Portable Virtual Machine Snapshot Launching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a portable virtual machine technology that allows users to easily take a virtual execution environment with them and activate it on any available computer, providing isolation from other processes and allowing access to their workspace without requiring a dedicated laptop or notebook computer.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for storing a snapshot of a Virtual Execution Environment (VEE) on a portable device, which can be launched on a host OS by a simple control action, enabling the user to run applications within the VEE on any connected computer, with options for restricted usage time or absolute time, and allowing data to be stored back on the portable device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a virtual machine is stored on a portable device for easy transport and activation on any computer, then portability and accessibility are improved, but system complexity and resource management challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual machine system is segmented into a portable component (the VM image file that can be transported on USB drives, CDs, or other media) and a host computer component (the emulator software that runs on the host system). This segmentation allows the complex VM functionality to be separated from the portable storage medium, reducing the complexity burden on the portable device while maintaining full VM capabilities when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
An emulator program acts as an intermediary between the portable VM image and the host computer's operating system. The emulator translates and adapts the VM instructions to work with the host system's architecture and OS, enabling the portable VM to run on any computer without requiring the host system to have native VM support. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of system compatibility while keeping the portable VM image simple and universal.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a virtual execution environment is launched from a portable device on a host OS, then accessibility to workspace on any computer is improved, but potential conflicts with host processes and system stability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual machine extracts and isolates its own execution environment, including its operating system kernel and system processes, within a dedicated virtual space managed by the emulator. This extraction ensures that the VM's processes run in isolation from the host OS, preventing direct conflicts between VM and host processes while maintaining system stability. The VM gets its own virtualized hardware resources, creating a protective boundary that enhances reliability.
3Reliability
If virtual machine technology is used to isolate user processes from other processes, then security and stability are improved, but device portability and ease of activation may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The entire virtual machine environment, including the isolated execution space and system processes, is copied into a portable image file that can be stored on removable media. This copying approach allows the VM to be transported and activated on any computer without requiring complex installation procedures or system configurations. The pre-copied VM image maintains all isolation properties while being universally compatible with different host systems through the emulator, thus preserving both reliability and ease of activation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method and computer program for launching an application into a host OS, include storing a snapshot/image of a Virtual Execution Environment (VEE) on a portable device, wherein the VEE snapshot is packed into a self-extracting file; launching the VEE from the portable device on a computer; and starting a user application within the VEE. The VEE snapshot can be restricted in its use. The VEE can be a Virtual Private Server or a Virtual Machine. The user application is a non-native application for a host OS of the computer. The VEE is launched from an icon on the portable device. The portable device can be, e.g., an iPod, a flash memory card, a digital player, a mobile phone device, a portable gaming device, rewritable CD/DVD/HD DVD/Blu Ray disk, etc. Alternatively, some data can be stored on the portable device, while other data can be downloaded from a network.