Patent Abstract:
Mechanisms for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment (VDE) managing a shared storage capacity, are provided. The shared storage capacity includes previously stored files, each being associated with a respective unique first file identifier, the VDE providing a virtual desktop to a processing device of a user. Upon reception of a first write request for writing a second file specified in the request, a second file identifier of the specified second file is determined and compared with the first file identifier of any first file stored to the shared storage capacity. A pointer to the stored first file associated with that first file identifier is created if the second file identifier is identical to one of the first file identifiers and, if not, the specified second file associated with the second file identifier is stored in the shared storage capacity.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The invention relates to virtual environment systems, and more particularly to a method for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment. 
         [0002]    Computer virtualization has become one of the more important technologies for different sized companies. Computer virtualization increases the computational efficiency and flexibility of a computing hardware platform. Using, in particular, storage virtualization in a virtual desktop environment is also becoming a critical part of business computing in these companies. 
         [0003]    In a Virtual Desktop environment, the local file system assigned for each desktop is a chunk of dedicated virtualized storage taken from a physical storage pool. Each time a user saves a file to his/her file system, a copy of this file is stored on the dedicated chunk of physical storage for that desktop. In the case where several virtual desktop users, belonging to the same business context, are saving the same file to their file system, the result is that several copies of that same file are likely to be stored on the common physical storage. This redundancy causes unnecessary usage of extra storage, thereby making it necessary to acquire larger storage volumes than actually required. 
         [0004]    Another problem related to the usage of other state of the art systems is that the users have to use a predefined or shared directory tree structures and are not able to store their files in a user-specified location. The users of such systems are also not able to modify the directory structure of the shared storage volume as this would confuse other users assuming their files to be still available via the original file path. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    It is an objective of embodiments of the invention to provide for an improved computer-implemented method, data processing system and corresponding computer-readable storage medium. Said objective is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. 
         [0006]    The term “virtual desktop” as used herein is a virtual machine physically located in a data storage managed by a virtual desktop environment. In particular, the virtual desktop may be provided by the virtual desktop environment running on a server instead of on the local storage of a client. Thus, according to some embodiments, when users work from their local client machines, all the programs, applications, processes and data used are kept on the server and are run centrally. Desktop virtualization allows users to run operating systems and applications from a smartphone or from any other form of thin client having limited hardware resources. According to some other applications and embodiments, the virtual desktops may be loaded temporarily into the working memories of the client devices while any modification of data is persisted only in storage volumes managed by the server. 
         [0007]    The term “computer-readable storage medium,” as used herein encompasses any tangible storage medium which may store instructions which are executable by a processor of a computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may be referred to as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may also be referred to as a tangible computer readable medium. In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium may also be able to store data which is able to be accessed by the processor of the computing device. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: a floppy disk, punched tape, punch cards, a magnetic hard disk drive, a solid state hard disk, flash memory, a USB thumb drive, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and the register file of the processor. Examples of optical disks include Compact Disks (CD) and Digital Versatile Disks (DVD), for example CD-ROM, CD-RW, CD-R, DVD-ROM, DVD-RW, or DVD-R disks. 
         [0008]    The term computer readable-storage medium also refers to various types of recording media capable of being accessed by the computer device via a network or communication link. For example data may be retrieved over a modem, over the internet, or over a local area network. References to a computer-readable storage medium should be interpreted as possibly comprising multiple computer-readable storage mediums. Various executable components of a program or programs may be stored in different locations. The computer-readable storage medium may for instance comprise multiple computer-readable storage medium within the same computer system. The computer-readable storage medium may also be computer-readable storage medium distributed amongst multiple computer systems or computing devices. 
         [0009]    The term “metadata repository” as used herein encompasses a storage medium or part thereof having stored metadata. For example, the metadata repository may be implemented as a database system being designed to support the storage, use and retrieval of metadata by a processor. Metadata may include, for example, information about how to access specific data, or more detail about said data. 
         [0010]    The term “application programming interface (API)” as used herein refers to an interface that software programs implementing said interface use to interact with each other; much in the same way that software might implement a user interface in order to allow humans to interact with it. APIs are implemented by software applications (SAs), libraries and operating systems to define how other software can make calls to or request services from them. An API determines the vocabulary and calling conventions that the programmer should employ in order to use the services. It may include specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, and protocols used to communicate between a consumer and an implementer of the API. 
