Seamless migration of non-native application into a virtual machine

• US 8,910,163 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parallels International GmbH (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Parallels Holdings Limited (HNA Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Grechishkin, Alexander V., Koryakin, Alexey B., Dobrovolskiy, Nikolay N., Omelyanchuk, Andrey A., Tormasov, Alexander G., Beloussov, Serguei M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessler, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US13/776,829
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for implementing a first Virtual Machine (VM) and a first guest OS in the VM, on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop. The first VM has a non-native application associated with the first VM and the first guest OS; means for replacing the first guest OS in the first VM with a different guest OS; a second VM and a second guest OS in the second VM running on the processor; upon a user attempting to launch the non-native application, means for associating the non-native application with the second VM; and means for determining compatibility of the non-native application with the second guest OS; The non-native application is launched inside the second VM.

Claims

1. A method for managing non-native applications on a computer having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

launching a first Virtual Machine (VM) and a first guest operating system (OS) in the VM, on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop,

wherein the first VM has a non-native application associated with the first guest OS;

replacing the first guest OS in the first VM with a different guest OS;

upon a user attempting to launch the non-native application, associating the non-native application in the first VM with a second VM;

launching the second VM and a second guest OS in the second VM;

determining compatibility of the non-native application with the second guest OS; and

launching the non-native application inside the second VM.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the non-native application for compatibility with the second VM.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuring step includes modifying registry settings.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuring step includes modifying driver settings.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuring step includes setting up an emulation environment of required hardware.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second guest OS is the same version of the operating system as the first guest OS.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the different guest OS is a later version of the first guest OS.

8. A non-transitory computer-useable storage medium having computer code stored thereon for implementing the steps of claim 1.

9. A system for managing non-native applications comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

computer code loaded into the memory for implementing the following;

a first Virtual Machine (VM) and a first guest OS in the VM, on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop, wherein the first VM has a non-native application associated with the first VM and the first guest OS;

means for replacing the first guest OS in the first VM with a different guest OS;

a second VM and a second guest OS in the second VM running on the processor;

upon a user attempting to launch the non-native application, means for associating the non-native application with the second VM; and

means for determining compatibility of the non-native application with the second guest OS;

wherein the non-native application is launched inside the second VM.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-native application is automatically configured for compatibility with the second VM.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuring includes modifying registry settings.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuring includes modifying driver settings.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuring includes setting up an emulation environment of required hardware.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the second guest OS is the same version of the operating system as the first guest OS.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the different guest OS is a later version of the first guest OS.

16. A method for managing non-native applications on a computer having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

downloading an executable file into a first Virtual Machine (VM) having a first guest operating system (OS), on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop,

determining that a non-native application corresponding to the executable file is incompatible with the first guest OS of the first VM;

upon a user attempting to launch the non-native application, associating the non-native application in the first VM with a second VM;

launching the second VM and a second guest OS in the second VM;

determining compatibility of the non-native application with the second guest OS; and

launching the non-native application inside the second VM.

17. A non-transitory computer-useable storage medium containing code for performing the steps of claim 16.

18. A method for managing non-native applications on a computer having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

launching a Virtual Machine (VM) and a guest operating system (OS) in the VM, on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop,

wherein the VM has a non-native browser associated with the first guest OS;

upon a user attempting to launch the non-native browser, launching a native browser under the host OS and copying objects displayed in the non-native browser in the VM to the native browser;

displaying the objects from the non-native browser in the native browser such that a native look-and-feel of the native browser is preserved,

wherein a switch from the non-native browser to the native browser appears seamless to the user.

19. A system for managing non-native applications on a computer having a processor and a memory, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

computer code loaded into the memory for implementing the following;

launching a Virtual Machine (VM) and a guest operating system (OS) in the VM, on a computing system that has a host OS and a host desktop,

wherein the VM has a non-native browser associated with the first guest OS;

upon a user attempting to launch the non-native browser, launching a native browser under the host OS and copying objects displayed in the non-native browser in the VM to the native browser;

displaying the objects from the non-native browser in the native browser such that a native look-and-feel of the native browser is preserved,

wherein a switch from the non-native browser to the native browser appears seamless to the user.