Method for Managing a Virtual Machine

• US 20080320583A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharma, Vipul, Brandt, Andrew W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• 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

Abstract

Methods for managing a virtual machine wherein an administration console (AC) (1104) transmits a query to a virtualization server (1116). The virtualization server 1116 includes at least one virtual machine (VM) (1124). AC (1104) receives, in response to the query, identification of a VM (1124) and establishes an authenticated communications link with a proxy machine (1108) adapted for communicating with the VM (1124). AC (1104) transmits over the authenticated communications link to proxy machine (1108) the identification of the VM (1124) and performs a management function with respect to the VM (1124).

Claims

1. A method for virtual machine management, the method comprising:

the AC establishing an authenticated communications link with a proxy machines said proxy machine being adapted for communicating with at least one virtual machine (VM);

the AC transmitting over the authenticated communications link to the proxy machine an identification of the at least one VM; and

the AC performing a management function with respect to the at least one VM.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the VM is offline.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the proxy machine comprises at least one of a physical proxy machine, a virtual proxy machine executing on a physical machine separate from the virtualization servers and a virtual proxy machine executing on the virtualization server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the management function comprises inspecting a file within the VM.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inspected file is at least one of a disk image file, a wrapper file, a log file and a snapshot related file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein information obtained by inspecting the file is stored within at least one of the AC and the proxy machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the stored information has an identifier for associating the stored information with the VM.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier is a hash of a record associated with the VM.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein information obtained by inspecting the file is stored within the VM.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the management function further comprises at least one of enforcing a policy and modifying the VM.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying the VM comprises at least one of installing administrative data, installing new software, updating an existing software component, and deleting a software component.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein enforcing a policy comprises at least one of inserting, deleting and deprecating a certificate associated with the policy.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein performing a management function comprises

the AC providing to the proxy machine identification information of a selected VM;

and

the proxy machine mounting the selected VM and inspecting a file within the selected VM.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inspected file is at least one of a disk image file, a wrapper file, a log file and a snapshot related file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein information obtained by inspecting the file is stored within at least one of the AC, the VM, and the proxy machine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the stored information has an identifier for associating the stored information with the selected VM.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier is a hash of a record associated with the selected VM.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the management function further comprises at least one of enforcing a policy and modifying the VM.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein modifying the VM comprises at least one of installing administrative data, installing new software, updating an existing software component, and deleting a software component.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein enforcing a policy comprises at least one of inserting, deleting and deprecating a certificate associated with the policy.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a management function comprises:

the AC receiving from the virtualization server information about a snapshot file of a running VM, said snapshot file being created by the virtualization server; and

the AC inspecting said snapshot file.

22. A method for virtual machine management, the method comprising:

an administration console (AC) transmitting a query to a virtualization server, said virtualization server comprising at least one virtual machine (VM);

the AC receiving, in response to the query, identification of at least one VM within the virtualization server;

the AC establishing an authenticated communications link with a proxy machine, said proxy machine being adapted for communicating with at least one VM;

the AC transmitting over the authenticated communications link to the proxy machine an identification of the at least one VM; and

the AC performing a management function with respect to the at least one VM.