Virtual machine image distribution network

A computer implemented method for retrieving a virtual machine image from an image distribution network, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a computer, a request to download the virtual machine image;
• identifying, by the computer, chunks of the virtual machine image that are locally present;
• mapping, by the computer, the chunks of the virtual machine image that are not locally present to one or more unique resource locator addresses in the image distribution network;
• retrieving, by the computer, the chunks of the virtual machine image that are not locally present;
• determining, by the computer, whether a sufficient number of the chunks of the virtual machine image has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image based on retrieval of a specially marked chunk that indicates the sufficient number of the chunks has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image;
• and
• responsive to the computer determining that the sufficient number of the chunks of the virtual machine image has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image based on the retrieval of the specially marked chunk that indicates the sufficient number of the chunks has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image, instantiating, by the computer, the virtual machine image.

A computer program product for distributing a virtual machine image to an image distribution network, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to receive the virtual machine image for publication on the image distribution network;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to divide the virtual machine image into chunks;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to create a unique resource identifier for each of the chunks;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to create a virtual machine image reassembly file for the virtual machine image, wherein the unique resource identifier for each of the chunks of the virtual machine image is prioritized in an order within the virtual machine image reassembly file based on a temporal access sequence pattern of the chunks by a running virtual machine, and wherein the unique resource identifier for each of the chunks is associated with one or more unique resource identifiers of other chunks based on a chunk access pattern between the chunks of the virtual machine image.

A computer program product for retrieving a virtual machine image from an image distribution network, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to receive a request to download the virtual machine image;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to identify chunks of the virtual machine image that are locally present;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to map the chunks of the virtual machine image that are not locally present to one or more unique resource locator addresses in the image distribution network;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to retrieve the chunks of the virtual machine image that are not locally present;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, to determine whether a sufficient number of the chunks of the virtual machine image has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image based on retrieval of a specially marked chunk that indicates the sufficient number of the chunks has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, responsive to determining that the sufficient number of the chunks of the virtual machine image has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image based on the retrieval of the specially marked chunk that indicates the sufficient number of the chunks has been retrieved to instantiate the virtual machine image, to instantiate the virtual machine image.