Patent ID: 8458694

Claim:
A method of managing virtual machine imaging, the method on an information processing system comprising: receiving a request for an imaging operation associated with at least one virtual machine; sending a notification to at least one operating system associated with the virtual machine of the request for the imaging operation; determining, by the operating system prior to any quiescing operation being performed and in response to receiving the notification that has been sent, that the imaging operation is acceptable by the operating system; forwarding, by the operating system in response to determining that the imaging operation is acceptable, the notification received to one or more components previously registered with the operating system; receiving, in response to the notification forwarded, a response from the one or more components that the imaging operation is acceptable; determining, in response to: i) the operating system determining that the imaging operation is acceptable, and ii) receiving the response from the one or more components that the imaging operation is acceptable, that the operation system is in a state for the virtual machine to be imaged; and granting, in response to determining that the operation system is in a state for the virtual machine to be imaged, the request for the imaging operation.