Abstract: An engine in a virtualization system may determine that a disk size of a disk represented by a virtual machine disk image is to be changed. In response, the engine determines whether a host is using the virtual machine disk image to run a virtual machine and also determines a file format of the virtual machine disk image. Based on the determination, the engine sends a request to change the disk size to a requested size to the host running the virtual machine or to a storage pool manager.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for preparing and using snapshots in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a first computer system prepares, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second computer system. The first computer system then provides to the second computer system a reference to the prepared snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for servicing requests to create live snapshots of a plurality of virtual disks in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a computer system issues one or more commands to create a first snapshot of a first virtual disk of a virtual machine and a second snapshot of a second virtual disk of the virtual machine while the virtual machine is running. The computer system determines that the creating of the second snapshot failed and, in response, destroys the first snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for live migration of a virtual disk of a virtual machine between storage devices. In accordance with one example, a computer system prepares a first area of a first storage device and a second area of a second storage device for a live snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine. A transaction is then executed that comprises: storing the live snapshot in the first area of the first storage device, copying the live snapshot to the second area of the second storage device, and mirroring a change to the virtual disk that occurs after the creation of the live snapshot, where the mirroring is via one or more write operations to the live snapshot in the first area and to the copy of the live snapshot in the second area.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for servicing requests to create live snapshots of a plurality of virtual disks in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a first computer system detects that a second computer system has issued one or more commands to create a first snapshot of a first virtual disk of a virtual machine and a second snapshot of a second virtual disk of the virtual machine while the virtual machine is running on the second computer system. In response to a determination that the creating of the second snapshot failed, the first computer system issues one or more commands to destroy the first snapshot and deallocate an area of a storage device that stores the first snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for cloning a live virtual machine (i.e., a virtual machine that is running). In accordance with one example, a computer system prepares an area of a storage device for a clone of a live virtual machine, and a transaction is then executed that comprises: creating the clone of the live virtual machine based on a live snapshot of the live virtual machine, copying the clone to the area of the storage device, and mirroring a change to a virtual disk of the live virtual machine that occurs after the live snapshot is created, wherein the mirroring is via one or more write operations to the virtual disk and to a replica of the virtual disk associated with the clone.

Abstract: A logical volume manager (LVM) may manage a plurality of logical volumes and a plurality of drives in a logical data storage using metadata stored on plurality of drives. The metadata may include a first set of permissions for a storage location in one of the logical volumes. The LVM may analyze permission data associated with the storage location and may override metadata (e.g., the permissions in the metadata) with a second set of permissions obtained from the permission data. The LVM may use the second set of permission data to access the storage location.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for preparing and using snapshots in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a first computer system prepares, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second computer system. The first computer system then provides to the second computer system a reference to the prepared snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for servicing requests to create live snapshots of a plurality of virtual disks in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a computer system issues one or more commands to create a first snapshot of a first virtual disk of a virtual machine and a second snapshot of a second virtual disk of the virtual machine while the virtual machine is running. The computer system determines that the creating of the second snapshot failed and, in response, destroys the first snapshot.

Abstract: A computing device receives a request from a host for a shared lock on a resource. The computing device obtains an exclusive lock on the resource using a locking data structure that is stored on the storage domain. The computing device subsequently obtains a shared lock on the resource for the host by writing a flag to the locking data structure, wherein the flag indicates that the host has the shared lock on the resource. The computing device then releases the exclusive lock on the resource.