Abstract: A system and computer program product for optimizing virtual storage in a virtual computer system including at least one virtual machine, each virtual machine being associated with one or more virtual disks. A target set of virtual machines among the virtual machines comprised in the virtual computer system is determined based on information related to the virtual machines and on shrinking constraints. For each virtual machine in the target set of virtual machines, each virtual disk associated with the virtual machine is identified. Furthermore, for each virtual disk associated with the virtual machine, the following occurs: the virtual disk is analyzed, a virtual disk saving quantity based on the virtual disk analysis is estimated, a resized virtual disk based on the estimated virtual disk saving quantity is generated, and the current virtual disk is replaced with the resized virtual disk.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for managing one or more virtual appliances on a computing system. For a specific virtual appliance, profile information indicative of a set of profiles of the specific virtual appliance is retrieved, status information indicative of a status of the computing system is retrieved, and constraint information indicative of one or more constraints applicable to one or more software programs of the specific virtual appliance on the computing system is retrieved. A determination is made of a configuration scheme of the specific virtual appliance according to the profile information, the status information, and the constraint information. The configuration scheme a specific profile of the set of profiles of the specific virtual appliance having the one or more software programs thereof compliant with the applicable constraints. The specific virtual appliance is configured according to the configuration scheme.

Abstract: A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product deploys software images onto a computing system. A first computing machine is instantiated from a software image onto a computing system. The first computing machine has a first old access identifier, and is initially connected to a second computing machine in the computing system via a second old access identifier for the second computing machine. The second computing machine is reconfigured to have a new access identifier by: retrieving the new access identifier for said second computing machine, and associating the new access identifier with the second old access identifier; and redirecting each outbound communication, from the first old access identifier to the second old access identifier, to the new access identifier of the second computing machine.

Abstract: A software application distributed as a virtual appliance is automatically installed, updated and removed in a virtual machine system running on top of a virtual machine monitor in a computer. The software application virtual appliance comprises a virtual disk, which is automatically detected and installed or removed at the customer by a virtual disk activation manager program, which executes scripts including commands through an API to the virtual machine monitor. The virtual appliance virtual disk is also created automatically by the software manufacturing using the virtual disk activation manager program. The virtual appliance virtual disk stores the binaries of the software application, a software package created by the software manufacturer using a software package tool, an installer to execute the software package, installation and un-installation scripts and a unique identifier which is a signature for the virtual machine virtual disk.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for managing pre-requisite software components of a software product distributed on a virtual machine. A list of pre-requisite software components for the software product provided in the software product virtual image distribution package of the software product virtual image is read. A test is performed as to whether each pre-requisite software component in the list of prerequisite software components is not installed in the virtual machine. If the prerequisite software component is not installed, the pre-requisite software component is retrieved. License text of the retrieved pre-requisite software component is read and displayed to a user. Upon approval of the license text by the user, the retrieved pre-requisite software component is installed. The process is repeated until all the pre-requisite software components are installed.

Abstract: A software application distributed as a virtual appliance is automatically installed, updated and removed in a virtual machine system running on top of a virtual machine monitor in a computer. The software application virtual appliance comprises a virtual disk, which is automatically detected and installed or removed at the customer by a virtual disk activation manager program, which executes scripts including commands through an API to the virtual machine monitor. The virtual appliance virtual disk is also created automatically by the software manufacturing using the virtual disk activation manager program. The virtual appliance virtual disk stores the binaries of the software application, a software package created by the software manufacturer using a software package tool, an installer to execute the software package, installation and un-installation scripts and a unique identifier which is a signature for the virtual machine virtual disk.

Abstract: A solution for updating at least one software product installed on a virtual machine, including providing a software image of at least one new virtual disk storing a new level of the software product together with new metadata including an indication of at least one new activation procedure of the new level of the software product, and replacing a current level of the software product with the new level of the software product, the current level of the software product being stored in at least one current virtual disk of the virtual machine together with current metadata including current activation information of the current level of the software product, where the replacing includes removing at least one current virtual disk from the virtual machine; adding at least one new virtual disk to the virtual machine; and running at least one new activation procedure according to the current activation information.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for managing one or more virtual appliances on a computing system. For a specific virtual appliance, profile information indicative of a set of profiles of the specific virtual appliance is retrieved, status information indicative of a status of the computing system is retrieved, and constraint information indicative of one or more constraints applicable to one or more software programs of the specific virtual appliance on the computing system is retrieved. A determination is made of a configuration scheme of the specific virtual appliance according to the profile information, the status information, and the constraint information. The configuration scheme a specific profile of the set of profiles of the specific virtual appliance having the one or more software programs thereof compliant with the applicable constraints. The specific virtual appliance is configured according to the configuration scheme.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for distributing a service implemented by a plurality of infra-connected source virtual machines on a source computing environment. Characteristic information of the service comprising an indication of the intra-connected source virtual machines and of each intra-connection between the intra-connected source virtual machines is discovered. The source virtual machines are copied into corresponding target virtual machines on a target computing environment. Reconfiguration information of at least one selected target virtual machine of the target virtual machines is saved that has a source identity of the corresponding source virtual machine in the source computing environment being reconfigured into a target identity of the at least one selected target virtual machine in the target computing environment.

