VIRTUAL IMAGE MANAGEMENT

• US 20100100744A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dutta, Arijit
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to create a virtual image, define usage privileges associated with the virtual image in a description file, and associate a coded summary of an encrypted version of the description file with the virtual image. Other activities may include receiving a request to access the virtual image, authenticating a transmitted version of the coded summary to determine validity of the encrypted version, and processing the encrypted version to determine whether the request to access will be granted. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a virtual image;

defining usage privileges associated with the virtual image in a description file; and

associating a coded summary of an encrypted version of the description file with the virtual image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the description file to provide the encrypted version; and

processing the encrypted version to provide the coded summary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

hashing the encrypted version to provide the coded summary comprising a hash of the encrypted version.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

applying a checksum algorithm to the encrypted version to provide the coded summary comprising a checksum of the encrypted version.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, without conditions, the virtual image, the encrypted version, and the coded summary to a machine including a hypervisor configured to execute the virtual image, wherein the hypervisor is to control access to the virtual image based on information included in the coded summary and the encrypted version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage privileges comprise at least one of execution, transmission, modification, copying, or cloning of the virtual image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating further comprises:

fusing the coded summary to the virtual image to become part of the virtual image.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a request to access a virtual image;

authenticating a transmitted coded summary of an encrypted version of a description file associated with the virtual image to determine validity of the encrypted version; and

processing the encrypted version to determine whether the request to access will be granted.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authenticating comprises:

processing the encrypted version to provide a generated coded summary; and

comparing the transmitted coded summary to the generated coded summary.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

granting the access associated with the request if the comparing provides a match between the transmitted coded summary and the generated coded summary.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage privileges comprise at least one of execution, transmission, modification, copying, or cloning of the virtual image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission comprises:

streaming the virtual image over a global communications network.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the virtual image from within a shared, virtualized resource pool to a location outside the shared, virtualized resource pool, responsive to a request originating from outside the pool.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual image comprises an operating system.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual image comprises a virtual machine.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual image comprises a virtual appliance.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual image comprises a tape archive file.

18. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory to store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in the one or more processors operating to create a virtual image, to define usage privileges associated with the virtual image in a description file, and to associate a coded summary of an encrypted version of the description file with the virtual image; and

a module to receive indications from a user input device to provide a selection of the usage privileges.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

an encryption module to provide the encrypted version.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a processing module to process the encrypted version to provide the coded summary.

21. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to access a virtual image;

authenticating a transmitted coded summary of an encrypted version of a description file associated with the virtual image to determine validity of the encrypted version; and

processing the encrypted version to determine whether the request to access will be granted.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the receiving further comprises:

receiving, from a server device, the virtual image, the encrypted version, and the coded summary at a client device.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the processing further comprises:

decrypting the encrypted version to determine existence of a set of usage privileges for which the request to access can be granted.