         [0011]    The term “access control list (ACL)” as used herein refers to an indication, in any security framework (e.g., access control framework, mandatory access control framework, discretionary access control framework, lattice based access control framework, etc.), of users and/or groups of users permitted access to a file. According to embodiments, the level of permitted access (e.g., read-only, read-write, delete, etc.) may also be indicated in the access control list. 
         [0012]    The term “computer memory” or “memory” is an example of a computer-readable storage medium. Computer memory is any memory which is accessible by a processor. Examples of computer memory include, but are not limited to: RAM memory, registers, and register files. In some instances a computer memory may also include: a hard disk drive, a floppy drive or a solid state hard drive. For instance, part of a memory may in fact be swap space on a hard drive. References to “computer memory” or “memory” should be interpreted as possibly comprise multiple memories. The memory may for instance comprise multiple memories within the same computer system. The memory may also comprise multiple memories distributed amongst multiple computer systems or computing devices. 
         [0013]    The term “processor” as used herein encompasses an electronic component which is able to execute a program or machine executable instruction. References to the computing device comprising “a processor” should be interpreted as possibly containing more than one processor or processing core. The processor may for instance be a multi-core processor. A processor may also refer to a collection of processors within a single computer system or distributed amongst multiple computer systems. 
         [0014]    In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for optimizing storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment, the virtual desktop environment managing a shared storage capacity, wherein the shared storage capacity is operable to store one or more first files, each stored first file being associated with a respective unique first file identifier, the virtual desktop environment providing at least one virtual desktop to a processing device of a user. The method comprises:
       receiving a first write request for writing a second file specified in the request;   determining a second file identifier of the specified second file;   comparing the second file identifier with the first file identifier of any first file stored to the shared storage capacity;   when the second file identifier is identical to one of the first file identifiers, creating a pointer to the stored first file associated with that first file identifier; and   when the second file identifier is not identical to anyone of the first file identifiers, storing the specified file associated with the second file identifier in the shared storage capacity, wherein the second file identifier is stored as a further first file identifier and the second file is stored as a further first file, and creating the pointer to the stored further first file.       
 
         [0020]    This illustrative embodiment may be advantageous because the method prevents storage of identical files in the shared storage capacity and also allows different users to access the same stored file. This not only conserves, in a pro-active manner, storage space, but also to improves storage performance. This is in contrast to a post-storage de-duplication method which only acts when the files are already duplicated on the storage area. 
         [0021]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the pointer is created in a local file system of the virtual desktop. The local file system may be stored in a user-private storage area which is accessible only by the user. According to another illustrative embodiment, the first write request is received from the at least one virtual desktop, and the pointer is created in the local file system of the virtual desktop. 
         [0022]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the method further comprises receiving a specification of a path within the local file system of the at least one virtual desktop from the user of the at least one virtual desktop. The pointer is created at a location within the local file system indicated by the specified path. According to some illustrative embodiments, the user may specify the path via a GUI element, e.g., a file selector, allowing the user to navigate within an existing local file system directory tree. Thus, contrary to some state of the art systems, a user is allowed to specify a file path in his/her own local directory and does not have to remember and accept a predefined shared file directory structure. In addition, the duplication of the files being stored in the shared storage capacity is avoided. 
         [0023]    Such illustrative embodiments may be advantageous in that the user requesting to write a file in a specific folder of his virtual desktop will see that the file has been created with the desired characteristics on the local file system (e.g., filename, folder location, etc.) although in reality, the local file system will only have a link to the actual physical file that it is stored on the shared storage capacity. According to some illustrative embodiments, the local file system of the user is stored in a user-private storage medium of the user. The user-private storage is also managed by the virtual desktop environment. 
         [0024]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the first and/or second file identifier is a file Cyclic Redundancy Check number, Hash number, SHA-1 or MD5 of the respective file associated with the identifier. This may have the advantage of providing a robust method to calculate a unique identification number, such that different files have different identifiers. This allows checking whether the file being requested for storage is or is not one of the previously stored files on the shared storage capacity. 
         [0025]    According to another illustrative embodiment the method further comprises: upon storing any of the first files and upon storing the second file in the shared storage capacity, associating the first and/or second file with an access control list comprising user IDs of all users having access to the stored first or second file. In addition, or alternatively, upon storing any of the first files and upon storing the second file in the shared storage capacity, the method comprises associating the stored file with a reference count representing the number of users having access to the stored first or second file. This illustrative embodiment may be advantageous because it ensures a secure and controlled access to the stored files, since they are protected by allowing access only to the users whose user IDs are indicated in the access control list. 
