Patents Assigned to VMware
  • Publication number: 20140032850
    Abstract: Embodiments present a virtual disk image to applications such as virtual machines (VMs) executing on a computing device. The virtual disk image corresponds to one or more subparts of binary large objects (blobs) of data stored by a cloud service, and is implemented in a log structured format. Grains of the virtual disk image are cached by the computing device. The computing device caches only a subset of the grains and performs write operations without blocking the applications to reduce storage latency perceived by the applications. Some embodiments enable the applications that lack enterprise class storage to benefit from enterprise class cloud storage services.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Phelan, Erik Cota-Robles, David William Barry, Adam Back
  • Publication number: 20140032767
    Abstract: A source virtual machine (VM) hosted on a source server is migrated to a destination VM on a destination server without first powering down the source VM. After optional pre-copying of the source VM's memory to the destination VM, the source VM is suspended and its non-memory state is transferred to the destination VM; the destination VM is then resumed from the transferred state. The source VM memory is either paged into the destination VM on demand, or is transferred asynchronously by pre-copying and write-protecting the source VM memory, and then later transferring only the modified pages after the destination VM is resumed. The source and destination servers preferably share common storage, in which the source VM's virtual disk is stored; this avoids the need to transfer the virtual disk contents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael NELSON
  • Publication number: 20140032775
    Abstract: Methods, techniques, and systems for user interface remoting using video streaming techniques are provided. Example embodiments provide User Interface Remoting and Optimization System (“UIROS”), which enables the efficient remoting of pixel-oriented user interfaces on behalf of their guests using generic video streaming techniques, such as H.264, to send compressed user interface image information in the form of video frame encoded bitstreams. In one embodiment, the UIROS comprises server side support including a UI remoting server, a video encoder, and rendering support and client side support including a UI remoting client, a video decoder, and a display. These components cooperate to implement optimized UI remoting that is bandwidth efficient, low latency and CPU efficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Salim Abiezzi, Keith Whitwell
  • Publication number: 20140032761
    Abstract: Techniques for resource allocation are described. Some embodiments provide a resource allocation manager configured to dynamically allocate physical computing resources amongst multiple virtual machines hosted on a physical computing system. The resource allocation manager receives information about the importance of activities that can occur on the multiple virtual machines. Activities may include or be based on virtual machine states, virtual desktop states, business activities or processes performed by users, or the like. Then, the resource allocation manager determines that an activity is occurring on one of the virtual machines. In response, the resource allocation manager reallocates physical computing resources of the physical computing system that are assigned or available to the one virtual machine, based on the occurring activity and its corresponding importance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel James BEVERIDGE
  • Publication number: 20140033309
    Abstract: A system that includes a memory and processor is provided. The processor is programmed to receive input data, determine that the input data is tainted, store the tainted input data in a location in the memory, and based on storing the tainted input data in the location, label the location as a tainted location. The processor is further programmed to assign a triggering event to the tainted location such that an action is initiated when the triggering event has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Edward N. LEAKE, Geoffrey PIKE
  • Publication number: 20140032515
    Abstract: A method for performing I/O operations on a file stored in a file system utilizing a shared data storage system and accessible by a plurality of host computers is disclosed. A host computer receives from a process executing on it, a request to read data stored in the file. The host computer then requests the data stored in the file without acquiring a lock from the file system. The host computer also maintains a timeout value associated with the file while reading the data. The host computer receives at least a portion of the data prior to an expiration of time, and if all the data has not been received before the expiration of time, it then assesses whether another of the host computers has acquired a lock on the file, and, if so, invalidates the received data without providing it to the requesting process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Satyam B. VAGHANI, Murali Vilayannur
  • Publication number: 20140029676
    Abstract: Methods, techniques, and systems for user interface remoting using video streaming techniques are provided. Example embodiments provide User Interface Remoting and Optimization System (“UIROS”), which enables the efficient remoting of user interfaces on behalf of their guests using generic video streaming techniques, such as H.264, to send compressed user interface image information in the form of video frame encoded bitstreams. With application cooperation, pixels are explicitly cached on the server using lookahead methods to lower latency in remoting the user interface for certain operations. In one embodiment, the UIROS comprises server side support including a UI remoting server, a video encoder, and rendering support and client side support including a UI remoting client, a video decoder, and a display. These components cooperate to implement optimized UI remoting that is bandwidth efficient, low latency and CPU efficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Salim ABIEZZI
