def save(self, expected_vm_state=None,
             expected_task_state=None, admin_state_reset=False):
        """Save updates to this instance
        Column-wise updates will be made based on the result of
        self.what_changed(). If expected_task_state is provided,
        it will be checked against the in-database copy of the
        instance before updates are made.
        :param:context: Security context
        :param:expected_task_state: Optional tuple of valid task states
        for the instance to be in
        :param:expected_vm_state: Optional tuple of valid vm states
        for the instance to be in
        :param admin_state_reset: True if admin API is forcing setting
        of task_state/vm_state
        """
        # Store this on the class because _cell_name_blocks_sync is useless
        # after the db update call below.
        self._sync_cells = not self._cell_name_blocks_sync()
        context = self._context
        cell_type = cells_opts.get_cell_type()
        if cell_type is not None:
            stale_instance = self.obj_clone()
        cells_update_from_api = (cell_type == 'api' and self.cell_name and
                                 self._sync_cells)
        if cells_update_from_api:
            def _handle_cell_update_from_api():
                cells_api = cells_rpcapi.CellsAPI()
                cells_api.instance_update_from_api(context, stale_instance,
                            expected_vm_state,
                            expected_task_state,
                            admin_state_reset)
        updates = {}
        changes = self.obj_what_changed()
        for field in self.fields:
            # NOTE(danms): For object fields, we construct and call a
            # helper method like self._save_$attrname()
            if (self.obj_attr_is_set(field) and
                    isinstance(self.fields[field], fields.ObjectField)):
                try:
                    getattr(self, '_save_%s' % field)(context)
                except AttributeError:
                    LOG.exception(_LE('No save handler for %s'), field,
                                  instance=self)
                except db_exc.DBReferenceError as exp:
                    if exp.key != 'instance_uuid':
                        raise
                    # NOTE(melwitt): This will happen if we instance.save()
                    # before an instance.create() and FK constraint fails.
                    # In practice, this occurs in cells during a delete of
                    # an unscheduled instance. Otherwise, it could happen
                    # as a result of bug.
                    raise exception.InstanceNotFound(instance_id=self.uuid)
            elif field in changes:
                if (field == 'cell_name' and self[field] is not None and
                        self[field].startswith(cells_utils.BLOCK_SYNC_FLAG)):
                    updates[field] = self[field].replace(
                            cells_utils.BLOCK_SYNC_FLAG, '', 1)
                else:
                    updates[field] = self[field]