Method and system for providing security and reliability to collaborative applications

• US 20070157025A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Shao-Cheng, Adrangi, Farid, Covington, Michael, Manohar, Deepak, Sastry, Manoj
• Application Number:
  US11/322,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Some embodiments of a method and system for providing secure and reliable collaborative applications are described. In some embodiments, a collaborative application may be separated into critical and non-critical components. The critical components may be run on a secure domain on a virtual machine, apart from the non-critical components, according to some embodiments. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an application domain, wherein the application domain includes a non-critical application component, and wherein the application domain is a first virtual machine;

an engine domain, wherein the engine domain includes a critical application component, and wherein the engine domain is secure, and wherein the engine domain is a second virtual machine;

an inter-domain communication channel to couple the application domain to the engine domain, and wherein the inter-domain communication channel is secure; and

a virtual machine monitor coupled to the first and second virtual machines and to the inter-domain communication channel, the virtual machine monitor to supervise communication between the application domain and the engine domain.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application domain further comprises:

a user-level translation layer; and

a kernel-level translation layer, wherein the user-level translation layer is adapted to transfer control from the user-level translation layer to the kernel-level translation layer, and to respond to calls from the kernel-level translation layer, and wherein the kernel-level translation layer is adapted to send notifications to the engine domain, to respond to notifications sent by the engine domain, to transfer control from the kernel-level translation layer to the user-level translation layer, and to transfer data between the kernel-level translation layer and the user-level translation layer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine domain further comprises:

a user-level translation layer; and

a kernel-level translation layer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user-level translation layer comprises:

a parameter check service module;

an encryption service module; and

an integrity check service module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-critical application component is a graphical user interface for a voice over internet protocol application, and the critical application component is a voice over internet protocol communication stack.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-critical application component and the critical application component are parts of a collaboration application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the collaboration application is a voice over internet protocol application, an electronic mail application, an instant messaging application, a multi-player game application, a video-on-demand application, or a secure billing application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein more than one non-critical application component is included in the application domain.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein more than one application domain is included in the system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein more than one critical application component is included in the engine domain.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein more than one engine domain is included in the system.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request to run a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application includes at least one non-critical component and at least one critical component;

running the non-critical component in an application domain on a first virtual machine;

running the critical component in an engine domain on a second virtual machine; and

linking the first and second virtual machines with an inter-domain communication channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

separating a collaboration application into a non-critical component and a critical component.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring the first and second virtual machines, and the inter-domain communication channel with a virtual machine monitor, wherein the virtual machine monitor supervises communication between the application domain and the engine domain.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

running a user-level translation layer in the application domain; and

running a kernel-level translation layer in the application domain, wherein the user-level translation layer is adapted to transfer control from the user-level translation layer to the kernel-level translation layer, and to respond to calls from the kernel-level translation layer, and wherein the kernel-level translation layer is adapted to send notifications to the engine domain, to respond to notifications sent by the engine domain, to transfer control from the kernel-level translation layer to the user-level translation layer, and to transfer data between the kernel-level translation layer and the user-level translation layer.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

running a user-level translation layer in the engine domain; and

running a kernel-level translation layer in the engine domain.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the running of the user-level translation layer further comprises:

running a parameter check service module;

running an encryption service module; and

running an integrity check service module.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the non-critical application component is a graphical user interface for a voice over internet protocol application, and the critical application component is a voice over internet protocol communication stack.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the collaboration application is a voice over internet protocol application, an electronic mail application, an instant messaging application, a multi-player game application, a video-on-demand application, or a secure billing application.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one non-critical application component is included in the application domain.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one application domain is running.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one critical application component is included in the engine domain.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one engine domain is running.

24. A machine readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

receive a request to run a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application includes at least one non-critical component and at least one critical component;

run the non-critical component in an application domain on a first virtual machine;

run the critical component in an engine domain on a second virtual machine; and

link the first and second virtual machines with an inter-domain communication channel.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

separate a collaboration application into a non-critical component and a critical component.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

monitor the first and second virtual machines, and the inter-domain communication channel with a virtual machine monitor, wherein the virtual machine monitor supervises communication between the application domain and the engine domain.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

run a user-level translation layer in the application domain; and

run a kernel-level translation layer in the application domain, wherein the user-level translation layer is adapted to transfer control from the user-level translation layer to the kernel-level translation layer, and to respond to calls from the kernel-level translation layer, and wherein the kernel-level translation layer is adapted to send notifications to the engine domain, to respond to notifications sent by the engine domain, to transfer control from the kernel-level translation layer to the user-level translation layer, and to transfer data between the kernel-level translation layer and the user-level translation layer.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

run a user-level translation layer in the engine domain; and

run a kernel-level translation layer in the engine domain.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the running of the user-level translation layer further comprises:

run a parameter check service module;

run an encryption service module; and

run an integrity check service module.

30. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein the non-critical application component is a graphical user interface for a voice over internet protocol application, and the critical application component is a voice over internet protocol communication stack.

31. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein the collaboration application is a voice over internet protocol application, an electronic mail application, an instant messaging application, a multi-player game application, a video-on-demand application, or a secure billing application.

32. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein more than one non-critical application component is included in the application domain.

33. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein more than one application domain is adapted to run.

34. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein more than one critical application component is included in the engine domain.

35. The machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein more than one engine domain is adapted to run.