Hypervisor Virtual Machine Generation from Portable Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Setting up workstations with multiple operating systems for users, such as in school computer laboratories, is costly and time-consuming, and existing hypervisor technologies do not efficiently allow user customization or simultaneous operation of different operating systems from portable storage devices.
Innovation Solution
A computer system with a hypervisor capable of generating multiple virtual machines by loading operating systems from portable storage devices, allowing resource allocation and reassignment among virtual machines, enabling simultaneous operation of different operating systems from USB drives, CDs, or other portable storage devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple workstations with different operating systems are provided for users, then user customization and operational flexibility are improved, but hardware costs and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal computer system that can run multiple different operating systems through virtualization technology. Instead of providing separate hardware workstations for each operating system, a single physical system is configured to host multiple virtual machines, each capable of running different operating systems. This multi-functional approach allows users to access various operating systems on the same hardware, reducing the total quantity of hardware resources needed while maintaining full operational flexibility and customization options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of operating systems through virtual machine instances. Each virtual machine contains a complete copy of an operating system that runs independently within the shared physical hardware environment. These virtual copies allow multiple users to simultaneously access different operating systems without requiring separate physical hardware for each instance, thereby reducing hardware costs while maintaining full system functionality and user customization capabilities.
2Reliability
If separate workstations are provided for each operating system, then system stability and reliability are improved, but cost and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the physical hardware resources into multiple virtualized instances, creating isolated environments for each operating system. The hypervisor divides CPU time, memory, storage, and other resources into distinct allocations for each virtual machine, ensuring that operations in one virtual environment do not interfere with others. This segmentation maintains system stability and reliability by providing isolation between different operating systems while consolidating them onto shared hardware, thereby reducing the total quantity of hardware resources required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hypervisor as an intermediary layer between the physical hardware and the virtual machine instances. This intermediary manages resource allocation, enforcement of isolation boundaries, and coordination between multiple operating systems running on the same hardware. The hypervisor ensures that each virtual machine receives its allocated resources and operates independently, maintaining system stability and reliability while enabling efficient hardware utilization and reducing overall hardware requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple operating systems are installed on separate systems, then operational independence is improved, but setup time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary configuration of multiple operating systems during the initial system setup, creating virtual machine instances and allocating resources in advance. Operating system images are pre-loaded into the virtual machines, and the hypervisor is configured with appropriate resource allocations before users begin using the system. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming installation processes each time a new operating system instance is needed, significantly reducing setup time while maintaining full operational independence through virtualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple operating system installations into a single integrated virtualized environment. Instead of separately installing and configuring multiple operating systems on different physical machines, the system combines them into one unified platform managed by the hypervisor. This merging approach consolidates setup procedures, resource management, and system configuration into a single process, dramatically reducing setup time and complexity while preserving the operational independence of each virtual machine through virtualization boundaries.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system with a hypervisor detects the local physical connection of a portable storage device with an operating system image thereon. The computer system installs an instance of the operating system on the hypervisor, and the hypervisor assigns a set of resources to the instance to generate a virtual machine. As further portable storage devices with operating systems thereon are locally, physically connected to the computer system, additional virtual machines are generated, each with a different operating system instance, which may be the same or different from the other operating system instances. The resources of the computer system are assigned and reassigned among the virtual machines as the portable storage devices are connected and disconnected.