Abstract: A method of capturing and restoring an appliance image is described. An appliance image comprising one or more partitions of an appliance is accessed, wherein the appliance is installed at a first location on a first blade. Re-imaging instructions associated with the one or more partitions are received. The re-imaging instructions and a data store comprising a plurality of partition capture tools are compared. Based on the comparing, a captured appliance image is generated by utilizing one or more of the plurality of partition capture tools. Restore instructions to restore a captured appliance image onto a second blade are then received. Captured metadata is then accessed, wherein the captured metadata comprises the captured appliance image and the re-imaging instructions associated with the one or more partitions. Then, the re-imaging instructions are utilized to restore the captured appliance image onto the second blade.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for rate limiting network traffic flow of an untrusted application. A master module in a server environment manages network traffic flow restrictions. A slave module executes client applications in the server environment. A services module in the server environment executes a trusted application to validate the client application to the master module. A traffic restriction module on the master module sets network traffic restrictions when validation has not been received for the client application on the slave blade, and receives client application validations from the trusted application to unrestrict network traffic flow for the client application on the slave blade.

Abstract: A method for enabling a plurality of software appliances to be dynamically loaded onto a blade is described. During run-time and in response to receiving one or more sets of appliance loading instructions corresponding to one or more appliances, the one or more appliances is downloaded. Each appliance has a capability different from each other. The one or more appliances that are downloaded are stored at a first set of locations on a data store. Each of the first set of locations is different from each other. A first appliance of the one or more appliances that are stored is then installed at a second location on the data store. Then, the first appliance that is installed is booted on the blade.

Abstract: A method for enabling a plurality of software appliances to be dynamically loaded onto a blade is described. During run-time and in response to receiving one or more sets of appliance loading instructions corresponding to one or more appliances, the one or more appliances is downloaded. Each appliance has a capability different from each other. The one or more appliances that are downloaded are stored at a first set of locations on a data store. Each of the first set of locations is different from each other. A first appliance of the one or more appliances that are stored is then installed at a second location on the data store. Then, the first appliance that is installed is booted on the blade.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for rate limiting network traffic flow of an untrusted application. A master module in a server environment manages network traffic flow restrictions. A slave module executes client applications in the server environment. A services module in the server environment executes a trusted application to validate the client application to the master module. A traffic restriction module on the master module sets network traffic restrictions when validation has not been received for the client application on the slave blade, and receives client application validations from the trusted application to unrestrict network traffic flow for the client application on the slave blade.

Abstract: A method of activating a network appliance that can include obtaining a computer hardware module having installed an open architecture operating system and licensing architecture software with a hardware module identification, receiving a user registration identification that is preconfigured in accordance with a user's selection compute resource application(s) for a selected duration of time, and submitting the hardware module identification and user registration identification to an internet-based license database server for providing an activation license or install key.