Failsafe computer support assistant using a support virtual machine

• US 7,685,474 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Viljoen, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHELL, JOSEPH O
• Application Number:
  US11/687,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1, 714/38, 714/40, 714/46, 718/1, 718/100, 718/104
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

A computer running a host operating system in a host virtual machine includes a support operating system running in a support virtual machine. A support module running in the support operating system identifies and remediates defects associated with the host operating system. A monitoring module running in the support operating system identifies a defect associated with the host operating system and notifies the support module responsive to identification of the defect. A user interface is provided for the support module. The user interface can be through a web server or a support button associated with an input device of the computer. The user interface can be supported through input/output virtualization hardware of the computer. A host agent module executing in the host operating system can interact with the support module to remediate a defect associated with the host operating system.

Claims

1. A computer having a processor capable of executing multiple virtual machines, the computer adapted to execute a host operating system in a host virtual machine, the computer comprising:

a support operating system module for executing in a support virtual machine, the support virtual machine different than the host virtual machine;

a support module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for identifying and remediating defects associated with the host operating system in the host virtual machine; and

a web server module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for providing a user interface to the support module via a web browser executing in the host virtual machine under control of the host operating system.

2. The computer of claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for monitoring the host operating system to identify a defect associated with the host operating system and for notifying the support module responsive to identification of the defect.

3. The computer of claim 1, further comprising:

input/output virtualization hardware adapted to virtualize input and/or output devices of the computer to coordinate access to input and/or output data among the host and support virtual machines.

4. The computer of claim 1, further comprising:

a support button associated with an input device of the computer, wherein activation of the support button activates the support module.

5. The computer of claim 1, further comprising:

a host agent module for executing in the host virtual machine under control of the host operating system and adapted to interact with the support module to remediate a defect associated with the host operating system.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein remediating defects further comprises:

reinstalling the host agent module in the host operating system responsive to failure of the host agent module.

7. The computer of claim 1, wherein the support operating system module is adapted to control access to the input and/or output devices of the computer by the host operating system.

8. The computer of claim 1, wherein remediating defects further comprises:

modifying state information of the host operating system running on the host virtual machine.

9. A computer-implemented method of supporting a host operating system in a host virtual machine on a computer having a processor capable of executing multiple virtual machines, the method comprising:

executing a support operating system in a support virtual machine, the support virtual machine different than the host virtual machine;

identifying and remediating defects associated with the host operating system in the host virtual machine, the identifying and remediating performed at least in part from the support operating system in the support virtual machine; and

executing a web server in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system for providing a user interface via a web browser executing in the host virtual machine under control of the host operating system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring the host operating system to identify a defect associated with the host operating system, the monitoring performed at least in part from the support operating system in the support virtual machine.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

virtualizing input and/or output devices of the computer to coordinate access to input and/or output data among the host and support virtual machines.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein identifying and remediating defects associated with the host operating system is activated when a support button associated with an input device of the computer is pressed.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein a host agent executes in the host operating system, and wherein identifying and remediating defects associated with the host operating system further comprises:

interacting with the host agent from the support operating system.

14. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions recorded thereon for executing on a processor, the computer program instructions configured for providing support to a host operating system in a host virtual machine executing on the processor, comprising:

a support operating system module for executing in a support virtual machine, the support virtual machine different than the host virtual machine;

a support module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for identifying and remediating defects associated with the host operating system in the host virtual machine; and

a web server module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for providing a user interface to the support module via a web browser executing in the host virtual machine under control of the host operating system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

a monitoring module for executing in the support virtual machine under control of the support operating system module for monitoring the host operating system to identify a defect associated with the host operating system and for notifying the support module responsive to identification of the defect.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

a host agent module for executing in the host virtual machine under control of the host operating system and adapted to interact with the support module to remediate a defect associated with the host operating system.