A method comprising: intercepting a request for a part of a production dataset from an application virtual machine of a plurality of application virtual machines, wherein: the production dataset is received from a storage system; the production dataset comprises common production data required by the plurality of application virtual machines; the production dataset is a backup copy or a cover snapshot of a live production dataset; and the production dataset is cached in a consolidated cache, and serving the part of the production dataset to the application virtual machine from the consolidated cache, wherein: the consolidated cache is implemented by an accelerator virtual machine; and the part of the production dataset is served: if the part of the production dataset is common production data, from the consolidated cache; and if the part of the production dataset is changed production data that has been changed by the application virtual machine, from a writeable overlay for the application virtual machine, the writeable overlay being storable in the consolidated cache. intercepting a request for a part of a production dataset from an application virtual machine of a plurality of application virtual machines, wherein: the production dataset is received from a storage system; the production dataset comprises common production data required by the plurality of application virtual machines; the production dataset is a backup copy or a cover snapshot of a live production dataset; and the production dataset is cached in a consolidated cache, and the production dataset is received from a storage system; the production dataset comprises common production data required by the plurality of application virtual machines; the production dataset is a backup copy or a cover snapshot of a live production dataset; and the production dataset is cached in a consolidated cache, and serving the part of the production dataset to the application virtual machine from the consolidated cache, wherein: the consolidated cache is implemented by an accelerator virtual machine; and the part of the production dataset is served: if the part of the production dataset is common production data, from the consolidated cache; and if the part of the production dataset is changed production data that has been changed by the application virtual machine, from a writeable overlay for the application virtual machine, the writeable overlay being storable in the consolidated cache. the consolidated cache is implemented by an accelerator virtual machine; and the part of the production dataset is served: if the part of the production dataset is common production data, from the consolidated cache; and if the part of the production dataset is changed production data that has been changed by the application virtual machine, from a writeable overlay for the application virtual machine, the writeable overlay being storable in the consolidated cache. if the part of the production dataset is common production data, from the consolidated cache; and if the part of the production dataset is changed production data that has been changed by the application virtual machine, from a writeable overlay for the application virtual machine, the writeable overlay being storable in the consolidated cache.