System and Method for Application Isolation

• US 20100262694A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Havemose, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/301 where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0662 Virtualisation aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for maintaining mappings between resources inside an isolated environment and outside the isolated environment for one or more applications. The system may include a plurality of lists of resources requested by the one or more applications during installation and while executing, and a corresponding lists of resources inside the isolated environment. The system may also include a list of resource exceptions, wherein the mappings between resources as requested by the applications and their corresponding values in the isolated environment are maintained subject to the list of exceptions.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining mappings between resources inside an isolated environment and outside the isolated environment for one or more applications, the system comprising:

a plurality of lists of resources requested by the one or more applications during installation and while executing;

corresponding lists of resources inside the isolated environment; and

a list of resource exceptions, wherein the mappings between resources as requested by the applications and their corresponding values in the isolated environment are maintained subject to the list of exceptions.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mappings are maintained using at least one of a database and custom coding.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resource exceptions identify shared resources outside the isolated environment.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resource exceptions identify shared resources on a host.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resource exceptions identify shared libraries and shared fonts.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a rules engine, wherein the mappings are automatically generated based on the rules engine.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mappings include the Windows Registry.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein shared resources are installed inside the isolated environment.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resource mappings map resources using naming conventions based on one or Microsoft Windows and Linux.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a management interface enabling configuration of policies and the resource exceptions.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the policies include defining the resource exceptions.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the policies include defining policy for installation of shared resources and fonts inside at least one of the isolated environment and a host operating system.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising settings for the isolated environment to override default policies.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the management interface is performed using an application programming interface.

15. A method for maintaining mappings between resources inside an isolated environment and outside the isolated environment for one or more applications, the method comprising:

requesting a plurality of lists of resources by the one or more applications during installation and while executing;

associating corresponding lists of resources inside the isolated environment; and

maintaining the mappings between resources as requested by the one or more applications and their corresponding values in the isolated environment subject to a list of exceptions.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the mappings are maintained using at least one of a database and custom coding.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the resource exceptions identify shared resources on at least one of a host and outside the isolated environment.

18. A computer readable medium for maintaining mappings between resources inside an isolated environment and outside the isolated environment for one or more applications, the computer readable medium including instructions executable by a computer, the instructions for:

requesting a plurality of lists of resources by the one or more applications during installation and while executing;

associating corresponding lists of resources inside the isolated environment; and

maintaining the mappings between resources as requested by the one or more applications and their corresponding values in the isolated environment subject to a list of exceptions.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the mappings are maintained using at least one of a database and custom coding.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the resource exceptions identify shared resources on at least one of a host and outside the isolated environment.