Web client plugin manager in vCenter managed object browser

• US 10,581,823 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Yang, Lu, Zhongping, Feng, Jin, Guo, Shugang
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gundry, Stephen T
• Application Number:
  US15/076,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method is provided for a plug-in manager in a virtual machine (VM) system to install or update a plug-in at a web client server in the VM system. The plug-in extends the web client server with a user interface element to interact with a management entity implemented as a VM in the VM system. The method includes receiving, from the management entity, a request to register or update the plug-in, wherein the request includes an address and authentication information for the management entity, recording the address and the authentication information, transmitting, to the web client server, an instruction to install or update the plug-in, receiving, from the plug-in at the web client server, a request for the address and the authentication information for the management entity, and transmitting, to the plug-in at the web client server, the address and the authentication information for the management entity.

Claims

1. A method for a plug-in manager in a virtual machine (VM) system to install or update a plug-in at a web server in the VM system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a management entity in the VM system, a request to register or update the plug-in configured to extend the web server with a user interface element to interact with the management entity, wherein the request includes an address and authentication information for the management entity and a download address for a plug-in package;

recording the address and the authentication information;

transmitting, to the web server, an instruction to install or update the plug-in;

receiving, from the plug-in at the web server, a request for the address and the authentication information for the management entity; and

transmitting, to the plug-in at the web server, the address and the authentication information for the management entity.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprises:

receiving, from the web server, a request for the download address; and

transmitting, to the web server, the download address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises a thumbprint for the management entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the management entity comprises a virtual appliance implemented as a VM in the VM system or a management server on a virtualization manager in the VM system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the management entity, a request to remove the plug-in; and

sending, to the web server, an instruction to remove the plug-in.

6. A method for a web server in a virtual machine (VM) system to add or update a plug-in from a management entity in the VM system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a plug-in manager, an instruction to install or update the plug-in configured to extend the web server with a user interface element to interact with the management entity;

receiving, from the plug-in manager, a download address for a plug-in package;

downloading the plug-in package for the plug-in based on the download address;

installing the plug-in from the plug-in package;

transmitting, to the plug-in manager, a request for an address and authentication information for the management entity;

receiving, from the plug-in manager, the address and the authentication information for the management entity; and

using the address and the authentication information for the management entity, establishing a secured connection with the management entity.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting, to the plug-in manager, a request for the download address for the plug-in package.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the authentication information comprises a thumbprint for the management entity.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the management entity comprises a virtual appliance implemented as a VM in the VM system or a management server on a virtualization manager in the VM system.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, through the user interface element, input from a browser;

providing the input to the management entity;

receiving output from the management entity; and

updating the user interface element based on the output.

11. A method for a virtual machine (VM) system to install or update a plug-in at a web server in the VM system through a plug-in manager in the VM system, the method comprising:

a management entity in the VM system transmitting, to the plug-in manager, a request to register or update the plug-in configured to extend the web server with a user interface element to interact with the management entity, wherein the request comprising an address and authentication information of the management entity;

the plug-in manager recording the address and the authentication information;

the plug-in manager transmitting, to the web server, an instruction to install or update the plug-in;

the plug-in manager transmitting, to the web server, a download address for a plug-in package;

the web server downloading the plug-in package for the plug-in based on the download address and installing the plug-in from the plug-in package;

the plug-in transmitting, to the plug-in manager, a request for the address and the authentication information for the management entity;

the plug-in manager transmitting, to the plug-in, the address and the authentication information for the management entity; and

using the address and the authentication information for the management entity, the plug-in establishing a secured connection with the management entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request further includes a download address for the plug-in package, and the method further comprises:

the web server transmitting, to the plug-in manager, a request for the download address for the plug-in package and

the web server installing the plug-in.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication information comprises a thumbprint for the management entity.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the management entity comprises a virtual appliance implemented as a VM in the VM system or a management server on a virtualization manager in the VM system.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the plug-in receiving, through the user interface element, input from a browser;

the plug-in providing the input to the management entity over the secured connection;

the plug-in receiving output from the management entity over the secured connection; and

the plug-in updating the user interface element based on the output.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the plug-in manager receiving, from the management entity, a request to remove the plug-in; and

the plug-in manager sending, to the web server, an instruction to remove the plug-in.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor implementing a plug-in manager in a virtual machine (VM) system to:

receive, from a management entity in the VM system, a request to register or update a plug-in that extends a web server with a user interface element to interact with the management entity, wherein the request includes an address and authentication information for the management entity and a download address for a plug-in package;

record the address and the authentication information;

transmit, to the web server, an instruction to install or update the plug-in;

receive, from the plug-in at the web server, a request for the address and the authentication information for the management entity; and

transmit, to the plug-in at the web server, the address and the authentication information for the management entity.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the storage medium further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

receive, from the web server, a request for the download address; and

transmit, to the web server, the download address.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the authentication information comprises a thumbprint for the management entity.

20. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the management entity comprises a virtual appliance implemented as a VM in the VM system or a management server on a virtualization manager in the VM system.

21. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

receive, from the management entity, a request to remove the plug-in; and

send, to the web server, an instruction to remove the plug-in.

22. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor implementing a web server in a virtual machine (VM) system to:

receive, from a plug-in manager in the VM system, an instruction to install or update a plug-in that extends the web server with a user interface element to interact with a management entity in the VM system;

receive, from the plug-in manager, a download address for a plug-in package;

download the plug-in package for the plug-in based on the download address;

install the plug-in from the plug-in package;

transmit, to the plug-in manager, a request for an address and authentication information for the management entity;

receive, from the plug-in manager, the address and the authentication information for the management entity; and

use the address and the authentication information for the management entity to establish a secured connection with the management entity.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

transmit, to the plug-in manager, a request for the download address for the plug-in package.

24. The storage medium of claim 22, wherein the authentication information comprises a thumbprint for the management entity.

25. The storage medium of claim 22, wherein the management entity comprises a virtual appliance implemented as a VM in the VM system or a management server on a virtualization manager in the VM system.

26. The storage medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

receive, through the user interface element, input from a browser;

provide the input to the management entity;

receive output from the management entity; and

update the user interface element based on the output.