Virtual Appliance Build Profile Duplicate Library Hard Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud computing platforms require significant manual effort and expertise to configure and manage, making it complex for users to take advantage of their computing capabilities, and existing methods for reducing application deployment sizes are inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a build generator to create a build profile for virtual appliances, a duplicate identifier to detect duplicate libraries, and a duplicate remover to replace duplicate libraries with hard links, reducing the size of the deployment package while maintaining the folder structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If duplicate libraries are included in the build profile to ensure all dependencies are present, then reliability is improved, but the deployment size increases and productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges duplicate library files by replacing them with hard links to a single copy. The duplicate identifier detects when multiple libraries are identical, and the duplicate remover consolidates them into one physical file location while maintaining multiple path references through hard links. This reduces deployment size while ensuring all dependencies remain accessible and functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hard links as a form of copying that references the same data without duplicating it. Instead of creating separate physical copies of identical library files, the system creates hard link references that point to the single stored copy, achieving the effect of having multiple copies available while storing only one.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration methods are used to manage cloud computing environments, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automated detection and removal of duplicate libraries. The duplicate identifier automatically scans the build profile to find duplicate libraries, and the duplicate remover automatically consolidates them without requiring user intervention. This maintains adaptability while dramatically improving ease of operation by eliminating manual configuration steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by identifying and removing duplicate libraries during the build profile generation phase, before deployment occurs. This preliminary optimization ensures that the deployment package is minimized in advance, preventing the need for manual post-deployment cleanup or configuration adjustments.
3Reliability
If comprehensive library inclusion is performed to support all application components, then reliability is improved, but the deployment size increases and transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges duplicate library files across all application components by consolidating identical libraries into a single physical copy with hard link references. This ensures all application functionality is preserved while reducing the total amount of data that needs to be transferred and deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of library storage from multiple physical copies to single physical copies with hard link references. This parameter change reduces the actual data volume while maintaining the logical structure and accessibility required for all application components to function properly.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to reduce application deployment sizes are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a build generator to generate a build profile associated with a virtual appliance in a virtualization environment, the build profile including a plurality of application components including archive files associated with the virtual appliance. The example apparatus also includes a duplicate identifier to determine when a first library and a second library included in the build profile are duplicate libraries, the first library associated with a first filename and a first data portion and the second library associated with a second filename and a second data portion. The example apparatus also includes a duplicate remover to, in response to a determination that the first library and the second library are duplicate libraries, replace the first filename with a hard link to the second data portion to update the build profile.