Constructing virtual images for interdependent applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016139908-A1
Application number	US-201514836571-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique for automating the construction of multiple virtual images with interdependencies includes creating a first virtual image (VI) instance by extending a first base VI based on input values associated with the first base VI and software bundles associated with the first base VI. A second VI instance is created by extending a second base VI based on input values associated with the second base VI, instance values received from the first VI instance, dependency instance values received from a deployed dependency instance, and software bundles associated with the second base VI. The first and second VI instances are then deployed to designated machines in a cloud environment for execution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to automate the construction of multiple virtual images with interdependencies, comprising:
creating, using a data processing system, a first virtual image (VI) instance by extending a first base VI based on input values associated with the first base VI and software bundles associated with the first base VI; creating, using the data processing system, a second VI instance by extending a second base VI based on input values associated with the second base VI, instance values received from the first VI instance, dependency instance values received from a deployed dependency instance, and software bundles associated with the second base VI; and deploying, using the data processing system, the first and second VI instances to designated virtual machines in a cloud environment for execution.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a third VI instance by extending a third base VI based on input values associated with the third base VI, instance values received from the second VI instance, and software bundles associated with the third base VI.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
creating a fourth VI instance by extending a fourth base VI based on input values associated with a fourth base VI, instance values received from the third VI instance, and software bundles associated with the fourth base VI.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to completing creation of the second VI instance, storing the first and second VI instances in a repository.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to deploying the first and second VI instances, deleting locally stored copies of the first and second VI instances.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a source control management product executes an automation process that initiates a build image creation process to create the first and second VI instances.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the source management control product also deploys the dependency instance values of target products in a deployment tool.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input values include a host name, a port name, a repository name, one or more user names, and one or more user passwords associated with the first base VI, the software bundles include applications, the instance values received from the first VI instance include a host name, a port name, and a repository name, and the dependency instance values include one or more host names, port names, and repository names for applications that have interdependencies.

9 . A method for integrating virtual images (VIs) in a cloud deployment pattern, comprising:
setting, by a data processing system, a variable for each of the VIs in the cloud deployment pattern to a deploy time value to create a name value pair; storing, by the data processing system, the name value pair in an assignment file; and pushing, by the data processing system, the assignment file to virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud deployment pattern.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the setting a variable, storing the name value pair, and pushing the assignment file are performed by a script package that is executed by one of the VMs, and wherein the assignment file is only pushed to the VMs that do not execute the script package.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
storing the assignment file in a same directory in all of the VMs.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
adding an Internet protocol, fully qualified domain name, short name, and product alias for each of the VIs to a system information file; and pushing the system information file to the VMs.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the VMs is further configured to append contents of the system information file to a mapping file to facilitate communication between the VMs via an alias using secure shell.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Griffith John A
• Loewengruber Joseph P
• Rhames Daniel P
• Riedel Philip R
• Tipton Sandra L

Classifications

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• G06F8/63 Primary

  Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order · CPC title

• G06F9/5055

  considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine · CPC title

• G06F2009/45562

  Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances · CPC title