Compact VM Isolation Using Embedded VMM Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual machine implementations require high overhead server applications and complex configurations, making them inefficient for lightweight virtual machine implementations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a virtual machine monitor (VMM) tool into applications to dynamically create, customize, and manage compact virtual machines, allowing applications to instantiate template compact VMs without relying on server installations, with access to their own operating systems and security tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional virtual machine implementations are used, then process isolation and security are achieved, but system overhead and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential virtualization functionality from the complex hypervisor server application and consolidates it into a compact VMM library that can be directly linked with applications. This extraction removes the need for heavy server infrastructure while retaining the core process isolation capabilities, thereby reducing system overhead while maintaining security and isolation guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtualization system is segmented into a lightweight VMM library component that can be independently linked with applications, rather than requiring a monolithic hypervisor server. This segmentation allows the application to have its own isolated virtualization environment without the overhead of a full server application, achieving both isolation and reduced complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional virtual machine implementations are used, then process isolation and security are achieved, but resource consumption and deployment complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the VMM functionality directly into the application by linking the VMM library with the application binary. This combination eliminates the need for separate server installation and configuration, allowing the application to be deployed as a self-contained unit with built-in virtualization capabilities, thereby simplifying deployment while maintaining security through the VMM's process isolation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The application becomes self-sufficient with its own embedded VMM library, eliminating the need for external server infrastructure. The application can independently create and manage its own isolated execution environments without requiring server installation, configuration, or maintenance, thereby reducing deployment complexity while preserving security guarantees.
3Device complexity
If compact virtual machines with VMM tools are used, then resource overhead is reduced and deployment is simplified, but access control and management capabilities must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an access control layer that mediates between the application and the VMM library's process isolation mechanisms. This intermediary layer provides a simplified interface for managing isolated processes, allowing applications to easily control and manage their isolated environments without directly dealing with the underlying complexity of the VMM, thereby maintaining ease of operation while preserving security and isolation capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a host including a memory and a processor, where the processor is in communication with the memory. A compact virtual machine (VM) executes on the host executing a first application in an isolated context. The processor is configured to receive a request to modify an operating characteristic of an operating environment of the compact VM. An interface to virtual machine monitor (VMM) tools is accessed, where the VMM tools are operable to communicate with compact VMs executing on the host. Each of the compact VMs executing on the host is associated with an identification and the VMM tools are incorporated into a second application interfacing with the compact VM. Access to the compact VM is requested via the interface, where the compact VM is associated with the compact VM ID. The operating characteristic of the compact VM are modified.