Patent ID: 11880703
Assignee: RED HAT, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 8:
9. A method performed by a computing system, the method comprising:
storing a plurality of container images in a repository server, each container image derived from a unique set of layers;
analyzing the sets of layers for each of the plurality of container images, the analyzing comparing characteristics of a first set of files in a first set of layers and a second set of files in a second set of layers, wherein the characteristics comprise a name of the file, a file size, a creation date, and a creation time;
identifying, based on the comparing characteristics, one or more files in the first set of files that are identical to one or more files in the second set of files;
creating a new set of layers in the repository server from which each of the plurality of container images can be built, the new set of layers comprising at least one new layer that includes at least one of the one or more identical files from layers of at least two or more of the plurality of container images, and wherein the creation of the new set of layers includes switching at least one file of the first set of files or the second set of files located in a first layer within the first set of layers or the second set of layers to a second layer within the new set of layers, the second layer being different from the first layer;
providing a first copy of a first container image of the plurality of container images in the repository server using a first subset of the new set of layers, the first copy including an indication of a hierarchal structure of the files of the new set of layers; and
providing a second copy of a second container image of the plurality of container images in the repository server using a second subset of the new layers, the second subset being different than the first subset, and the second copy including the indication of a hierarchal structure of the files of the new set of layers.