ndiskin

Ndiskin is a software framework and file format designed to manage disk image files used by virtual machines, emulators, and cloud environments. It provides a platform-agnostic abstraction layer that unifies image creation, conversion, mounting, and lifecycle management across multiple image formats and hypervisors.

The architecture of ndiskin comprises a core engine, a plugin-based format adapter, a command-line interface, and a RESTful API. The core handles metadata, integrity checks, and operations orchestration, while plugins implement format-specific behavior. The API enables integration with orchestration tools and automated workflows.

Ndiskin supports common disk image formats such as QCOW2, VMDK, VHD, RAW, and ISO, and provides features such as cloning, snapshot management, resizing, and online attachment to virtualization guests. It also includes security features like image signing, access controls, and audit logging.

In use, ndiskin is employed in virtualization laboratories, cloud infrastructure, and digital forensics to provide consistent disk image management across environments. It is designed to be extensible, allowing additional formats and operations to be added through its plugin system.

Ndiskin is distributed under a permissive open-source license, with community governance and contribution guidelines. Development is conducted in public repositories with issue trackers, release notes, and compatibility matrices.