Method for activating virtual machine, apparatus for simulating computing device and supervising device

• US 8,429,717 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: He, Le, Jin, Xing, Wang, Qingbo, Zhao, Yang, Zou, Zhi Le
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/624,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3- 4, 718/1, 725/15, 709/22, 709220-222, 711/6, 712228-229, 703/3, 713/186
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

A method for activating a virtual machine, an apparatus for simulating a computing device and a device for supervising activation of the apparatus. The method includes: activating a network interface of the virtual machine, and activating other components of the virtual machine, where the network interface of the virtual machine is capable of communicating with the outside world so activation of the other components of the virtual machine can be supervised. The simulation apparatus includes a network interface and an operating system having a security sub-system, where the network interface is configured to be first activated during activation of the simulation apparatus so the network interface can communicate with the outside world, and activation of the other components of the apparatus can be supervised during the activation of the other components of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for activating a virtual machine, comprising the steps of:

activating a first network interface of the virtual machine;

activating other components of the virtual machine, wherein the other components comprise a virtual hardware, an operating system, a middleware, and an application program;

configuring the first network interface of the virtual machine to communicate with a supervising device located outside of the virtual machine, the supervising device configuring the first network interface based on a physical interface identifier; and

supervising activation of the other components of the virtual machine using the supervising device,

wherein the virtual machine is an environment having a plurality of separate operating systems that run in parallel; and

wherein at least one of the steps is carried out using a computer device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of activating other components of the virtual machine includes the steps of:

activating a security sub-system of the virtual machine; and

activating a second network interface of the virtual machine after the security sub-system of the virtual machine is activated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network interface is used to perform at least one of the steps of:

transmitting information outside of the virtual machine during the activation of the virtual machine; and

receiving information from outside of the virtual machine for the activation of the virtual machine.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of activating the first network interface of the virtual machine includes limiting the first network interface of the virtual machine to communicate with only a trustable device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

the step of activating other components of the virtual machine includes activating a security sub-system of the virtual machine; and

the method further comprises the step of reconfiguring the first network interface after the security sub-system of the virtual machine is activated so as to cancel the limitation of the first network interface to communication with only the trustable device.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of replacing a function of the first network interface of the virtual machine with the second network interface of the virtual machine after the second network interface of the virtual machine is activated.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of disabling the first network interface after other components of the virtual machine are activated.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the trustable device comprises a device for supervising the activation of the virtual machine.

9. Simulation apparatus for simulating a computing device, comprising:

an operating system having an security sub-system;

a first network interface configured to;

activate first during activation of the simulation apparatus, wherein the other components communicate outside of the simulation apparatus; and

a supervision module located externally from the simulation apparatus to supervise activation of the components of the simulation apparatus based on a physical interface identifier during the activation of the other components of the apparatus,

wherein the simulation apparatus is an environment having plurality of separately operating systems that run in parallel.

10. The simulation apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a second network interface configured to be activated after activation of the security sub-system.

11. The simulation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first network interface is configured to do at least one of:

transmit information outside of the simulation apparatus during the activation of the simulation apparatus; and

receive information from outside of the simulation apparatus for the activation.

12. The simulation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first network interface is limited to communication with only a trustable device.

13. The simulation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first network interface is reconfigured after the security sub-system is activated to cancel the limitation of the first network interface to communication with only the trustable device.

14. The simulation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second network interface is configured to replace a function of the first network interface after the second network interface is activated.

15. The simulation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first network interface is configured to be disabled after the other components are activated.

16. The simulation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the trustable device comprises a device for supervising the activation of the simulation apparatus.

17. A supervising device for supervising activation of a simulation apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

communication means configured to communicate with the simulation apparatus during activation for simulating a computing device; and

control means configured to do at least one of (i) transmit information to the simulation apparatus for the activation and (ii) receive information from the simulation apparatus through the communication means during the activation.

18. The supervising device according to claim 17, further comprising deployment means configured to deploy the supervising apparatus for simulating a computing device.

19. An article of manufacture tangibly embodying non-transitory computer readable instructions which, when implemented, cause a computer to carry out the steps of a method comprising:

activating a first network interface of the virtual machine;

activating other components of the virtual machine, wherein the other components comprise a virtual hardware, an operating system, a middleware, and an application program;

configuring the first network interface of the virtual machine to communicate with a supervising device located outside of the virtual machine, the supervising device configuring the first network interface based on a physical interface identifier; and

externally supervising activation machine of the other components of the virtual machine using the supervising device,

wherein the virtual machine is an environment having a plurality of separate operating systems that run in parallel; and

wherein at least one of the steps is carried out using a computer device.