  • Patent number: 8640126
    Abstract: A server-based desktop-virtual machines architecture may be extended to a client machine. In one embodiment, a user desktop is remotely accessed from a client system. The remote desktop is generated by a first virtual machine running on a server system, which may comprise one or more server computers. During execution of the first virtual machine, writes to a corresponding virtual disk are directed to a delta disk file or redo log. A copy of the virtual disk is created on the client system. When a user decides to “check out” his or her desktop, the first virtual machine is terminated (if it is running) and a copy of the delta disk is created on the client system. Once the delta disk is present on the client system, a second virtual machine can be started on the client system using the virtual disk and delta disk to provide local access to the user's desktop at the client system. This allows the user to then access his or her desktop without being connected to a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Yaron Halperin, Jad Chamcham, Christian M. Leroy, Gerald I. L. Cheong, Matthew Eccleston, Ji Feng
  • Patent number: 8639917
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for desktop streaming over wide area networks. In one embodiment, a computer comprises logic stored in one or more storage media. The logic is configured to receive a first request for a desktop image comprising a collection of files, and to segment the desktop image into a prefetch set, a streaming set, and a leave-behind set. The prefetch set includes a smallest subset of files, in the collection of files, that is needed for a boot up without requiring retrieval of additional files. The streaming set includes those files, in the collection of files, that are to be sent after the boot up. The leave-behind set includes those files, in the collection of files, that are to be sent when specifically requested. In response to the first request, the logic is configured to send the prefetch set to a computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Israel Ben-Shaul, Ady Degany, Shahar Glixman, Eytan Heidingsfeld, Yehuda Itzhakov, Leonid Vasetsky, Barak Yagour, Tal Zamir
  • Publication number: 20140025820
    Abstract: A method of acquiring a lock by a node, on a shared resource in a system of a plurality of interconnected nodes, is disclosed. Each node that competes for a lock on the shared resource maintains a list of locks currently owned by the node. A lock metadata is maintained on a shared storage that is accessible to all nodes that may compete for locks on shared resources. A heartbeat region is maintained on a shared resource corresponding to each node so nodes can register their liveness. A lock state is maintained in the lock metadata in the shared storage. A lock state may indicate lock held exclusively, lock free or lock in managed mode. If the lock is held in the managed mode, the ownership of the lock can be transferred to another node without a use of a mutual exclusion primitive such as the SCSI reservation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Mayank RAWAT, Jinyuan LI, Murali VILAYANNUR, Daniel J. SCALES
  • Publication number: 20140026057
    Abstract: Techniques for remote application access are described. Some embodiments provide access to an application executing on a host system via a Web browser of a client device. A user operating the Web browser may request access to the application via a uniform resource identifier. A service executing on the host system receives the request and facilitates access to the application. Facilitating access may include transmitting to the Web browser image data corresponding to a window or graphical user interface generated by the application and stored on the host system. Client logic executing within the Web browser receives the image data and displays a local copy of the application window on the client device. The client logic also forwards user input events made with respect to the to the local window to the remote presentation service, which in turn forwards the events to the window/application on the host system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew KIMPTON, Jonathan CLARK, Sarel Kobus JOOSTE
  • Publication number: 20140025821
    Abstract: MAC addresses are flexibly and dynamically allocated across groups of devices that need MAC addresses. MAC address pools are defined for the groups by non-overlapping ranges of MAC addresses. The range of MAC addresses defined for any pool may be shrunk to support an expansion of the range of MAC addresses of another pool. The maximum number of universally-administered MAC addresses that can be defined for any MAC address pool is greater than 216, and the maximum number of locally-administered MAC addresses that can be defined for any MAC address pool is greater than 238.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Mukesh BAPHNA, Chi-Hsiang Su, Jia Yu
  • Patent number: 8635493
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method attempts, by a computing device, to determine a placement of a set of virtual machines on available hosts upon failure of a host. The placement considers the set of virtual machines as being not powered on any of the available hosts. The method further determines, by the computing device, a placed list of virtual machines in the set of virtual machines as a recommendation to power on to the available hosts. The determination of the placed list of virtual machines is used to determine a power off list of virtual machines in the set of virtual machines to power off, wherein virtual machines in the power off list of virtual machines are currently powered on available hosts but were considered to be powered off to determine the placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Elisha Ziskind, Guoqiang Shu
