VIRTUAL APPLIANCE PRE-BOOT AUTHENTICATION

• US 20130139250A1
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lo, Yuan-Chang, Merkin, Aaron, Teshome, Abeye
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A system for pre-boot authentication of a virtual appliance includes one or more subsystems to receive a command to power-on an information handling system (IHS). After receiving the command to power-on the IHS, the system initializes a power-on self test (POST), passes control of the IHS to a hypervisor, loads a concurrent service environment (CSE), requests user credentials, receives user credentials, authenticates user credentials using the CSE and authorizes a specific operating system image from a plurality of images to run on the IHS via the virtual appliance after the user credentials are authenticated.

Claims

1. An authentication system, comprising:

an information handling system (IHS) including a credential input component; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable medium that is coupled to the credential input component and includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide a hypervisor and a concurrent service environment (CSE);

wherein the CSE is operable to;

request credentials;

receive credentials from the credential input component;

authenticate the received credentials;

determine at least one authorized virtual appliance, selected from a plurality of virtual appliances accessible through the hypervisor, using the authenticated credentials; and

instruct the hypervisor to start the at least one authorized virtual appliance such that a computer software program that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual appliance using the IHS.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the credential input component includes keyboard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the credential input component includes an interactive display device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the credential input component includes a system for entering data into the IHS.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the received credentials include a password.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the CSE is operable to:

determine a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access for the computer software program using the authenticated credentials; and

instruct the hypervisor to start the at least one authorized virtual appliance based on the first level of access for the computer software program such that the computer software program that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual appliance according to the first level of access.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first level of access is a high level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a plurality of the authorized virtual appliances such that the computer software program is accessible through the plurality of authorized virtual appliances according to the first level of access.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first level of access is a low level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a single authorized virtual appliance such that the computer software program is accessible through the single authorized virtual appliance according to the first level of access.

9. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a processor;

a credential input component coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide a hypervisor and a concurrent service environment (CSE);

wherein the CSE is operable to;

request credentials;

receive credentials from the credential input component;

authenticate the received credentials;

determine at least one authorized virtual environment, selected from a plurality of virtual environments accessible through the hypervisor, using the authenticated credentials; and

instruct the hypervisor to start the at least one authorized virtual environment such that an application that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual environment using the IHS subsequent to the authentication of the credentials.

10. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the credential input component includes a keyboard.

11. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the credential input component includes an interactive display device.

12. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the received credentials include a password.

13. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the CSE is operable to:

determine a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access for the application using the authenticated credentials; and

instruct the hypervisor to start the at least one authorized virtual environment based on the first level of access for the application such that the application that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual environment according to the first level of access.

14. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the first level of access is a high level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a plurality of the authorized virtual environments such that the application is accessible through the plurality of authorized virtual environment according to the first level of access.

15. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the first level of access is a low level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a single authorized virtual environment such that the application is accessible through the single authorized virtual environment according to the first level of access.

16. An authentication method, comprising:

requesting credentials by a concurrent service environment (CSE);

receiving credentials from a credential input component by the CSE,

authenticating the received credentials by the CSE;

determining, by the CSE, at least one authorized virtual environment, selected from a plurality of virtual environments accessible through a hypervisor, using the authenticated credentials; and

sending instructions, by the CSE to the hypervisor, to start the at least one authorized virtual environment such that a computer software program that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual environment using an IHS.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the credential input component includes a keyboard.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access for the computer software program using the authenticated credentials; and

instruct the hypervisor to start the at least one authorized virtual environment based on the first level of access for the computer software program such that the computer software program that is authorized for use based on the authenticated credentials is accessible through the at least one authorized virtual environment according to the first level of access.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first level of access is a high level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a plurality of the authorized virtual environments such that the computer software program is accessible through the plurality of authorized virtual environments according to the first level of access.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first level of access is a low level of access relative to the plurality of levels of access, and wherein the first level of access is provided by the CSE instructing the hypervisor to start a single authorized virtual environment such that the computer software program is accessible through the single authorized virtual environment according to the first level of access.