KVM Image Mounting via Directory Structure Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing KVM systems face inefficiencies in mounting large folders, as creating image files from extensive data takes longer.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for mounting an image on a management server, which involves determining a target folder, generating descriptive and mapping tables based on directory and file data, and creating image format information in a specified format like ISO, allowing direct access to folder data without creating a complete image file.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If image files are created from local folder data through traditional methods, then complete image files can be mounted on the server, but the time required for image creation increases significantly when there is more data in the local folder

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage mounting functionalityVSAvoidimage creation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the image file into two separate components: descriptive information (stored in the server's memory) and actual file data (stored in the client's local folder). This segmentation eliminates the need to create and transfer complete image files, as only the compact descriptive information needs to be processed on the server side, while file data is accessed directly from the client's storage through coordinated I/O operations between client and server

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and storing only the descriptive information (directory structure, file metadata, mapping relationships) on the server side before mounting operations. This allows the server to be prepared for mounting without waiting for complete image file creation, as the essential structural information is already available in a compact format that enables direct access to client-side file data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If complete image files are created and transferred to the server, then all file data is available for mounting, but the process becomes inefficient for large amounts of data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoidmounting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates the file data from the descriptive information, storing file data locally on the client side while only transferring and storing the compact descriptive information on the server. This extraction eliminates the inefficiency of creating and managing large complete image files, as the server only needs to handle the small descriptive information structure while accessing client-side file data through coordinated I/O operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of copying complete image files from client to server, the patent creates a virtual copy mechanism where the server stores descriptive information that references client-side file data. This virtual copying approach maintains data completeness for mounting operations while avoiding the overhead of actual data transfer and storage of large image files on the server

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4557115A1Image mounting method, apparatus, device, and machine-readable storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 NEW H3C TECH CO LTD
  • EP4557115A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4557115A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4557115A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Disclosed are an image mounting method, apparatus, electronic device, and machine-readable storage medium. The method includes: traversing directory structure information of a target folder, generating descriptive information based on the directory structure information, traversing file data information of the target folder, generating a mapping table based on the file data information; generating, in the data cache area, image format information based on the descriptive information, and mapping file data of the target folder to image data based on the mapping table; mounting the target folder to be mounted in the specified image format based on image header information and the image data. With the present disclosure, based on the specified image format as well as the directory structure and file data of the target folder, the image format information and image data corresponding to the image format are generated and mapped.