Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for extracting and adapting system configuration. The method extracts a first configuration from a first node of a first hosting system. The first node includes several resources for hosting the first configuration. The method analyzes the first configuration in order to determine attributes of the first configuration. The determined attributes are relevant to hosting the first configuration on a second node of a second hosting system having several nodes. The method generates a second configuration based on the determined attributes. The method hosts the second configuration at the second node of the second hosting system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for automated configuration of a set of resources for hosting a virtual machine at a particular node in a hosting system. The hosting system includes several nodes for hosting virtual machines. The method, at a first virtual machine operating using a first set of resources of the particular node, receives a user-specified virtual machine configuration for a second virtual machine to be hosted on a second set of resources of the particular node. The method retrieves, to the first virtual machine, a software image from a computer readable hardware medium storing several software images based on the user-specified virtual machine configuration. The method modifies the retrieved software image according to the user-specified virtual machine configuration. The method configures the second set resources using the modified software image.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a graphical user interface for receiving a server configuration (e.g., receiving a new configuration or a modification to an existing configuration). The graphical user interface (UI) includes several UI control elements for defining components of the server configuration. It also includes a display area for displaying graphical representations of the defined components of the server configuration. Examples of control elements in some embodiments include control elements for adding, deleting, and modifying servers. In some embodiments, at least one control element is displayed when a cursor control operation is performed on the UI. The cursor control operation (e.g., a right hand click operation) in some embodiments opens a display area that shows the control element. In some embodiments, at least two different components in the server configuration correspond to two different layers (e.g., a web server layer and a data storage layer) in the server configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for extracting and adapting system configuration. The method extracts a first configuration from a first node of a first hosting system. The first node includes several resources for hosting the first configuration. The method analyzes the first configuration in order to determine attributes of the first configuration. The determined attributes are relevant to hosting the first configuration on a second node of a second hosting system having several nodes. The method generates a second configuration based on the determined attributes. The method hosts the second configuration at the second node of the second hosting system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for automatedly allocating hosting resources controlled by different hypervisors. The method receives a configuration for a computer system specifying a set of resources required to operate as a virtual machine on a node of a hosting system. The hosting system includes several nodes, where each node includes resources for hosting at least one virtual machine and one of several hypervisors for managing access of the virtual machine to the resources of the node. The method identifies a particular node from the several nodes with sufficient available resources to host the virtual machine based on the set of resources specified in the configuration. The method allocates the set of resources from the particular node by directing a hypervisor of the particular node to apportion the set of resources on the particular node, the set of resources for hosting the virtual machine on the particular node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a server hosting environment having several nodes. Each node is for using one or more hypervisors in order to host several configurations of several computer systems. The method receives a first configuration of a computer system. The first configuration includes an operating system that directly accesses hardware of the computer system. The method generates a second configuration that is based on the first configuration. The second configuration includes the first configuration modified to be operable on a particular hypervisor of a particular node in the several nodes. The method installs the second configuration on the particular node in order to allow the particular node to operate on the second configuration in conjunction with the particular hypervisor. The second configuration accesses a set of virtual hardware provided by the particular hypervisor.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a virtual machine hosting system. The virtual machine hosting system includes several nodes. Each node includes resources for hosting at least one virtual machine. The virtual machine hosting system includes a first management module for automatedly provisioning resources of the several to a several virtual machines by identifying a particular node with sufficient available resources to host a user-specified virtual machine configuration and by allocating to the virtual machine, an amount of resources of the particular node required to host said virtual machine. The virtual machine hosting system includes, at the particular node, a second management module for receiving the user-specified virtual machine configuration from the first management module and for configuring the allocated resources of the particular node to perform the virtual machine as specified within the user-specified virtual machine configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method. The method interfaces with several nodes of a hosting system to collect statistics that includes available resources of each node for hosting virtual machines. The method identifies a set of nodes with sufficient available resources to host a configuration for a virtual machine based on the collected statistics. The method determines an optimal node from the set of nodes that hosts the configuration with a particular set of performance parameters that yields improved performance than when hosting the configuration using any of the other nodes in the set of nodes. The method deploys the configuration for the virtual machine to the optimal node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for adapting a system configuration. The method identifies a first configuration for a first computer system. The method retrieves a configuration information for a second computer system from a library that stores configuration information that includes several operating systems and several kernels. The method defines a second configuration that is based on (i) the first configuration and (ii) the retrieved configuration information. The method hosts the second configuration at the second computer system. The second computer system is a computer system in several computer systems of a server hosting environment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a server hosting environment that includes several nodes, where each node is for using one or more hypervisors in order to host several configurations of several computer systems. The method receives a first configuration of a particular computer system. The first configuration accesses a first set of virtual hardware provided by a first hypervisor of a first node. The method generates a second configuration that is based on the first configuration. The second configuration is operable on a different second hypervisor of a second node in the several nodes. The method installs the second configuration on the second node. The second configuration accesses a second set of virtual hardware provided by the second hypervisor to host the second configuration using the second hypervisor.