Persistent Read Cache for Offline Machine Session Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machine deployment methods in centralized management environments face challenges, such as requiring constant network connectivity for instant gratification and long initial downtime for offline capabilities, especially when using machine streaming and image cloning approaches respectively.
Innovation Solution
A computing device that receives a streaming base disk image from a provisioning server, stores it in a persistent read cache for offline capabilities, and synchronizes with the server upon boot, allowing operation from the cache when synchronized, ensuring rapid provisioning and offline functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If machine streaming is used to provide instant gratification, then provisioning speed is improved, but network connectivity requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by downloading the base disk image to local storage during the streaming process, so that when network connectivity is lost or for offline operation, the device already has the necessary image data cached locally to continue operating
Solution Approach 2:
Local storage acts as an intermediary between the network streaming source and the running machine session, buffering the base disk image so that the system can operate independently of continuous network connectivity while still receiving updates when available
2Adaptability or versatility
If machine image cloning is used to enable offline capability, then offline operation is improved, but initial downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base disk image is downloaded and cached to local storage during the streaming process before the machine session fully boots, so that offline capability is prepared in advance without requiring a separate time-consuming cloning step
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the streaming deployment process with the offline capability preparation by simultaneously performing network image streaming and local caching operations, eliminating the sequential steps required in traditional cloning approaches
3Adaptability or versatility
If base disk image is stored in persistent read cache, then offline capability is improved, but storage space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a complete copy of the machine image for offline operation, the system creates a cached copy of the base disk image that can be selectively loaded into memory when needed, reducing the permanent storage footprint while maintaining offline capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system stores only the base disk image in persistent storage rather than the complete machine session state, using memory as a temporary buffer for the full image during operation. This partial action approach reduces long-term storage requirements while still providing full offline functionality when needed
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device may include at least one memory and a processor cooperating therewith to receive a streaming base disk image from a base disk on a provisioning server over a network upon booting up the computing device, and operate a machine session on the computing device from the streaming base disk image. Furthermore, while the machine session operates on the computing device from the streaming base disk image, the processor may further cooperate with the at least one memory to download and store the base disk image over the network from the provisioning server to a persistent read cache in the at least one memory that persists on the client device after rebooting, and store modifications to the streaming base disk image in a non-persistent write cache in the at least one memory that does not persist on the client device after rebooting.