System and method for self-provisioning of virtual images

• US 8,548,919 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lo, Yuan-Chang, O'Connor, Clint H., Konetski, David, Huber, Gary D., Srivastava, Neeraj, Dandekar, Shree A., Haze, Michael, Curtis, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agwumezie, Charles C
• Application Number:
  US12/696,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for automatically provisioning a virtual image on a target system. A service operating system comprising a virtual machine monitor and a personalization agent is installed on a target system. A set of digital assets entitlement data is provided along with an associated set of digital assets data contained in a virtual software image, which is then installed on the target system by the personalization agent.

Claims

1. An information handling system for managing the entitlement of digital assets, comprising:

a storage medium comprising a repository of system identifier data, digital assets data, and digital assets entitlement data; and

a processor, the processor being operable to;

perform installation operations to install a service operating system comprising a virtual machine monitor and a personalization agent on a target system;

receive a set of system identifier data associated with the target system, wherein the set of system identifier data is provided by the personalization agent;

process the set of system identifier data to determine a corresponding set of digital assets entitlement data; and

provide the set of digital assets entitlement data and an associated set of digital assets data to the personalization agent for installation on the target system; and

wherein

the personalization agent comprises an encrypted portion and an unencrypted portion; and

,

upon download, the unencrypted portion use secondary system identifiers to decrypt the encrypted portion of the personalization agent.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the installation of the set of digital assets entitlement data on the target system allows the target system to process data associated with the installed set of digital assets data.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the set of digital assets data comprises a virtual software image further comprising an operating system operable to be executed in a virtual machine on the target system, wherein the virtual machine is generated and managed by the virtual machine monitor.

4. A computer-implemented method for managing the entitlement of digital assets, comprising:

performing installation operations to install a service operating system comprising a virtual machine monitor and a personalization agent on a target system;

receiving a set of system identifier data associated with the target system, wherein the set of system identifier data is provided by the personalization agent;

processing the set of system identifier data to determine a corresponding set of digital assets entitlement data; and

providing the set of digital assets entitlement data and an associated set of digital assets data to the personalization agent for installation on the target system; and

wherein

the personalization agent comprises an encrypted portion and an unencrypted portion; and

,

upon download, the unencrypted portion use secondary system identifiers to decrypt the encrypted portion of the personalization agent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the installation of the set of digital assets entitlement data on the target system allows the target system to process data associated with the installed set of digital assets data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of digital assets data comprises a virtual software image further comprising an operating system operable to be executed in a virtual machine on the target system, wherein the virtual machine is generated and managed by the virtual machine monitor.

7. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising processor executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform the steps of:

performing installation operations to install a service operating system comprising a virtual machine monitor and a personalization agent on a target system;

receiving a set of system identifier data associated with the target system, wherein the set of system identifier data is provided by the personalization agent;

processing the set of system identifier data to determine a corresponding set of digital assets entitlement data; and

providing the set of digital assets entitlement data and an associated set of digital assets data to the personalization agent for installation on the target system; and

wherein

the personalization agent comprises an encrypted portion and an unencrypted portion; and

,

upon download, the unencrypted portion use secondary system identifiers to decrypt the encrypted portion of the personalization agent.

8. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 7, wherein the installation of the set of digital assets entitlement data on the target system allows the target system to process data associated with the installed set of digital assets data.

9. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of digital assets data comprises a virtual software image further comprising an operating system operable to be executed in a virtual machine on the target system, wherein the virtual machine is generated and managed by the virtual machine monitor.