Method and system for logging into a virtual environment executing on a host

• US 8,924,972 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Levon, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US13/628,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45545 Guest-host, i.e. hypervisor is an application program itself, e.g. VirtualBox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A method for logging into a guest virtual environment (VE) from a host VE. The method includes receiving a request to login into the guest VE from the host VE. In response to the request, creating a virtual terminal driver (VTD). The VTD comprises a host extender located in the host VE and a guest extender located in a sub-host VE. The host VE and sub-host VE are configured to communicate using a master terminal and a slave terminal. Providing the guest extender to the third VE as a virtual serial terminal (VST). Logging into the guest VE using the master terminal, the slave terminal, a virtual environment manager (VEM), and the VTD, where the VEM is managing the guest VE.

Claims

1. A method for logging into a guest virtual environment (VE) from a host VE, comprising:

receiving a request to log into the guest VE from the host VE;

in response to the request, creating a virtual terminal driver (VTD), wherein the VTD comprises a host extender located in the host VE and a guest extender located in a sub-host VE, wherein the host VE and sub-host VE are configured to communicate using a master terminal and a slave terminal;

providing the guest extender to the third VE as a virtual serial terminal (VST); and

logging into the guest VE using the master terminal, the slave terminal, a virtual environment manager (VEM), and the VTD, wherein the guest VE is a virtual machine, wherein the VEM is a hypervisor managing the guest VE, and wherein logging into the guest VE comprises;

creating, in the sub-host VE, a login handler enabled to communicate with the slave terminal;

obtaining, by the login handler, login parameters from the slave terminal;

modifying, by the login handler, the login parameters to create modified login parameters;

providing the modified login parameters to the guest VE; and

initializing a login session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the host VE is a global zone of an operating system, and the sub-host VE is a non-global zone of the operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the VEM is located in the sub-host VE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein logging into the guest VE comprises sending data between the slave terminal and the host extender via the VEM.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein data is exchanged between the VEM and the host extender using a userspace buffer located in the host VE.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein logging into the guest VE further comprises sending data between the host extender and the guest VE via the guest extender.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein data is exchanged between the host extender and the guest extender using a host buffer located in the host VE.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the login parameters comprises modifying at least one flag in the login parameters to enable non-interactive login to the guest VE.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein logging into the guest VE further comprises:

after providing the modified login parameters to the guest VE, putting the login handler to sleep for the duration of the session.

10. A system comprising:

a processor;

a host virtual environment (VE), executing on the processor, comprising a master terminal;

a sub-host VE, configured to communicate with the host VE via a slave terminal connected to the master terminal;

a guest VE, wherein the guest VE is a virtual machine;

a virtual terminal driver (VTD), comprising;

a userspace buffer and a host buffer, located in the host VE;

a host extender, located in the host VE configured to read and write the userspace buffer and the host buffer; and

a guest extender, located in the sub-host VE, configured to pass data between the host buffer and the virtual machine as a virtual serial terminal (VST), wherein the VTD is created in response to a request to log into the guest VE;

a virtual environment manager (VEM), configured to manage the guest VE and communicate with the VTD, wherein the VEM is a hypervisor; and

a login handler, located in the sub-host VE, configured to;

obtain login parameters from the slave terminal;

modify a flag in the login parameters to create modified login parameters; and

pass the modified login parameters to the VEM.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the host VE is a global zone executing an operating system image, and the sub-host VE is a non-global zone executing the operating system image.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the VEM is located in the sub-host VE.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the userspace buffer and the host buffer are ring buffers.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request to log into a guest virtual environment (VE) from a host VE, wherein the guest VE is managed by a VEM;

in response to the request, creating a virtual terminal driver (VTD), wherein the VTD comprises a host extender located in the host VE and a guest extender located in a sub-host VE, wherein the host VE and sub-host VE are configured to communicate using a master terminal and a slave terminal;

providing the guest extender to the guest VE as a virtual serial terminal (VST); and

logging into the guest VE using the master terminal, the slave terminal, the VEM, and the VTD, wherein the guest VE is a virtual machine, wherein the VEM is a hypervisor, and wherein logging into the guest VE comprises;

creating, in the sub-host VE, a login handler enabled to communicate with the slave terminal,

obtaining, by the login handler, login parameters from the slave terminal,

modifying, by the login handler, the login parameters to create modified login parameters,

providing the modified login parameters to the guest VE, and

initializing a login session.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the host VE is a global zone of an operating system, and the sub-host VE is a non-global zone of the operating system.