         [0026]    According to some illustrative embodiments, only user IDs of users allowed to access a stored file are contained in the file access list of the stored file. Another advantage may be that the number of users having access to a stored file is simply obtained by reading a reference count which is a single number. This is a faster process than reading and deriving such number from the access control list of the stored file by, for example, counting the number of users identified in the access control list. 
         [0027]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the method further comprises receiving a delete request from the user. The delete request is indicative of one of the first files. Upon having received the delete request, the user ID of the user having submitted the delete request is deleted from the access control list of that file indicated in the delete request. According to another illustrative embodiment, in this case the reference count is decremented in addition to removing the user ID. This ensures that the access control list and the reference count keep representing the exact number of users having access to the file. According to another illustrative embodiment, in this case the pointer of that file stored in the local file system of the user&#39;s virtual desktop is deleted as well. Also, if the reference count is equal to zero, the file is deleted from the shared storage capacity. 
         [0028]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the step of storing the specified second file further comprises the steps of: creating the access control first and/or the reference count for the specified second file; and adding the user ID to the access control list and/or incrementing the reference count. According to another illustrative embodiment, the step of creating the pointer comprises adding the user ID to the access control list of the file the pointer is directed at and/or incrementing the reference count. 
         [0029]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the method further comprises: receiving a second write request for writing the second file; creating a second pointer to the existing first file having been stored in response to the first write request, the second pointer being created in the local file system of the virtual desktop of a user having submitted the second write request. According to an illustrative embodiment, the first and the second write request are received from the same user and the reference count remains unchanged. This has the advantage of giving the user flexibility to organize his/her own files in the file system, for example, by storing the same file in different locations without constraints. At the same time the features permit keeping only one copy of the file in the shared storage capacity. According to some illustrative embodiments, in case the first and the second write request are received from different users, the reference count and the file access list is updated accordingly. 
         [0030]    According to some illustrative embodiments, the method further comprises:
       receiving an update request from the user, the update request being indicative of one of the first files which is to be modified by the user;   storing the modified first file in the shared storage capacity; and   creating a pointer to the modified file in the local file system of the user.
 
According to some illustrative embodiments, the method further comprises deleting the pointer pointing to the stored modified first file.
       
 
         [0034]    According to embodiments, the modification of the file is executed by creating a modified local copy F′ of the first file F to be modified, the local copy being stored to the local file system of the user, and executing a write request as described beforehand for writing the modified local copy F. 
         [0035]    According to one embodiment, the virtual desktop is provided by the virtual desktop environment as an instance of a virtual machine image, and a graphical user interface of the virtual desktop is displayed on a screen of a user-specific processing device to the user of said processing device. Depending on the embodiment, the processing device may be a smartphone, a netbook, a workstation, or the like. In particular, the processing device may be a thin client processing device having only limited hardware resources. 
         [0036]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the user is one of a plurality of users respectively having assigned a user-specific processing device. The virtual desktop is one out of a plurality of virtual desktops. Each of the plurality of virtual desktops is provided to one of the processing devices by the virtual desktop environment. A server hosting the virtual desktop environment is connected to each of the user-specific processing devices via a network. The steps executed by embodiments of the present invention as described above may be executed by a storage infrastructure manager running on the server. 
         [0037]    In a further aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method steps of anyone of the above embodiments. 
         [0038]    In another aspect, the invention relates to a computer system for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment, the virtual desktop environment managing a shared storage capacity, wherein the shared storage capacity includes one or more previously stored files, each stored file being associated with a respective unique first file identifier, the virtual desktop environment providing at least one virtual desktop to a processing device of a user. The computer system comprises:
       the shared storage capacity; and   a server processing device hosting a virtual storage infrastructure manager, wherein the virtual storage infrastructure manager is adapted for:
           receiving via the virtual desktop environment a first write request for writing a second file specified in the request;   determining a second file identifier of the specified file;   comparing the second file identifier with each of the first file identifiers of any first file having been stored to the shared storage capacities;   when the second file identifier is identical to one of the first file identifiers, creating a pointer to the stored first file associated with that first file identifier; and   when the second file identifier is not identical to anyone of the first file identifiers, storing the specified second file associated with the second file identifier in the shared storage capacity wherein the second file identifier is stored as a further first file identifier and the second file is stored as a further first file, and creating a pointer to the stored further first file.   
