Patent ID: 11966769
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A container instantiation system, comprising:
a memory at an instantiation location;
a processor at the instantiation location in operable communication with the memory, the processor configured to perform steps which include (a) sending a container image pull request to a container registry, the pull request identifying a container image, (b) receiving an image manifest which lists a plurality of layers that collectively constitute the container image, each layer having a respective layer identification and a respective layer content, (c) sending a layer mount request to the container registry, the layer mount request identifying a layer of the container image, (d) receiving a layer mount which provides access to a registry-resident form of the content of the layer identified in the layer mount request without also providing access to all content of all of the layers that collectively constitute the container image, (e) creating a union file system which spans the layers that collectively constitute the container image, and (f) launching a container process at the instantiation location based on the union file system, without first obtaining at the instantiation location all content of all of the layers that collectively constitute the container image;
whereby the memory is configured by at least the image manifest and the union file system.