Stateless Virtual Machine Snapshot Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of starting and managing multiple virtual machines for software testing is tedious and error-prone, requiring manual setup and ensuring identical computing environments, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating temporary or pristine snapshots of virtual machines, allowing for automatic setup and teardown of virtual machines in a known state, ensuring reproducibility and reducing manual intervention by using snapshotting and virtualization techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual setup and configuration of virtual machines is performed to ensure identical computing environments, then reliability of testing environment is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to tedious and error-prone manual processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses snapshots to create exact copies of virtual machine states. A snapshot captures the complete state of a virtual machine at a point in time, allowing identical computing environments to be reproduced without manual configuration. This copying mechanism ensures reliability while eliminating time-consuming manual setup processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring virtual machines and creating snapshots of desired states before testing begins. The computing device is configured with virtual machines and snapshots are created in advance, so that when testing needs to occur, the environment is already prepared and can be quickly restored to known states without manual intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple virtual machines are manually configured to test different software versions, then adaptability of testing capability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to manual management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the computing device universal by enabling it to run multiple virtual machine configurations through snapshots. The same physical computing device can be transformed into different testing environments by loading different snapshots, providing adaptability for testing different software versions without requiring separate physical machines or complex manual reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple virtual machine instances for testing different software versions are created as copies from snapshots. Each snapshot represents a complete virtual machine state that can be independently copied and launched, allowing the system to handle multiple testing scenarios simultaneously without increasing physical hardware complexity or manual management burden.
3Manufacturing precision
If virtual machines are manually set up and verified to ensure identical computing environments, then manufacturing precision of testing environment is improved, but ease of manufacture and loss of time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Identical computing environments are manufactured with high precision by copying snapshots. Each snapshot captures the exact state of a virtual machine, ensuring that when snapshots are copied and applied to virtual machines, the resulting environments are bit-for-bit identical. This eliminates manual configuration errors and ensures manufacturing precision without increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically managing the creation, storage, and restoration of virtual machine states through snapshots. The computing device automatically handles the configuration and verification of computing environments without requiring manual intervention, thereby achieving both high precision and ease of manufacture simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of using snapshotting and virtualization to perform tasks in a known and reproducible environment have been presented. A computing device generates a temporary snapshot of a state of a virtual machine. A session of the virtual machine is started on the computing device using the temporary snapshot. The temporary snapshot is automatically destroyed when the session is terminated, wherein any changes made to the state during the session are removed by destroying the temporary snapshot.