modified portions of the source VM separate from the source VM, the execute causing the virtualization agent module to:
determine whether execution of the received instructions causes modification of a data block of the source VM;
and
store a modified data block on the system separate from the source VM responsive to determining that the execution of the received instructions causes modification of the data block;
and
a server communication module configured to
send the modified portions of the source VM to a remote system comprising a destination VM, wherein the remote system applies the modified portions to the destination VM to obtain a modified destination VM that matches the modified source VM.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Enabling offline work in a virtual data center

Life of this patent

Enabling offline work in a virtual data center

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20