Patent ID: 8656386
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for managing files of Virtual Machines, the method comprising: launching a plurality of Virtual Machines in a computing system having a host OS; based on knowledge of files of guest OSes in the Virtual Machines and of the host OS as belonging to the same OS version, and which file is owned by which system component, identifying identical files in multiple guest OSes in the Virtual Machines and in the host OS; using a content of at least one identical file of the host OS as a shared file; using a re-direct, providing access to the shared file when any Virtual Machine attempts to access its private file; using copy-on-write, making a copy of the shared file if the Virtual Machine attempts to modify the shared file, and placing a copy of the shared file in a private area of the corresponding Virtual Machine, wherein one of the Virtual Machines is used as a master template for the shared files, and attempts to access the shared file by other Virtual Machines are redirected to the master template.