System and method for using a hypervisor to control access to a rental computer

Abstract

A system, method, and program product is provided that executes a hypervisor in order to control access to a rental computer system. The hypervisor performs steps that include: reading a rental metric from a nonvolatile storage area, comparing the rental metric with a rental limit, allowing use of one or more guest operating systems by a user of the computer system in response to the rental metric being within the rental limit, and inhibiting use of the guest operating systems by the user of the computer system in response to the rental metric exceeding the rental limit.

Description

System and method for controlling access to rental computers using a hypervisor related application This application is a co-applied U.S. patent application (Application Serial No. 11 / 612,300 filed December 18, 2006, entitled "System and Method for Securely Updating Remaining Time or Subscription Data for a Rental Computer" with at least one common inventor and assigned to the same assignee Partial continuation of the application for a system and method for updating remaining time or subscription data for leased computer security). technical field The present invention relates to systems and methods for updating remaining time or subscription data for rental computers, and more particularly to systems and methods for updating remaining time or subscription data using a hypervisor that controls access to guest operating systems. Background technique When it comes to computers, many companies (or users) prefer to rent or lease rather than buy. The lease term of computer ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

From a leasing company's perspective, one of the challenges associated with computer leasing is preventing the leaser from performing unauthorized modifications to the leased computer so that the leaser can still use the leased computer without paying the required lease fee

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