Patent ID: 8448169

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting a file that a first of a plurality of instances of an operating system is configured to load, wherein a kernel and the plurality of instances of the operating system are managed by a second of the plurality of the instances of the operating system, wherein the plurality of the instances of the operating system share the kernel, and wherein the file is configured to extend functionality of the kernel when loaded; generating a unique electronic identifier based on properties of the file, wherein the unique electronic identifier uniquely identifies the file; providing a copy of the file to the first of the plurality of instances of the operating system; receiving a request from the first of the plurality of the instances of the operating system to load the copy of the file; determining, using the unique electronic identifier, that the copy of the file from the first of the plurality of the instances of the operating system is equivalent to the file; determining whether the file is to be loaded locally or globally; in response to determining that the file is to be loaded locally: loading the copy of the file directly using the unique electronic identifier, wherein loading the file locally allows the file to be specific to the first of the plurality of the instances of the operating system; and in response to determining that the file is to be loaded globally: incrementing a counter, wherein the counter tracks a number of the plurality of the instances of the operating system that have requested to load the file; and loading the copy of the file using the unique electronic identifier, wherein loading the file globally allows the file to be sharable by the plurality of the instances of the operating system.