Hybrid Client Booting via Local Base Image Caching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Secure Managed Client (SMC) solutions face inefficiencies in booting times and image management due to the large size of user overlay images, which increases setup time and network traffic, especially when clients have different hardware configurations and varying OS versions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a modified image creation process using existing tools like Sysprep to reduce the number of common OS files reinstalled during first boot, and utilizing a local cache for base images, with a hypervisor managing disk sector reads from either the common base image or user overlay, and concurrently streaming base images from the SAN during user login.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the client boots from a remote SAN device, then centralized management and security are improved, but boot time and network traffic increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by caching the base image locally on the client device before it is needed for booting. The base image is downloaded and stored in local storage in advance, so that during boot operation the client can load the image locally rather than retrieving it over the network, thereby reducing boot time while maintaining centralized management capabilities.
2Loss of time
If the base image is cached locally, then boot time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the image into two distinct components: a base image that is cached locally, and a user overlay that is retrieved from the SAN. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for speed (local base image) while maintaining centralized control (remote user overlay), without requiring the entire system to be either fully local or fully remote.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hypervisor as an intermediary layer that manages the complexity of coordinating between local and remote storage. The hypervisor handles the sophisticated logic of determining whether to load from local or remote storage, merging the base image with user overlays, and managing cache validity, thereby shielding the rest of the system from this complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user overlay images are large, then application compatibility is maintained, but network traffic and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary user-specific components (user overlay) from the complete image, separating them from the base image. This allows the system to maintain application compatibility through the user overlay while keeping it minimal in size, thereby reducing network traffic compared to transferring complete large images.
Data Source
AI summary
Alternative desktop computing solutions provide client devices configured with a local boot image and a connection to a remote storage device having a boot image. The clients are configured to boot either locally or remotely, and furthermore to determine from which image (local or remote) they have booted.