Method, apparatus and system for enhacing the usability of virtual machines

• US 20060136911A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Knauerhase, Robert C., Robinson, Scott H., Tewari, Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for improving usability of virtual machines is described. A console module on a VM host may continuously monitor incoming data (e.g., files and/or attachments) and make automatic determinations regarding how and/or whether to intercept, route, redirect and/or deliver the data (e.g., where to store files, when and/or whether to deliver the files, execute the files, etc.). Additionally, in one embodiment, a unification console may be provided to enhance the usability of the VM host. The unification console enables the user to view the VM host via a unified desktop interface while handling the underlying switching and/or interactions between VMs.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing usability of virtual machines (“

VMs”

), comprising;

intercepting incoming data;

determining a data type;

examining at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the data type; and

processing the data according to information in the at least one descriptor module.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data comprises at least one of an audio stream, video stream, sensor stream, email, an email attachment, a data stream, an instant message, a remote file transfer and a driver-share file transfer.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein examining the descriptor module to determine how to process the data further comprises identifying an action to be taken based on the data type, and processing the data further comprises executing the action.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising logging information pertaining to the action for future use.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein processing the data further comprises examining a second descriptor module to determine how to further process the data.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein examining the at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the data further comprises preventing an action to be taken based on predetermined criteria.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the predetermined criteria includes at least one of a data type, a network port the data is processed by and a destination VM for the data.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the incoming data is an attachment to a communication.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

examining the communication to determine a communication type;

examining the at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the communication based on the communication type; and

processing the communication according to the information in the at least one descriptor module.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the communication is an email.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a unified interface on the host, the unified interface presenting a view of a plurality of the VMs on the host.

12. A method for enhancing usability of virtual machines (“

VMs”

), comprising;

intercepting an incoming communication;

examining the communication to determine whether the communication includes attached data;

if the communication does not include attached data, allowing a virtual machine manager to deliver the communication to a VM;

if the communication includes attached data;

examining the communication to determine a communication type;

examining the data to determine a data type;

examining at least one descriptor module to determine how to handle the communication and the data based on the communication type and the data type; and

processing the data and the communication according to information in the at least one descriptor module.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein processing the data and the communication further comprises examining a second descriptor module to determine how to further handle the communication and the data.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein intercepting incoming communication further comprises intercepting incoming communication in cooperation with a virtual machine manager.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein examining the descriptor module to determine how to handle the communication based on the type of the data further comprises identifying an action to be taken based on the communication type and the data type, and processing the data and the communication further comprises executing the action.

16. A system for enhancing usability of virtual machine (“

VM”

) host, comprising;

a plurality of VMs;

a descriptor module comprising information regarding a data type and appropriate action for the data type; and

a console module capable of intercepting data received by the VM host, the data destined for one of the plurality of VMs, the console module further capable of accessing the descriptor module to determine how to handle the data based on the data type.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the console module is further capable of executing the appropriate action for the data type.

18. The system according to claim 16 further comprising a virtual machine manager (“

VMM”

) capable of communicating with the console module.

19. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

intercept incoming data on a virtual machine (“

VM”

) host;

determine a data type;

examine at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the data type; and

process the data according to information in the at least one descriptor module.

20. The article according to claim 19 wherein the data comprises at least one of an audio stream, video stream, sensor stream, email, an email attachment, a data stream, an instant message, a remote file transfer and a driver-share file transfer.

21. The article according to claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to examine the at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the data by identifying an action to be taken based on the data type.

22. The article according to claim 21 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to processing the data by executing the action.

23. The article according to claim 22 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to log information pertaining to the action for future use.

24. The article according to claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to process the data by examining a second descriptor module to determine how to further process the data.

25. The article according to claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to prevent an action to be taken based on predetermined criteria.

26. The article according to claim 25 wherein the predetermined criteria includes at least one of a data type, a network port the data is processed by and a destination VM for the data.

27. The article according to claim 19 wherein the incoming data is an attachment to a communication.

28. The article according to claim 27 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to:

examine the communication to determine a communication type;

examine the at least one descriptor module to determine how to process the communication based on the communication type; and

process the communication according to the information in the at least one descriptor module.

29. The article according to claim 28 wherein the communication is an email.

30. The article according to claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to provide a unified interface on the host, the unified interface presenting a view of a plurality of the VMs on the host.