Abstract: A computing device hosts a virtual machine executing a guest that issues guest hardware requests by way of any of a plurality of paths. Such paths include a path to non-existent virtual hardware, where an emulator intercepts and processes such guest hardware request with a corresponding actual hardware command; a path to an instantiated operating system, where the instantiated operating system processes each such guest hardware request with a corresponding actual hardware request; and a path to device hardware, where the device hardware directly processes each such guest hardware request.

Abstract: A method and system that combines efficient caching and buffering to provide a network file system, that may utilize data stored in one or more compressed image files of sequentially arranged byte stream data. As an application requests file opens and file reads of a file system, one or more drivers convert the block requests into HTTP: byte range requests or the like in order to retrieve the data from a remote server. As the data is received, it is reconverted and adjusted to match the application's request. Sequential block access patterns can be detected and used to request additional data in a single request, in anticipation of future block requests, thereby increasing efficiency. Local caching of received data, including caching after uncompressing received data that was compressed, further increases efficiency. A compressed file system format optimized for sequential access is also described that when used, further improves the efficient data access.

Abstract: A method and system that combines efficient caching and buffering to provide a network file system, that may utilize data stored in one or more compressed image files of sequentially arranged byte stream data. As an application requests file opens and file reads of a file system, one or more drivers convert the block requests into HTTP: byte range requests or the like in order to retrieve the data from a remote server. As the data is received, it is reconverted and adjusted to match the application's request. Sequential block access patterns can be detected and used to request additional data in a single request, in anticipation of future block requests, thereby increasing efficiency. Local caching of received data, including caching after uncompressing received data that was compressed, further increases efficiency. A compressed file system format optimized for sequential access is also described that when used, further improves the efficient data access.

Abstract: Lock-free resource handle resolution is provided by a handle management system that generates a hierarchy of handle mapping tables such that the number of mapping tables and the number of hierarchical levels can each increase dynamically. Resource handles are generated based on index values associated with pointers stored in the handle mapping tables. Handle resolution can be performed without having to lock the tables because changes to the hierarchical structure of handle mapping tables do not affect handle resolution processing for existing resource handles.

Abstract: A method and system that combines efficient caching and buffering to provide a network file system, that may utilize data stored in one or more compressed image files of sequentially arranged byte stream data. As an application requests file opens and file reads of a file system, one or more drivers convert the block requests into HTTP: byte range requests or the like in order to retrieve the data from a remote server. As the data is received, it is reconverted and adjusted to match the application's request. Sequential block access patterns can be detected and used to request additional data in a single request, in anticipation of future block requests, thereby increasing efficiency. Local caching of received data, including caching after uncompressing received data that was compressed, further increases efficiency. A compressed file system format optimized for sequential access is also described that when used, further improves the efficient data access.

Abstract: A method and system that combines efficient caching and buffering to provide a network file system, that may utilize data stored in one or more compressed image files of sequentially arranged byte stream data. As an application requests file opens and file reads of a file system, one or more drivers convert the block requests into HTTP: byte range requests or the like in order to retrieve the data from a remote server. As the data is received, it is reconverted and adjusted to match the application's request. Sequential block access patterns can be detected and used to request additional data in a single request, in anticipation of future block requests, thereby increasing efficiency. Local caching of received data, including caching after uncompressing received data that was compressed, further increases efficiency. A compressed file system format optimized for sequential access is also described that when used, further improves the efficient data access.