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system and method for projecting billing of a specified server configuration. In some embodiments, the projected billing is determined by identifying a set of allocated resources for the server configuration. In some embodiments, the set of resources include an amount of allocated RAM, network bandwidth, disk storage, processing power, etc. The set of resources are then projected over a billing period. Some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration as each component of the configuration is specified within a graphical user interface. Additionally, some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration after the entire configuration is specified within the graphical user interface.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method. The method interfaces with several nodes of a hosting system. Each node includes resources for hosting several virtual machines. The method collects statistics for facilitating deployment of the virtual machines across the several resource nodes from the resource nodes. The method determines a particular node from the several nodes with sufficient available resources to host a configuration for a virtual machine based on the collected statistics. The method deploys the configuration for the virtual machine to the particular node for hosting on the particular node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for automated configuration of a set of resources for hosting a virtual machine at a particular node in a hosting system. The hosting system includes several nodes for hosting several virtual machines. The method, at a first virtual machine operating using a first set of resources of the particular node, receives a configuration for a second virtual machine to be hosted on a second set of resources of the particular node. The method, from the first virtual machine, accesses the second set of resources to partition a file system for storing the second virtual machine. The method modifies the file system to configure the second virtual machine as specified by the configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system and method for projecting billing of a specified server configuration. In some embodiments, the projected billing is determined by identifying a set of allocated resources for the server configuration. In some embodiments, the set of resources include an amount of allocated RAM, network bandwidth, disk storage, processing power, etc. The set of resources are then projected over a billing period. Some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration as each component of the configuration is specified within a graphical user interface. Additionally, some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration after the entire configuration is specified within the graphical user interface.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a server hosting environment having several nodes. Each node is for using one or more hypervisors in order to host several configurations of several computer systems. The method receives a first configuration of a computer system. The first configuration includes an operating system that directly accesses hardware of the computer system. The method generates a second configuration that is based on the first configuration. The second configuration includes the first configuration modified to be operable on a particular hypervisor of a particular node in the several nodes. The method installs the second configuration on the particular node in order to allow the particular node to operate on the second configuration in conjunction with the particular hypervisor. The second configuration accesses a set of virtual hardware provided by the particular hypervisor.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method and system for automatedly scheduling virtual machines across several hosting servers of a hosting service provider. Some embodiments perform the automated scheduling by receiving a server configuration that includes constraint data. In some embodiments, the constraint data includes a specified amount of hosting resources needed to implement the server configuration. Based on the constraint data, a scheduling module in the hosting environment determines an optimal distribution of the server configuration across a set of hosting resources that implement the server configuration based on the constraint data. To determine the optimal distribution, some embodiments compute a set of scores for quantifying the specified set of hosting resources required for hosting the server configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a graphical user interface for receiving a server configuration (e.g., receiving a new configuration or a modification to an existing configuration). The graphical user interface (UI) includes several UI control elements for defining components of the server configuration. It also includes a display area for displaying graphical representations of the defined components of the server configuration. Examples of control elements in some embodiments include control elements for adding, deleting, and modifying servers. In some embodiments, at least one control element is displayed when a cursor control operation is performed on the UI. The cursor control operation (e.g., a right hand click operation) in some embodiments opens a display area that shows the control element. In some embodiments, at least two different components in the server configuration correspond to two different layers (e.g., a web server layer and a data storage layer) in the server configuration.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system and method for projecting billing of a specified server configuration. In some embodiments, the projected billing is determined by identifying a set of allocated resources for the server configuration. In some embodiments, the set of resources include an amount of allocated RAM, network bandwidth, disk storage, processing power, etc. The set of resources are then projected over a billing period. Some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration as each component of the configuration is specified within a graphical user interface. Additionally, some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration after the entire configuration is specified within the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A thin, inexpensive, removable platen for a direct fingerprint reader without a permanently attached platen. A removable platen is formed as a transparent area on a credit card, passport or identification card or as a separate card. The portable platen on the card is inserted over an imaging area of the direct fingerprint reader. Light from the direct fingerprint reader passes through an optical surface formed on the underside of the portable platen, is reflected off the fingerprint and passes back through the optical surface to the imaging apparatus where the image is digitized and analyzed. The optical surface is formed such that the incident light is not refracted away from the fingerprint and the reflected light from the fingerprint is not refracted away from the imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A thin, inexpensive, removable platen for a direct fingerprint reader without a permanently attached platen. A removable platen is formed as a transparent area on a credit card, passport or identification card or as a separate card. The portable platen on the card is inserted over an imaging area of the direct fingerprint reader. Light from the direct fingerprint reader passes through an optical surface formed on the underside of the portable platen, is reflected off the fingerprint and passes back through the optical surface to the imaging apparatus where the image is digitized and analyzed. The optical surface is formed such that the incident light is not refracted away from the fingerprint and the reflected light from the fingerprint is not refracted away from the imaging apparatus.