Dynamic generation of VM instance at time of invocation

摘要

Responsive to a request to invoke a given virtual machine (VM) instance, a base VM instance corresponding to a number of VM instances, including the given VM instance, is retrieved. A VM change file particular to just the given VM instance is also retrieved. The VM change file indicates how the given VM instance varies from the base VM instance. The VM change file is applied to the base VM instance to dynamically generate the given VM instance, and the given VM instance is then invoked. Responsive to a request to subsequently shutdown the given VM instance, the VM change file is updated to reflect how the given VM instance varies from the base VM instance. The given VM instance is then shutdown and deleted.

主权项

1. A method, executed by a processor, comprising, in response to a request to invoke a given virtual machine (VM) instance for a given user:
retrieving a base VM instance corresponding to a plurality of VM instances for a plurality of users, including the given VM instance for the given user; retrieving a VM change file particular to just the given VM instance, the VM change file indicating how the given VM instance varies from the base VM instance for the given user, the VM change file corresponding to the given user and being one of a plurality of given VM change files, each given VM change file corresponding to a different user; applying the VM change file to the base VM instance to dynamically generate the given VM instance; invoking the given VM instance as has been dynamically generated, wherein the given VM instance is not dynamically generated until the request to invoke the given VM instance has been received from the given user, determining that the plurality of VM instances are all to be updated; and in response to determining that the plurality of VM instances are all to be updated, applying a VM update file to the base VM instance to update the base VM instance, such that the VM instances are updated without having to update each VM instance individually.