Deployment and Management of Virtual Containers

• US 20100064299A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KACE Networks, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Mark, Gray, Michael R., Kacin, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A system virtualizes applications on a managed endpoint using containers. A managed endpoint receives a virtualized container from an IT automation appliance. The virtualized container includes an application and a virtualization module. The virtualization module includes computer program instructions for virtualizing the application. An operating system API call made by the application during execution is intercepted, and a portion of the computer program instructions are executed based on the operating system API call. The computer program instructions modify the behavior of the application to effect the file and data virtualization of the application. A virtualized container can be deployed and updated from an IT automation appliance along with an agent to support the deployment and updating of the virtualized container.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for virtualizing applications on a computer using containers, the method comprising:

receiving a virtualized container from a remote computer, the virtualized container comprising an application and a virtualization module, the virtualization module comprising computer program instructions for virtualizing the application;

intercepting an operating system application program interface (API) call made by the application during execution of the application; and

executing a portion of the computer program instructions of the virtualization module based on the operating system API call, wherein the computer program instructions modify a behavior of the application to effect a virtualization of the application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the application has started executing; and

responsive to determining that the application has started executing, performing an initialization function comprising setting up an environment for a user of the application included in the virtualized container.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the executed portion of the computer program instructions prevents the application from accessing malware.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-flashing the virtualized container to return the virtualized container to its initial state.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a new application has started executing on the computer;

determining that the new application is part of a virtualized container; and

responsive to determining that the new application is part of the virtualized container, hooking the computer program instructions for virtualizing the application into appropriate operating system API calls.

6. A computer-implemented method for providing virtualized applications to managed endpoints in a computing environment, the method comprising:

deploying an agent to a managed endpoint, the agent adapted to execute on the managed endpoint to support the deployment of virtualized containers to the endpoint; and

deploying a virtualized container containing an application to the managed endpoint responsive to the agent, wherein the virtualized container includes computer program instructions that, when executed at the managed endpoint, virtualize the application, the virtualizing comprising;

intercepting an operating system application program interface (API) call made by the application during execution of the application; and

modifying a behavior of the application to effect a virtualization of the application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

updating the deployed virtualized container at the managed endpoint, the updating comprising providing updated computer program instructions for virtualizing the application to managed endpoint, wherein the updated computer program instructions implement an updated administrative policy of the application.

8. A system for virtualizing applications on a computer using containers, the system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program modules comprising;

a module for receiving a virtualized container from a remote computer, the virtualized container comprising an application and a virtualization module, the virtualization module comprising computer program instructions for virtualizing the application;

a module for intercepting an operating system application program interface (API) call made by the application during execution of the application; and

a module for executing a portion of the computer program instructions of the virtualization module based on the operating system API call, wherein the computer program instructions modify a behavior of the application to effect a virtualization of the application.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a module for determining that the application has started executing; and

a module for, responsive to determining that the application has started executing, performing an initialization function comprising setting up an environment for a user of the application included in the virtualized container.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the executed portion of the computer program instructions prevents the application from accessing malware.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a module for re-flashing the virtualized container to return the virtualized container to its initial state.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a module for determining that a new application has started executing on the computer;

a module for determining that the new application is part of a virtualized container; and

a module for, responsive to determining that the new application is part of the virtualized container, hooking the computer program instructions for virtualizing the application into appropriate operating system API calls.

13. A system for providing virtualized applications to managed endpoints in a computing environment, the system comprising an information technology (IT) appliance for:

deploying an agent to a managed endpoint, the agent adapted to execute on the managed endpoint to support the deployment of virtualized containers to the endpoint; and

deploying a virtualized container containing an application to the managed endpoint responsive to the agent, wherein the virtualized container includes computer program instructions that, when executed at the managed endpoint, virtualize the application, the virtualizing comprising;

intercepting an operating system application program interface (API) call made by the application during execution of the application; and

modifying a behavior of the application to effect a virtualization of the application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the IT appliance is further configured for:

updating the deployed virtualized container at the managed endpoint, the updating comprising providing updated computer program instructions for virtualizing the application to managed endpoint, wherein the updated computer program instructions implement an updated administrative policy of the application.

15. A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program instructions recorded thereon for virtualizing applications on a computer using containers, comprising:

a module for receiving a virtualized container from a remote computer, the virtualized container comprising an application and a virtualization module, the virtualization module comprising computer program instructions for virtualizing the application;

a module for intercepting an operating system application program interface (API) call made by the application during execution of the application; and

a module for executing a portion of the computer program instructions of the virtualization module based on the operating system API call, wherein the computer program instructions modify a behavior of the application to effect a virtualization of the application.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for determining that the application has started executing; and

a module for, responsive to determining that the application has started executing, performing an initialization function comprising setting up an environment for a user of the application included in the virtualized container.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executed portion of the computer program instructions prevents the application from accessing malware.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for re-flashing the virtualized container to return the virtualized container to its initial state.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

a module for determining that a new application has started executing on the computer;

a module for determining that the new application is part of a virtualized container; and

a module for, responsive to determining that the new application is part of the virtualized container, hooking the computer program instructions for virtualizing the application into appropriate operating system API calls.