Abstract: A fault tolerant system is described for deploying an application contained in an application storage volume, which may be a virtual disk, on a virtual machine (VM) in a remote desktop environment. The application can be executed on the VM after mounting the virtual disk. A backup of the virtual disk is produced by cloning the virtual disk to a different storage device than the location of the primary virtual disk. In some embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, the application is suspended, redirected to the backup virtual disk, and resumed from the backup virtual disk. In other embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, a child process is spun off from the parent process using forking techniques, the child process is directed to the backup virtual disk, and the application is resumed from the backup virtual disk.

Abstract: A fault tolerant system is described for deploying an application contained in an application storage volume, which may be a virtual disk, on a virtual machine (VM) in a remote desktop environment. The application can be executed on the VM after mounting the virtual disk. A backup of the virtual disk is produced by cloning the virtual disk to a different storage device than the location of the primary virtual disk. In some embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, the application is suspended, redirected to the backup virtual disk, and resumed from the backup virtual disk. In other embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, a child process is spun off from the parent process using forking techniques, the child process is directed to the backup virtual disk, and the application is resumed from the backup virtual disk.

Abstract: A virtual machine deployment and management engine deploys virtual machines to physical host computers based on a deployment time matrix. The deployment time matrix specifies approximate amounts of time used to clone or deploy a virtual machine from every host computer to every other host computer. The virtual machine deployment and management engine selects a deployment path based on the deployment times and executes the clone or deploy operations.

Abstract: A fault tolerant system is described for deploying an application contained in an application storage volume, which may be a virtual disk, on a virtual machine (VM) in a remote desktop environment. The application can be executed on the VM after mounting the virtual disk. A backup of the virtual disk is produced by cloning the virtual disk to a different storage device than the location of the primary virtual disk. In some embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, the application is suspended, redirected to the backup virtual disk, and resumed from the backup virtual disk. In other embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, a child process is spun off from the parent process using forking techniques, the child process is directed to the backup virtual disk, and the application is resumed from the backup virtual disk.

Abstract: A fault tolerant system is described for deploying an application contained in an application storage volume, which may be a virtual disk, on a virtual machine (VM) in a remote desktop environment. The application can be executed on the VM after mounting the virtual disk. A backup of the virtual disk is produced by cloning the virtual disk to a different storage device than the location of the primary virtual disk. In some embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, the application is suspended, redirected to the backup virtual disk, and resumed from the backup virtual disk. In other embodiments, if the primary virtual disk fails during execution of the application, a child process is spun off from the parent process using forking techniques, the child process is directed to the backup virtual disk, and the application is resumed from the backup virtual disk.

Abstract: A management server allocates storage for a virtual disk of a virtual machine configured to execute on a first host computer, where the first host computer is associated with a plurality of data storage devices including first and second data storage devices, and where a first portion of storage is allocated to the virtual disk from the first storage device. The management server receives a request to allocate a second portion of storage to the virtual disk of the virtual machine and, responsive to determining that the first data storage device has insufficient free storage space from which to allocate the second portion of storage, selects the second data storage device having sufficient free storage space from which to allocate the second portion of storage. The management server allocates the second portion of storage for the virtual disk of the virtual machine from the second data storage device, wherein the virtual machine accesses the first and second portions of storage as a single virtual disk.

Abstract: A virtual machine deployment and management engine deploys virtual machines to physical host computers based on a deployment time matrix. The deployment time matrix specifies approximate amounts of time used to clone or deploy a virtual machine from every host computer to every other host computer. The virtual machine deployment and management engine selects a deployment path based on the deployment times and executes the clone or deploy operations.

Abstract: A virtual machine deployment and management engine deploys virtual machines to physical host computers based on a deployment time matrix. The deployment time matrix specifies approximate amounts of time used to clone or deploy a virtual machine from every host computer to every other host computer. The virtual machine deployment and management engine selects a deployment path based on the deployment times and executes the clone or deploy operations.

Abstract: A management server clones a source virtual machine to a plurality of target host computers. For each target host, the management server creates linked clones of the source virtual machine in a target data store that is accessible to the target host. The management server starts execution of the linked clones in the target hosts. While the linked clones execute, for each target host, the management server creates full clones of the source virtual machine in the target data store and, after creating the full clones, suspends execution in the linked clones and resumes execution in the full clones.

Abstract: A management server allocates storage for a virtual disk of a virtual machine configured to execute on a first host computer, where the first host computer is associated with a plurality of data storage devices including first and second data storage devices, and where a first portion of storage is allocated to the virtual disk from the first storage device. The management server receives a request to allocate a second portion of storage to the virtual disk of the virtual machine and, responsive to determining that the first data storage device has insufficient free storage space from which to allocate the second portion of storage, selects the second data storage device having sufficient free storage space from which to allocate the second portion of storage. The management server allocates the second portion of storage for the virtual disk of the virtual machine from the second data storage device, wherein the virtual machine accesses the first and second portions of storage as a single virtual disk.

Abstract: A management server clones a source virtual machine to a plurality of target host computers. For each target host, the management server creates linked clones of the source virtual machine in a target data store that is accessible to the target host. The management server starts execution of the linked clones in the target hosts. While the linked clones execute, for each target host, the management server creates full clones of the source virtual machine in the target data store and, after creating the full clones, suspends execution in the linked clones and resumes execution in the full clones.

Abstract: A virtual machine deployment and management engine deploys virtual machines to physical host computers based on a deployment time matrix. The deployment time matrix specifies approximate amounts of time used to clone or deploy a virtual machine from every host computer to every other host computer. The virtual machine deployment and management engine selects a deployment path based on the deployment times and executes the clone or deploy operations.

Abstract: Embodiments perform automatic selection of hosts and/or datastores for deployment of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) while monitoring and recovering from errors during deployment. Resource constraints associated with the VMs are compared against resources or characteristics of available hosts and datastores. A VM placement engine selects an optimal set of hosts/datastores and initiates VM creation automatically or in response to administrator authorization. During deployment, available resources are monitored enabling dynamic improvement of the set of recommended hosts/datastores and automatic recovery from errors occurring during deployment.

Abstract: Embodiments perform automatic selection of hosts and/or datastores for deployment of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) while monitoring and recovering from errors during deployment. Resource constraints associated with the VMs are compared against resources or characteristics of available hosts and datastores. A VM placement engine selects an optimal set of hosts/datastores and initiates VM creation automatically or in response to administrator authorization. During deployment, available resources are monitored enabling dynamic improvement of the set of recommended hosts/datastores and automatic recovery from errors occurring during deployment.