Container Image Layering for Faster File-Change Upgrades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container image management systems inefficiently copy and upgrade large numbers of files during image upgrades, leading to increased microservice unavailability and prolonged upgrade times due to the need to pull and copy entire file layers, even when only a few files have changed.
Innovation Solution
Implement a method to determine the number of changed files and generate a new increment file layer for changes below a threshold, or an anchor file layer for significant changes, reusing unchanged layers to reduce the need for full layer pulls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire file layer is copied during container image upgrade, then the upgraded container image contains all necessary files, but the upgrade time increases and microservice unavailability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the file layer into changed files and unchanged files by comparing file hashes between original and upgraded container images. Only the changed files are copied to the new layer, while unchanged files are reused from the original layer, thereby reducing upgrade time and improving microservice availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary changed files from the full file layer by identifying them through hash comparison. This extraction approach allows the system to copy only the essential files needed for the upgrade, avoiding the time-consuming process of copying the entire file layer.
2Manufacturing precision
If the entire file layer is pulled during container image upgrade, then all files are ensured to be up to date, but bandwidth consumption and processing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the file layer into changed files and unchanged files by comparing file hashes. Only the changed files are pulled and copied, while unchanged files are reused from the original layer, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and processing resources while ensuring file update accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary changed files from the full file layer through hash comparison. This extraction allows the system to pull and process only the essential files needed for the upgrade, avoiding the waste of processing resources on unchanged files.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a new layer is created for all changed files, then the upgraded container image maintains layer integrity, but the complexity of layer management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the file layer into changed files and unchanged files, creating a new layer only for the changed files while reusing the original layer for unchanged files. This segmentation approach maintains layer integrity by ensuring that each layer contains consistent, validated files, while avoiding the complexity of managing a completely new layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the original layer and the new changed files layer into a single upgraded container image. This merging approach maintains layer integrity by combining validated original files with updated changed files, while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple separate layers or complete recreation of the entire layer structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Managing container images is provided. A number of a set of changed files included in a plurality of upgraded files is determined in response to identifying the set of changed files. It is determined whether the number of the set of changed files included in the plurality of upgraded files is greater than a defined file change threshold level. In response to determining that the number of the set of changed files included in the plurality of upgraded files is not greater than the defined file change threshold level, a new increment file layer that is in addition to an original file layer of a plurality of original layers is generated in an upgraded container image of an original container image. The set of changed files is copied in the new increment file layer of the upgraded container image.