Caching based operating system installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10185573-B2
Application number	US-201514876751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

An image of system software is installed by loading an executable image of the system software using a boot loader, where the executable image includes a kernel and a plurality of files used by the kernel. The kernel of the system software is executed to generate the image of the system software that includes a copy of the kernel. Generating the image of the system software involves the steps of generating a plurality of pointers that each point to a different one of the files, retrieving the files using the pointers, and storing a copy of the kernel and the files in a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the image of the system software.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of generating an image of system software from an executable image, comprising:
loading an executable image obtained from an external source into a memory, the executable image comprising a kernel, a plurality of files used by the kernel, and a copy of the kernel;
executing the kernel, the kernel being modified during execution;
partitioning a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the image of the system software according to a partition table;
generating a plurality of pointers, each pointing to a different one of the plurality of files stored in the memory;
retrieving the plurality of files from the memory using the pointers;
compressing each of the plurality of files used by the kernel upon retrieving the files using the pointers;
writing each of the compressed files to a partition in the storage device specified by the partition table;
obtaining a kernel object from a first data object stored in the memory, the kernel object comprising the copy of the kernel included as a file of the executable image, the copy of kernel corresponding to an unmodified version of the kernel;
writing the kernel object to a kernel object partition of the storage device specified by the partition table;
obtaining a boot loader object from a second data object stored in the memory; and
writing the boot loader object to the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the copy of the kernel is not in a compressed form.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the copy of the kernel is one of the plurality of files.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage device is partitioned according to a set of partition rules included in the executable image.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of files include at least one directory object.

6. A system for generating an image of system software from an executable image, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor configured to:
load the executable image obtained from an external source into the memory, the executable image comprising a kernel, a plurality of files used by the kernel, and a copy of the kernel;
execute the kernel, the kernel being modified during execution;
partition a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the image of the system software according to a partition table;
generate a plurality of pointers, each pointing to a different one of the files stored in the memory;
retrieve the plurality of files from the memory using the pointers;
compress each of the plurality of files used by the kernel upon retrieving the plurality of files using the pointers;
write each of the compressed files to a partition in the storage device specified by the partition table;
obtain a kernel object from a first data object stored in the memory;
write the kernel object to a kernel object partition of the storage device specified by the partition table, the kernel object comprising the copy of the kernel included as a file of the executable image, the copy of the kernel corresponding to an unmodified version of the kernel;
obtain a boot loader object from a second data object stored in the memory; and
write the boot loader object to the storage device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the copy of the kernel is not in a compressed form.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the copy of the kernel is one of the plurality of files.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the storage device is partitioned according to a set of partition rules included in the executable image.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of files include at least one directory object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate an install image of system software from an executable image, by performing the steps of:
loading the executable image obtained from an external source into a memory, the executable image comprising a kernel, a plurality of files used by the kernel, and a copy of the kernel;
executing the kernel, the kernel being modified during execution;
partitioning a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the install image of the system software according to a partition table;
generating a plurality of pointers stored in the memory, each pointing to a different one of the files;
retrieving the plurality of files from the memory using the pointers;
compressing each of the plurality of files used by the kernel upon retrieving the files using the pointers;
writing each of the compressed files to a partition in the storage device specified by the partition table;
obtaining a kernel object from a first data object stored in the memory;
writing the kernel object to a kernel object partition of the storage device specified by the partition table, the kernel object comprising the copy of the kernel included as a file of the executable image, the copy of the kernel corresponding to an unmodified version of the kernel;
obtaining a boot loader object from a second data object stored in the memory; and
writing the boot loader object to the storage device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the copy of the kernel is not in a compressed form.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the copy of the kernel is one of the plurality of files.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the storage device is partitioned according to a set of partition rules included in the executable image.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executable image includes the partition table.

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Hiltgen Daniel K
• Cremel Olivier A
• Devine Christopher P

Classifications

• G06F12/0875

  with dedicated cache, e.g. instruction or stack · CPC title

• G06F9/441 Primary

  Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded · CPC title

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F9/4408

  Boot device selection · CPC title

• G06F12/0871

  Allocation or management of cache space · CPC title