Synchronizing settings associated with virtual computing environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9792134-B1
Application number	US-201213725604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a computer system. During operation, the system detects a first change in a setting associated with a first computing environment executing on the computer system, wherein the first change is associated with at least one of an input/output (I/O) device setting, a regional setting, a network setting, a power setting, and a display setting. Next, the system propagates the first change to one or more other computing environments executing on the computer system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for operating a computer system, comprising:
detecting a first change in a setting associated with a first virtual computing environment executing on the computer system, wherein the first change is associated with at least one of an input/output (I/O) device setting, a regional setting, a network setting, a power setting, and a display setting, wherein the first change to the network setting comprises changes to Domain Name System (DNS) server setting, static Internet Protocol (IP) address setting, subnet setting, and a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP setting; and
propagating the first change to one or more other virtual computing environments executing on the computer system from a central location, resulting in a significant savings in resources.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual computing environment and the one or more virtual other computing environments comprise at least one of:
a guest operating system;
a hypervisor; and
a host operating system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
resolving a conflict between the first change and a second change in the setting from a second virtual computing environment from the one or more other virtual computing environments.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein resolving the conflict between the first change and the second change in the setting involves:
selecting a change in the setting from at least one of the first change and the second change; and
propagating the selected change among the first virtual computing environment and the one or more other virtual computing environments.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the conflict is resolved based on at least one of:
a set of priorities associated with the first and second virtual computing environments;
an order associated with the first and second changes; and
a policy associated with the first and second virtual computing environments.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first change is detected using at least one of a shim, a driver, a system call interposition, a listener, and a polling technique.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein propagating the first change to the one or more other virtual computing environments involves:
converting the first change into a canonical form; and
providing the canonical form to the one or more other virtual computing environments.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the first change is converted into the canonical form based on a policy associated with at least one of the first virtual computing environment and the one or more other virtual computing environments.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first change is applied immediately or saved for subsequent application by the one or more other virtual computing environments.

10. A system for operating a computer system, comprising:
a management apparatus configured to detect a first change in a setting associated with a first virtual computing environment executing on the computer system, wherein the first change is associated with at least one of an input/output (I/O) device setting, a regional setting, a network setting, a power setting, and a display setting, wherein the first change to the network setting comprises changes to Domain Name System (DNS) server setting, static Internet Protocol (IP) address setting, subnet setting, and a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP setting; and
a synchronization apparatus configured to propagate the first change to one or more other virtual computing environments executing on the computer system from a central location, resulting in significant reduction in resources.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the virtual computing environment and the one or more other virtual computing environments comprise at least one of:
a guest operating system;
a hypervisor; and
a host operating system.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the synchronization apparatus is further configured to:
resolve a conflict between the first change and a second change in the setting from a second virtual computing environment from the one or more other virtual computing environments.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the conflict is resolved based on at least one of:
a set of priorities associated with the first and second virtual computing environments;
an order associated with the first and second changes; and
a policy associated with the first and second virtual computing environments.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first change is detected using at least one of a shim, a driver, a system call interposition, a listener, and a polling technique.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein propagating the first change to the one or more other virtual computing environments involves:
converting the first change into a canonical form; and
providing the canonical form to the one or more other virtual computing environments.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for operating a computer system, the method comprising:
detecting a first change in a setting associated with a first virtual computing environment executing on the computer system, wherein the first change is associated with at least one of an input/output (I/O) device setting, a regional setting, a network setting, a power setting, and a display setting, wherein the first change to the network setting comprises changes to Domain Name System (DNS) server setting, static Internet Protocol (IP) address setting, subnet setting, and a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP setting; and
propagating the first change to one or more other virtual computing environments executing on the computer system from a central location resulting in a significant savings in resources.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the virtual computing environment and the one or more other virtual computing environments comprise at least one of:
a guest operating system;
a hypervisor; and
a host operating system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
resolving a conflict between the first change and a second change in the setting from a second virtual computing environment from the one or more other virtual computing environments.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the conflict is resolved based on at least one of:
a set of priorities associated with the first and second virtual computing environments;
an order associated with the first and second changes; and
a policy associated with the first and second virtual computing environments.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein propagating the first change to the one or more other virtual computing environments involves:
converting the first change into a canonical form; and
providing the canonical form to the one or more other virtual computing environments.

Assignees

• Open Invention Network Llc

Inventors

• Whaley John
• Purtell Ii Thomas Joseph
• Thomas Geoffrey G

Classifications

• G06F9/45533 Primary

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title