Methods and systems that can launch applications into existing isolation environments do so by executing a run module on a computing machine to intercept requests to execute an application. A client communicating with the computing machine generates requests to execute an application on the computing machine. A run module identifies a profile associated with the requested application and queries an application delivery service to identify at least one isolation environment that corresponds to the profile. The run module receives from the application delivery service a response that identifies a first isolation environment associated with the application, and issues a command to a launch module to launch the application into the first isolation environment.

Methods and systems for launching applications into existing isolation environments

Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for sharing data objects in runtime systems. An identification of a first data object in a first runtime system is received. The first data object references zero or more referenced data objects. A shared closure of data objects, which consists of the first data object and a transitive closure of the referenced data objects, is identified, and a determination is made as to whether the shared closure of data objects is usable in a second runtime system. In some implementations, determining whether a shared closure is usable in a second runtime system includes determining whether each data object in the shared closure is serializable without execution of custom code, or determining whether the runtime class of each object instance in the shared closure is shareable. Using shared closures to share objects between runtime systems can provide isolation between user sessions.

Sharing objects in runtime systems

A method for migrating a virtual machine disk (VM disk) from first physical storage to second physical storage while the virtual machine (VM) is running, the method comprising: (a) taking a snapshot of the VM disk as represented by a first parent VM disk stored on the first physical storage, whereby a first child VM disk is created on one of the first or second physical storage; (b) copying the first parent VM disk to the second physical storage as a second parent VM disk; (c) re-parenting the first VM child disk to the second parent VM disk; and (d) consolidating the first child VM disk and the second parent VM disk.

Online virtual machine disk migration

A system and method for instantiation of a virtual machine (VM) in a datacenter includes providing a network appliance in a location for listening to management information traffic. Indices are created for data center images in the network appliance. VM instantiation requests are intercepted in the network appliance. Locations from which blocks for the VM should be fetched based upon network cost are determined. VM image blocks are populated from the locations.

System and method for assisting virtual machine instantiation and migration

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for using process attachable virtual machines to provide isolation between user sessions in a scalable manner, enabling a server to robustly process requests corresponding to a large number of user sessions. The methods and apparatus include initializing a process attachable virtual machine for a user session, receiving a request corresponding to the user session, and binding the process attachable virtual machine to an operating system process to process the request.

Process attachable virtual machines

Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for sharing objects in runtime systems and for providing isolation between user sessions in a scalable manner. A user context corresponding to a user session is stored in a shared memory area. Upon receiving a request corresponding to the user session, a process is selected from a set of operating system processes, and a runtime system is selected from a set of runtime systems. The runtime system is bound to the process, and the user context is associated with the runtime system to process the request. In some implementations, sharing user contexts enables virtual machines to be used in a shared but isolated manner: Each user context can be exclusively associated with an available virtual machine from a fixed set of virtual machines, and each virtual machine can be exclusively executed in an available process from a fixed set of processes.

Robust sharing of runtime systems

{SAP} {VM} Container: Using Process Attachable Virtual Machines to Provide Isolation and Scalability for Large Servers

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for using process attachable virtual machines to provide isolation between user sessions in a scalable manner, thereby enabling a server to robustly process requests corresponding to a large number of user sessions. The methods and apparatus include initializing a process attachable virtual machine for a user session, receiving a request corresponding to the user session, and binding the process attachable virtual machine to an operating system process to process the request.

Edgar Lott

Papers

Sharing objects in runtime systems

Process attachable virtual machines

Robust sharing of runtime systems

{SAP} {VM} Container: Using Process Attachable Virtual Machines to Provide Isolation and Scalability for Large Servers

Providing isolation through process attachable virtual machines