DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The claim language of the following claims is not clearly understood:
As to claims 1 and 20, it is unclear what the distinction is between a “server virtual machine” and a “guest virtual machine” if either of them are able to perform the remaining steps in the claim. A distinction is made between the two, but then the claim states that either can perform the execution, etc. Referring to them as “server” and “guest” seems to have no function except in the naming.
As to claims 1 and 20, it is unclear what is meant by “retrieving the shared layer.” How is the shared layer retrieved, what is doing the retrieving, and what is it being retrieved from? It is unclear how a layer can be retrieved or what retrieving a layer would entail.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory Kessler whose telephone number is (571)270-7762. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:30 - 5, Alternate Fridays 8:30-4.
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/GREGORY A KESSLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2197
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