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

Claim 7:
8. A method of instantiating a container at an instantiation location in a computing system, the method comprising:
sending a container image pull request to a container registry, the pull request identifying a container image;
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;
sending a layer mount request to the container registry, the layer mount request identifying a layer of the container image;
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;
creating a union file system which spans the layers that collectively constitute the container image and is based on at least one received layer mount;
launching a container process at the instantiation location based on the union file system; and
avoiding transmitting at least a portion of the layer content of the identified layer from the container registry through a network to the instantiation location prior to launching the container process.