Systems and methods for reclaiming storage space from virtual machine disk images
US8881144B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 2011 |
| Grant date | Nov 4, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 29, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F16/188
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer-implemented method for reclaiming storage space from virtual machine disk images may include (1) identifying a virtual machine that uses a virtual machine disk image as a virtual disk for storage, the virtual machine disk image being stored on a thin-provisioned volume within a host file system, (2) determining that a portion of the virtual machine disk image represents a portion of the virtual disk that is unused by a file system of the virtual machine, (3) based on determining that the portion of the virtual machine disk image represents the portion of the virtual disk that is unused by the file system of the virtual machine, marking the portion of the virtual machine disk image for reclamation from the thin-provisioned volume, and (4) reclaiming the marked portion of the virtual machine disk image from the thin-provisioned volume. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.