System and method for performing designated service image processing functions in a service image warehouse

A system for performing processing functions on a warehoused service image, the system comprising:

• a service image warehouse for storing at least one service image;
• means for modifying the at least one service image by performing at least one of a plurality of service image processing functions on the at least one service image contemporaneously with a user's checking the at least one service image out of the service image warehouse;
• means for checking the modified at least one service image back into the service image warehouse in response to the modifying the at least one service image;
• and
• a plurality of compute nodes connected to the service image warehouse to which the modified at least one service image may be deployed, wherein each of the compute nodes comprises one of a physical machine and a virtual machine host,
• wherein modifying the at least one service image occurs before the service image is deployed to a designated one of the plurality of compute nodes,
• wherein the service image processing functions are defined at warehouse level processing functions including a virus checking applied to all service images in the service image warehouse and at service image level processing functions including locking down the modified at least one service image in the warehouse based on deploying the at least one service image to the designated one of the plurality of compute nodes.