Virtual machine locking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016350145-A1
Application number	US-201514723374-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for virtual machine locking. An example method may include: applying a lock to a virtual machine, the lock enabling ongoing execution of the virtual machine and outbound communication by the virtual machine while precluding unauthenticated inbound communication to the virtual machine, receiving, from a first device and in response to an authentication request, an authentication attempt, processing the authentication attempt to authenticate the first device with respect to the virtual machine, and in response to a determination that the first device was successfully authenticated with respect to the virtual machine, enabling inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
applying a lock to a virtual machine, the lock enabling ongoing execution of the virtual machine and outbound communication by the virtual machine while precluding unauthenticated inbound communication to the virtual machine; receiving, from a first device and in response to an authentication request, an authentication attempt; processing, by a processing device, the authentication attempt to authenticate the first device with respect to the virtual machine; and in response to a determination that the first device was successfully authenticated with respect to the virtual machine, enabling inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the lock to the virtual machine comprises applying the lock to the virtual machine with respect to the first device to preclude unauthenticated inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the lock permits unauthenticated inbound communication from a second device to the virtual machine.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying an irregularity with respect to an operation of the virtual machine.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein applying the lock to the virtual machine comprises applying the lock to the virtual machine in response to an identification of the irregularity.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to an application of the lock, providing a notification of the lock to a device that was previously connected to the virtual machine.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to an application of the lock, prompting a device that was previously connected to the virtual machine to authenticate.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to perform an operation in relation to the virtual machine.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein applying the lock to the virtual machine comprises applying the lock to the virtual machine in response to the request to perform the operation.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the operation comprises a maintenance operation.

11 . A system comprising:
a memory; and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, to:
apply, to a virtual machine, a lock that enables ongoing execution of the virtual machine and outbound communication by the virtual machine and that precludes unauthenticated inbound communication to the virtual machine;
receive, from a first device and in response to an authentication request, an authentication attempt;
process the authentication attempt to authenticate the first device with respect to the virtual machine; and
in response to a determination that the first device was successfully authenticated with respect to the virtual machine, enable inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein to apply the lock to the virtual machine the processing device is further to apply the lock to the virtual machine with respect to the first device to preclude unauthenticated inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the lock permits unauthenticated inbound communication from a second device to the virtual machine.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing device is further to identify an irregularity with respect to an operation of the virtual machine, and to apply the lock to the virtual machine the processing device is further to apply the lock to the virtual machine in response to an identification of the irregularity.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing device is further to receive a request to perform an operation in relation to the virtual machine.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein to apply the lock to the virtual machine the processing device is further to apply the lock to the virtual machine in response to the request to perform the operation.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the operation comprises a maintenance operation.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:
identify an irregularity with respect to an operation of a virtual machine; in response to an identification of the irregularity, apply, to the virtual machine, a lock that enables ongoing execution of the virtual machine and outbound communication by the virtual machine and that precludes unauthenticated inbound communication to the virtual machine; receive, from a first device and in response to an authentication request, an authentication attempt; process the authentication attempt to authenticate the first device with respect to the virtual machine; and in response to a determination that the first device was successfully authenticated with respect to the virtual machine, enable inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein to apply the lock to the virtual machine the processing device is further to apply the lock to the virtual machine with respect to the first device such that the lock precludes unauthenticated inbound communication from the first device to the virtual machine.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the lock permits unauthenticated inbound communication from a second device to the virtual machine.

Assignees

• Red Hat Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Botzer David
• Ramraz Oded

Classifications

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• G06F2009/45587

  Isolation or security of virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title