Abstract: Maintenance of a virtual appliance is provided. The virtual appliance comprises a set of software components each one installed on a corresponding virtual machine. A maintenance descriptor is provided comprising an indication of a new level of at least each one of the software components to be updated thereto. For each software component indicated in the maintenance descriptor, a current level is determined of the software component that is installed on the corresponding virtual machine. A set of old ones of the software components to be actually updated is determined according to a comparison between the corresponding current levels and new levels. The virtual appliance is then cloned. The cloned virtual appliance is updated by updating each old software component thereof to the new level. The virtual appliance is now replaced by the updated cloned virtual appliance.

Abstract: Predetermined multimedia services are provided to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). A request is received at a placement server of a multimedia service by at least one user, and the placement server retrieves on a presence server information about the at least one user. The placement server identifies application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service, and the placement server selects an application server that is located a minimum average distance from at least one user. In response to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, a local application server is selected with an average distance from the user that is less than the predetermined threshold. A virtual image of the multimedia application is created on the selected local application server, and a connection is established between the user and the selected local application server.

Abstract: Predetermined multimedia services are provided to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). A request is received at a placement server of a multimedia service by at least one user, and the placement server retrieves on a presence server information about the at least one user. The placement server identifies application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service, and the placement server selects an application server that is located a minimum average distance from at least one user. In response to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, a local application server is selected with an average distance from the user that is less than the predetermined threshold. A virtual image of the multimedia application is created on the selected local application server, and a connection is established between the user and the selected local application server.

Abstract: Software is managed in a virtual desktop environment by discovering virtual appliances contained in the virtual desktop environment, and for each virtual appliance discovering the virtual machines belonging to the virtual appliance. Software is further managed by discovering the standalone virtual machines comprised in the virtual desktop environment, and for each discovered virtual machine, introspecting each virtual machine to detect non-virtual applications and virtualized applications running in the virtual machine. For each detected application, identification is made of the operating system on which the application is running.

Abstract: In an embodiment for deploying a new virtual appliance (225) on a data processing center (100) structure information of the new virtual appliance is determined (509-521). The structure information of the new virtual appliance includes an indication of the new virtual machines and an indication of the new software programs of each new virtual machine. Configuration information indicative of a current configuration of the data processing center is retrieved (527). License condition information indicative of license conditions applicable to the data processing center is also retrieved (530-533). A deployment scheme of the virtual appliance on the data processing center is then determined (539,548). The determination of the deployment scheme is performed by optimizing a cost function based on the license condition information, the configuration information and the structure information, and the new virtual appliance may be deployed (551) according to the deployment scheme.

Abstract: A solution is proposed for deploying a virtual appliance onto a data processing system. A corresponding, method comprises instantiating the virtual appliance with a basic configuration onto the data processing system, determining a value of each one of a set of environmental features at a virtual data processing environment associated with the virtual appliance, and downloading a set of local software programs corresponding to the values of at least part of the environmental features onto the virtual appliance.

Abstract: In an embodiment for deploying a new virtual appliance (225) on a data processing center (100) structure information of the new virtual appliance is determined (509-521). The structure information of the new virtual appliance includes an indication of the new virtual machines and an indication of the new software programs of each new virtual machine. Configuration information indicative of a current configuration of the data processing center is retrieved (527). License condition information indicative of license conditions applicable to the data processing center is also retrieved (530-533). A deployment scheme of the virtual appliance on the data processing center is then determined (539,548). The determination of the deployment scheme is performed by optimizing a cost function based on the license condition information, the configuration information and the structure information, and the new virtual appliance may be deployed (551) according to the deployment scheme.

Abstract: A solution is proposed for deploying a virtual appliance onto a data processing system. A corresponding method comprises instantiating the virtual appliance with a basic configuration onto the data processing system, determining a value of each one of to set of environmental features of a virtual data processing environment associated with the virtual appliance, and downloading a set of local software programs corresponding to the values of at least part of the environmental features onto the virtual appliance.

Abstract: A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product deploys software images onto a computing system. A first computing machine is instantiated from a software image onto a computing system. The first computing machine has a first old access identifier, and is initially connected to a second computing machine in the computing system via a second old access identifier for the second computing machine. The second computing machine is reconfigured to have a new access identifier by: retrieving the new access identifier for said second computing machine, and associating the new access identifier with the second old access identifier; and redirecting each outbound communication, from the first old access identifier to the second old access identifier, to the new access identifier of the second computing machine.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product runs a virtual appliance in a distributed computing system. One or more predefined parameters, indicative of respective operating characteristics of the virtual appliance while running, are monitored. Time dependent values of the one or more predefined parameters are collected during the monitoring time period. For each of the one or more predefined parameters, a metric value from the time-dependent values of the parameter is derived. The metric values are evaluated, based on the constraints. In response to a determination that at least one metric value is violating at least part of the constraints, a second set of resources is allocated to the virtual appliance and a second set of virtual machines are determined for deploying the virtual appliance, in order to satisfy the constraints.

Abstract: A virtual machine belonging to a virtual computer environment is selectively cloned by retrieving information about applications available in a parent virtual machine to be cloned, and for each application, further retrieving information about a virtual disk associated with the application. Cloning is further performed by identifying a target environment on which the clone is to run, retrieving information about the target environment and calculating a clone of the virtual machine based at least in part, upon retrieved information. Calculating a clone further includes introspecting the virtual disks of the virtual machine. Cloning a virtual machine further comprises generating the clone to the target environment, based on the calculated clone.