Application configuration in a virtual environment

1. A virtual configuration management system that manages configuration information for applications running in a virtual environment, comprising:

a computing platform having a processor and a memory that is configured to host a plurality of virtual machines (VM), wherein each VM includes an application and operating system;

a hypervisor that handles data read and write operations between a virtual storage and each VM, where the hypervisor includes a configuration repository emulator that intercepts and processes a request VM for a virtual configuration for an application being launched by the VM;

a configuration metadata repository for storing metadata associated with a plurality of applications;

a versioned configuration image repository for storing versioned configuration images, each versioned configuration image associated with a previously configured application; and

a configuration repository manager that:

dynamically creates a configuration repository runtime instance from a selected versioned configuration image for the application being launched by the VM;

registers the configuration repository runtime instance to a configuration repository emulator;

links the configuration repository emulator to the virtual machine; and

attaches the configuration runtime instance to the virtual machine for the application, wherein the configuration repository runtime image includes the virtual configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata for each application includes a location of a configuration file.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the configuration repository emulator utilizes the location of the configuration file to intercept requests.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the versioned configuration images are stored in an XML (extensible markup language) format.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the versioned configuration images include a set of configuration parameters.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration repository runtime instance is configured for the VM requesting configuration information for the application.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for registering metadata for a selected application.

8. A computer program product recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which when executed by a computing platform, provides virtual configuration management for applications running in a virtual environment, the computer program product comprising:

program code for processing requests from a virtual machine for a virtual configuration for an application being launched on the virtual machine;

program code for retrieving in response to the request a versioned configuration image for the application, wherein the versioned configuration image comprises formatted configuration information captured from a previously configured application;

program code for dynamically creating a configuration repository runtime instance from the versioned configuration image in response to a request, wherein the configuration repository runtime instance includes the virtual configuration;

program code for registering the configuration repository runtime instance to a configuration repository emulator;

program code for linking the configuration repository emulator to the virtual machine; and

program code for applying the configuration repository runtime image to the virtual machine for the application.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the versioned configuration image is stored in an XML (extensible markup language) format.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:

program code for registering metadata for a new or updated application; and

program code for intercepting configuration information from the new or updated application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising:

program code for reformatting the configuration information into a new versioned configuration image; and

program code for storing the new versioned configuration image in a repository.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the metadata includes a location of a configuration file for the new or updated application.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the location of the configuration file is utilized to intercept requests.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the versioned configuration image includes a set of configuration parameters.

15. A method of providing virtual configuration management for applications running in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a virtual machine for a virtual configuration for an application being launched by the virtual machine;

retrieving in response to the request a versioned configuration image for the application, wherein the versioned configuration image comprises formatted configuration information captured from a previously configured application;

dynamically creating a configuration repository runtime instance from the versioned configuration image in response to the request;

registering the configuration repository runtime instance to a configuration repository emulator;

linking the configuration repository emulator to the virtual machine; and

attaching the configuration repository runtime image to the virtual machine for the application, wherein the configuration repository runtime image includes the virtual configuration.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the versioned configuration image is stored in an XML (extensible markup language) format.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

registering metadata for a new or updated application; and

intercepting configuration information from the new or updated application.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

reformatting the configuration information into a new versioned configuration image; and

storing the new versioned configuration image in a repository.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the metadata includes a location of a configuration file for the new or updated application.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the location of the configuration file is utilized to intercept requests.