Virtual Machine Snapshot Resource Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snapshot mechanisms for virtual machines do not provide users with clear information about the included resources, making it difficult to differentiate between snapshots visually.
Innovation Solution
A virtual machine snapshot mechanism that generates relationships between snapshots and resources, displaying them graphically to allow users to visually determine which resources are included in each snapshot, and enables searching based on user-specified criteria to identify exact or closest matches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If snapshots are stored without detailed resource information, then storage space is conserved, but users cannot visually determine differences between snapshots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the flat snapshot data structure into a hierarchical tree structure, adding dimensional organization to snapshot resources. This allows resources to be grouped into categories (software, hardware, etc.) with nested subcategories, enabling visual differentiation without increasing raw data storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary graphical user interface layer between the snapshot storage system and the user. This intermediary presents resource information in a structured, visual format (tree views, icons, colors) that makes snapshot differences apparent without requiring changes to the underlying snapshot storage format.
2Loss of information
If snapshots include detailed resource information, then users can visually determine differences between snapshots, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments snapshot resources into distinct categories (software resources, hardware resources, storage resources, etc.) with further nested subdivisions. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by organizing information hierarchically rather than presenting a flat, undifferentiated list of all resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal tree structure framework that can accommodate multiple types of resources (software, hardware, storage, network) within a single organizational model. This multi-functional structure handles diverse resource types uniformly, reducing the need for separate management mechanisms for each resource type.
3Loss of information
If users manually name snapshots to convey information, then some differentiation is achieved, but it is not effective for snapshots with many resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates the visual resource representation for snapshots without requiring user intervention. When a snapshot is created or modified, the system automatically updates the tree structure to reflect included resources, automatically generating visual indicators of differences. This eliminates the manual naming process while providing comprehensive resource information.
4Ease of operation
If a graphical display showing all resources is provided, then visual determination of snapshot contents is enabled, but the display becomes complex and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent organizes resources in a multi-dimensional tree hierarchy rather than a flat list, adding categorical and nested dimensions to resource organization. This hierarchical structure allows users to navigate from general categories to specific resources systematically, reducing display complexity while maintaining comprehensive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The graphical user interface implements dynamic navigation capabilities including expandable/collapsible tree nodes, search functions, and selectable views. Users can dynamically adjust the level of detail displayed, expanding only the portions of the resource tree relevant to their current task, thereby managing information overload interactively.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual machine snapshot mechanism takes snapshots of virtual machines on a computer system, generates relationships between a snapshot and resources on the computer system, and provides a graphical display of one or more snapshots that allow visually determining which snapshots include which resources. A user may search the snapshots based on user-specified criteria. If an exact match is not available, and closest match is identified in the graphical display.