METHOD TO PROVIDE A SECURE VIRTUAL MACHINE LAUNCHER

• US 20080047015A1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gnuechtel, Frederick J., Dutcher, David P., Dewitt, Jimmie E., Cornwall, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability

Abstract

A method of operating a virtual machine includes determining a virtual machine signature, receiving an execution request from an application, and determining an application signature based on the request. The method further includes validating the application signature to the virtual machine signature and executing the application based on the validation.

Claims

1. A method of operating a virtual machine, the method comprising:

determining a virtual machine signature;

receiving an execution request from an application;

determining an application signature based on the request;

validating the application signature to the virtual machine signature; and

executing the application based on the validation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

associating the virtual machine with the virtual machine signature;

and

associating the application with the application signature.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the virtual machine signature and the application signature are a matched pair.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the application based on the validation comprises:

determining at least one class library based on the validation; and

executing only classes within the determined at least one class library.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a external condition request based on the validation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the external condition request is sent to a vehicle system via a vehicle communications bus.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein sending a external condition request based on the validation comprises:

issuing an error message based on the validation; and

receiving an error message response responsive to the issued error message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the error message includes a request for payment, and wherein the error message response includes payment.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the error message includes a request for an authorization code.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein sending a external condition request based on the validation comprises:

determining a virtual machine carrier network associated with the virtual machine; and

determining an application carrier network associated with the application.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine is selected from the group consisting of Java Virtual Machine, SmallTalk Virtual Machine, LISP Virtual Machine and a bytecode Virtual Machine.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of a virtual machine signature is part of a boot sequence of the virtual machine.

13. A computer readable medium including computer readable code for operating a virtual machine, the medium comprising:

computer readable code for determining a virtual machine signature;

computer readable code for receiving an execution request from an application;

computer readable code for determining an application signature based on the request;

computer readable code for validating the application signature to the virtual machine signature; and

computer readable code for executing the application based on the validation.

14. The medium of claim 13 further comprising computer readable code for associating the virtual machine with the virtual machine signature;

and

computer readable code for associating the application with the application signature.

15. The medium of claim 13 wherein executing the application based on the validation comprises:

computer readable code for determining at least one class library based on the validation; and

computer readable code for executing only classes within the determined at least one class library.

16. The medium of claim 13 further comprising:

computer readable code for sending a external condition request based on the validation.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein computer readable code for sending an external condition request based on the validation comprises:

computer readable code for issuing an error message based on the validation; and

computer readable code for receiving an error message response responsive to the issued error message.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the error message includes a request for payment, and wherein the error message response includes payment.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the error message includes a request for an authorization code.

20. A system for operating a virtual machine, the system comprising:

means for determining a virtual machine signature;

means for receiving an execution request from an application;

means for determining an application signature based on the request;

means for validating the application signature to the virtual machine signature; and

means for executing the application based on the validation.