Creating multiple local virtual machines running multiple operating systems

Abstract

A computer system with a hypervisor detects the local physical connection of a portable storage device with an operating system image thereon. The computer system installs an instance of the operating system on the hypervisor, and the hypervisor assigns a set of resources to the instance to generate a virtual machine. As further portable storage devices with operating systems thereon are locally, physically connected to the computer system, additional virtual machines are generated, each with a different operating system instance, which may be the same or different from the other operating system instances. The resources of the computer system are assigned and reassigned among the virtual machines as the portable storage devices are connected and disconnected.

1 . A computer-implemented method for generating virtual machines running operating systems from operating system images on portable storage devices as they are locally connected to a computer system with a plurality of resources and running a type 1 hypervisor, wherein the computer system is embodied in an octagonal ring, wherein each outer facet of the ring includes two portable storage device ports, an audio input port, and an audio output port, and wherein each inner facet of the ring includes a power supply port and a visual device port, the method comprising:
 detecting a local physical connection of a first portable storage device to a first portable storage device port of the computer system, the first portable storage device having a first operating system image stored thereon, and wherein the computer system is locally connected to a set of computer stations, the set of computer stations including a first station associated with the first virtual machine, a first outer facet of the computer system, and a first inner facet of the computer system, and a second station associated with the second virtual machine, a second outer facet of the computer system, and a second inner facet of the computer system, wherein each computer station of the set of computer stations includes at least one audio output port, at least one input device, and at least one visual display device; and wherein the first portable storage device port is a universal serial bus (USB) port and the first portable storage device is a bootable USB drive containing an image of a user's preferred operating system and program files;   generating, via the hypervisor, a first virtual machine running a first operating system by loading the first operating system from the first operating system image on the first portable storage device and assigning a first set of the plurality of resources to the first operating system;   detecting, while the first virtual machine is running, a local physical connection of a second portable storage device to a second portable storage device port of the computer system, the second portable storage device having a second operating system image stored thereon; and   generating, via the hypervisor, a second virtual machine running a second operating system by loading the second operating system from the second operating system image on the second portable storage device and assigning a second set of the plurality of resources to the second operating system, the assigning the second set of the plurality of resources comprising reassigning resources from the first set of the plurality of resources, wherein the first set of the plurality of resources and the second set of the plurality of resources are not equal, and wherein the first and second operating systems are different operating systems, and wherein the number of virtual machines the hypervisor is allowed to generate is limited to the number of physical cores in the computer system's CPU, the computer system's CPU including at least two cores.