Managed Workspace Persistence via Virtual Data Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional workspace implementations in Information Handling Systems (IHS) face challenges with persistence management, as they often include extraneous data that increases footprint and complicates security and attestation, leading to significant latency and resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managed persistence in workspaces, where a base OS layer is created and applications are re-installed upon login, with application data virtually mapped to memory, allowing for selective persistence and reduced extraneous data, thereby minimizing memory size and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional workspace implementations include all workspace data persistently, then user data is preserved across sessions, but workspace footprint increases and security attestation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is segmented into persistent components (OS layer, application binaries, configuration) and non-persistent components (application data, temporary files). Only the persistent components are retained across sessions, while non-persistent components are recreated or discarded. This segmentation allows the workspace to maintain essential functionality and user preferences without accumulating extraneous data that increases footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Application data is extracted from the persistent workspace image and handled separately through virtual file system mapping. Instead of including all data in the persistent workspace, only the minimal OS and application binaries are persisted, while application-specific data is obtained through mapping to the user's actual data files, thereby reducing the persistent workspace footprint.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional workspace implementations include all workspace data persistently, then user data is preserved across sessions, but security and attestation become complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is segmented into a trusted persistent OS layer and a non-persistent application data layer. Security attestation is performed only on the persistent OS layer, which has a known good state, while application data is handled through secure mapping mechanisms. This segmentation simplifies attestation by limiting the scope to essential components.
Solution Approach 2:
Application data is extracted from the persistent workspace image and handled through virtual file system mapping to external locations. This extraction removes potentially problematic data from the attested workspace image, simplifying security verification while maintaining data accessibility through secure mapping.
3Reliability
If workspace is re-instantiated with clean environment, then security is enhanced and footprint is reduced, but application data and settings are lost
Solution Approach 1:
Application data and user settings are extracted from the workspace image and handled through virtual file system mapping to persistent external locations. This allows the workspace to be re-instantiated with a clean, secure image while automatically restoring access to application data and settings through the mapping mechanism, preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
A virtual file system mapping mechanism acts as an intermediary between the clean workspace environment and the user's persistent data. This intermediary allows applications to access their data and settings without the data being part of the persistent workspace image, maintaining both security and data continuity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If applications are re-installed upon login, then workspace consistency is maintained, but time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The OS layer and application binaries are pre-configured and persisted in a known good state. Upon login, these pre-prepared components are immediately deployed without requiring installation from scratch, significantly reducing login time while maintaining workspace consistency. Only the mapping of application data needs to be established, not the applications themselves.
5Duration of action of stationary object
If snapshots are used for workspace persistence, then data is preserved, but extraneous data accumulates increasing footprint
Solution Approach 1:
Application data is extracted from the snapshot mechanism and handled through virtual file system mapping to external persistent locations. This extraction ensures that only the essential OS and application binaries are captured in snapshots, while application-specific data is managed separately, preventing accumulation of extraneous data in the persistent workspace image.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of preserving all workspace data in snapshots, the system discards application data from the snapshot and recovers it through virtual file system mapping to external locations. This selective discarding and recovering mechanism maintains data preservation for essential components while eliminating extraneous data accumulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for managing persistence in workspaces are described. The system for managing workspaces includes computer-executable instructions for instantiating a workspace in response to receiving a login request, creating a base OS layer in the workspace, and installing one or more applications onto the base OS layer in which the applications have been installed on the workspace of a previous login session. The system may then virtually map application data to the memory of the workspace to be used by the applications in which the application data was generated by the applications during the previous login session of the workspace.