  • Patent number: 8635330
    Abstract: A method and system for automatically learning and identifying web applications. The method discovers and identifies transactions, web applications, their modules, interfaces, and relationship between the modules. The method further includes dynamically creating application definers is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Asaf Wexler, Yoav Dembak
  • Patent number: 8635395
    Abstract: A virtual machine is suspended and quickly restarted while maintaining the VM's state. The method is quick enough so that network connections are maintained across the restart and the guest operating system and guest applications running in the VM are not aware of the restart. As a result, users and clients connected to the VM do not notice any downtime or disruption to the VM. After suspension and before the restart, VM configuration changes that would not be possible or be very difficult through code changes alone while the VM was running can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Osten Kit Colbert
  • Publication number: 20140019969
    Abstract: A method is provided for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and that includes a physical storage adapter, the configures a virtual machine (VM) and a virtual function (VF) to support IO operations to physical storage through a direct IOV path to the VF of the physical storage adapter, the method comprises: creating by the virtualization intermediary mapping information that includes a first mapping between virtual disks and physical regions of physical storage and that includes a second mapping between virtual disks and virtual disk addresses; transmitting the mapping information from the virtualization intermediary over the physical storage adapter from a physical function (PF) of the physical storage adapter to the VF; associating a virtual port with the mapping information within the virtualization intermediary; binding the virtual port to the VF; communicating virtual disk addresses indicated within the second mapping within the tra
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward J. Goggin, Hariharan Subramanian, Sanjana Aswani
  • Publication number: 20140019962
    Abstract: A method and a system scan a virtual machine (VM). The method stores a first copy of a scan token associated with a first scan operation within a VM and stores a second copy of the scan token in a database accessible by a management module. Upon restarting of the VM, a scan token in the restarted VM is compared with a scan token associated with the restarted VM in the database. The scan token in the restarted VM is current when the scan token in the restarted VM matches the scan token in the database. A first scan operation is resumed on the restarted VM when it is determined that the scan token in the restarted VM is current, and a new first scan operation of the restarted VM is initiated when it is determined that the scan token in the restarted VM is not current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Lionel LITTY, Samuel LARSEN, Gilad Arie WOLFF, Marios LEVENTOPOULOS, James KIRYAKOZA
  • Patent number: 8631403
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for performing management tasks in a virtual infrastructure are presented. The method includes detecting an increase, beyond a predetermined threshold, in the number of tasks waiting to be processed by a first virtual center (VC), which executes as a virtual machine (VM) in the virtual infrastructure. Further, the method includes operations for spawning one or more additional VCs executing as VMs in the virtual infrastructure and for distributing the managed objects handled by the first VC among the additional VCs. The tasks waiting to be processed are reallocated among the first VC and the additional VCs, and the reallocated tasks are then processed by the corresponding VC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijayaraghavan Soundararajan, Shicong Meng
  • Patent number: 8631066
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a request to generate a state checkpoint of a computer is initiated within a user-level software entity, such as a virtual machine. Upon sensing the request, a checkpointing mechanism generates and stores at least one checkpoint, each checkpoint comprising a representation of the total state of the computer system. Upon sensing a state restoration request corresponding to one of the checkpoints, the checkpointing mechanism restores the checkpointed state in the computer, which can then resume operation from the restored total state. According to another aspect of the invention, a total checkpointed state is exported to another computer, where the state can be modified, for example, debugged, and then loaded into either the originally checkpointed computer (which, again, may be a virtual machine), or some other computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Beng-Hong Lim, Edouard Bugnion, Scott Devine
  • Patent number: 8631065
    Abstract: The present invention is, in one embodiment, a system and method based on a client-server architecture for seamlessly integrating various information systems. In one embodiment, a bundle of files is deployed to a collaboration client, in order to enable the integration of the collaboration client with disparate information systems and content. In one embodiment, content within a mailbox item is allowed to become a “live” object, and is associated with trigger events, and actions, including sending all or part of the content to a separate information system. In one embodiment, mailbox items are subjected to predefined searches to assess whether they include certain content objects. In another embodiment, panel item elements are visible in the overview panel of the collaboration client. The user may interact with the panel items by dragging content onto them, double clicking them, and invoking actions from a context menu if one is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Dargahi, Kevin M. Henrikson, Roland J. Schemers, Jong Yoon Lee