               
 
         [0046]    According to another illustrative embodiment, the client processing device is connected to the server processing device via a network and is operable to request the virtual desktop from the virtual desktop environment via said network. According to further embodiments, the client device is one of a plurality of client devices respectively assigned to one of a plurality of different users, each of the client devices being operable to request a virtual desktop from the virtual desktop environment via the network. 
         [0047]    According to some illustrative embodiments, the virtual desktops provided to each of the client devices comprises GUI elements which respectively represent the pointers having been created upon a write request of the user of the respective client device. The visible properties of said GUI elements, e.g., color, icon type and the like, are identical to GUI elements used by the respective virtual desktop environment for displaying files, thus giving the user the impression of working with a real file instead of a link. 
         [0048]    As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, if not explicitly stated otherwise, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a ‘module’ or ‘system’. Any combination of one or more computer-readable medium(s) may be utilized. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0049]    The invention, as well as a preferred mode of use and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0050]      FIG. 1  illustrates system architecture for the execution of a method for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment, 
           [0051]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment, and 
           [0052]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a server processing device and a client processing device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0053]    In the following, like numbered elements in the figures either designate similar elements or designate elements that perform an equivalent function. Elements which have been discussed previously will not necessarily be discussed in later figures if the function is equivalent. 
         [0054]      FIG. 1  depicts a system architecture  100  operable to execute a process of optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment. The term “virtual desktop environment” as described herein means a system having distributed resources for providing desktop services to end users. 
         [0055]    The system  100  provides thin clients  123 , which are communicatively coupled to a shared storage capacity  113  via a virtual storage infrastructure manager (VSIM)  105  and a computer network  103  such as the internet. The virtual storage infrastructure manager  105  has access to the shared data storage  113  via a space optimizer  109 . The space optimizer  109  may be an integral part of or may be operatively coupled to the virtual storage infrastructure manager running on a remote server  120 . The server  120  can perform any server function and may comprise, for example, data servers, application servers, or web servers. 
         [0056]    The thin client  123  may be, for example, a networked desktop computing device without local storage. It may have a lightweight embedded operating system or firmware and provides user authentication, network/server access, remote display, and support for input/output including keyboard, mouse, local USB, and printing capabilities. The thin client  123  runs a virtual desktop through its connection to the server  120 . The virtual desktop may provide one or more views displayed via a graphical user interface (GUI)  101  of the thin client  123  to a user. The thin client  123  is acting as interface between the user and the shared storage capacity  113 . The thin client  123  is specific to the user, and displays GUI elements representing elements of a local file system to said user. The local file system of the user is adaptable by the user, thus allowing the user to determine the organization of the files owned to the user. The local file system may contain a user-private storage  316 , 317  (cf.  FIG. 3 ) wherein file pointers pointing to files accessible by said user may be stored. 
         [0057]    An application programming interface (API)  107  handles requests from the virtual desktop user and returns responses to those requests. The requests may be, for example, CRUD (create, read, update, delete) operations. These requests are forwarded to the space optimizer  109 . The space optimizer  109  enables and manages the requests, such as the CRUD operations, and translates user requests into requests to the shared storage capacity  113  to retrieve and store information. The API interface  107  is under control of the VSIM and isolates the virtual desktops  310  depicted in  FIG. 3  from directly interacting with the shared storage capacity  113 . 
         [0058]    The shared storage capacity  113  is operatively coupled to the server  120 . For example, the shared storage capacity may be part of the server or accessible by the server via a network. The shared storage capacity  113  may consist of one or more interconnected storage devices, such as a RAID, for storing data files. The system  100  provides information on the stored files  117 . The information comprises, for example, an access control list, a file identifier, a reference count number describing the number of users having access to a file, etc. This information is stored in a metadata repository  111 . The metadata repository  111  is operatively coupled to the space optimizer  109  for exchanging that information. 
         [0059]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for optimizing the storage allocation in a virtual desktop environment. In step  201 , the API  107  of the VSIM  105  receives requests to write a specific file in the shared storage capacity  113 . The request being triggered, for example, by a user saving a specific file attached to his/her email in one user-private storage. The user-private storage comprises a local file system of a virtual desktop. The virtual desktop is provided to the thin client  123 . The API forwards the request to the space optimizer  109 . The space optimizer  109  in step  203  calculates a second identifier for the specified file. The second identifier may include, for example and without limitation, a file Cyclic Redundancy Check number, Hash number, SHA-1 or MD5. In step  205 , the space optimizer  109  compares the second identifier of the specified file being requested with the first identifiers of the files previously stored in the shared storage capacity  113 . The space optimizer  109  retrieves the identifiers of the stored files from the metadata repository  111 . 
         [0060]    In case the second identifier is identical to one of the first file identifiers, the space optimizer first adds the user CD to an access control list and/or increments a reference count associated with the stored file having the first identifier identical to the second identifier. The access control list and the reference count are then stored in the metadata repository  111 . Next, the space optimizer  109  creates a pointer to the existing stored file associated with that first identifier. In step  209 , the pointer is created in the user-private storage comprising the local file system of the virtual desktop requested by the user. The user-private storage may be a logical volume or a physical storage volume. When the specified file is requested a second time, by the same user, for writing said file in a second location within the same directory tree of the file system of the virtual desktop, a second pointer is created which points to the existing first file in the user-private storage of the user. In this case the reference count remains unchanged. 
         [0061]    In case the second write request was received from a second user, the other user requesting to write a file having already been stored by the first user, a pointer pointing to the existing file in the shared storage capacity  113  is created in the local file directory of a user-private storage of said second user. For example, the second user may use a second thin client. The second thin client operates a second virtual desktop displaying graphical references of elements of a local file directory tree defined by said second user. In this case, the reference count is updated. 
         [0062]    In case the second file identifier is not identical to anyone of the first file identifiers, the space optimizer  109  will first create an access control list and/or a reference count for the specified file, and adds the user ID to the access control list and/or increments the reference count. The access control list and the reference count are then stored in the metadata repository  111 . Next, in step  207 , the space optimizer  109  stores the specified file associated with the second file identifier in the shared storage capacity  113  and create a new pointer to the specified file in the user-private storage comprising the local file system of the virtual desktop chosen by the user. The second identifier is then stored as a further first identifier. 
         [0063]    There is another use case where the user is requesting a deletion of one of the previously stored files in the shared storage capacity. In this case, the user ID of that user is removed from the access control list of that file, and the reference count of that file is decremented. 
         [0064]      FIG. 3  depicts a virtual desktop environment comprising a server processing device  120  being connected to a client processing device, e.g., a thin client  123 . 1  via a network  103 , e.g., the Internet or an intranet. The thin client  123 . 1  comprises a processor  304  and a working memory  303 . The working memory  303  comprises user data and program instructions of a virtual desktop  310  having been provided via the network  103  by the virtual storage infrastructure manager  105  being operated by the server  120 . The virtual desktop  310  is an instance of a virtual machine image  301  and may provide a graphical user interface  302  which is displayed to the user  320  of the thin client  123 . 1  on a screen of the thin client  123 . 1 . 
         [0065]    The graphical user interface displayed to the user  320  may comprise graphical user interface elements (GUI elements) representing file pointers stored in storage medium  311 . The storage medium  311  is operatively coupled to the server  120  and may comprise a shared storage capacity  113  and one or more user-private storages (UPS)  316 ,  317 . The shared storage capacity  113  may comprise one or more files  313 ,  308 ,  321 . Each of the files may have assigned an identifier of one or more users being allowed to access that file. The data content of any of the user-private storages comprises data, in particular the file pointers, which are accessible only by one particular user to whom said user-private storage is assigned. For example, UPS  316  may be assigned to user  320 . 
         [0066]    User  320  may create and modify a directory tree and may request to write a file into a particular location of said file tree, whereby the path to that location was specified by the user  320  via the GUI  302 . The GUI  302  may present to the user a graphical representation of the elements of the directory tree and, in particular, of the file pointers  314  pointing to and representing files stored to the shared storage capacity  113 . For example, an icon displayed to the user  320  via the GUIs  302  may represent the file pointer  314 . Said icon may not be discernible from an icon of a real file. Thus, user  320  has the impression of accessing a real file  313  stored to his or her local file directory tree although actually said user  320  accesses only a file pointer  316  stored to his/her user-private storage  316 , whereby said pointer points to file  313  on the shared storage capacity  113 . 
         [0067]    The user-private storage  317  may be assigned to a different user. UPS  317  may also comprise a pointer  315  pointing to file  313 . The file  313  may have assigned an access list comprising the user-IDs of the users assigned to the UPS  316  and UPS  317 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 6