Interchangeable Guest and Host OS Roles via Segmented Metadata

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtualization systems lack flexibility in swapping guest and host operating system roles without compromising configurational state and security, especially when dealing with multiple operating system instances and differing hardware configurations.

Innovation Solution

The method involves encoding and augmenting operating system images to facilitate interchangeable guest and host roles, using in-place conversions and encapsulation techniques to maintain configurational state across role swaps, while ensuring security through isolation of virtual machine metadata.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If virtualization systems use fixed host-guest operating system configurations, then system stability is maintained, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in swapping rolesVSAvoidconfigurational state integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the operating system images into distinct host and guest roles with separate configuration metadata. The host operating system image includes host-specific metadata while the guest operating system image includes guest-specific metadata, allowing independent modification and swapping without affecting the other role's configurational state integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces virtual machine metadata as an intermediary layer that mediates between the host and guest operating systems. This metadata layer maintains isolation and security boundaries while enabling role swapping through standardized interfaces, allowing the system to transition between configurations without compromising the integrity of either operating system's configurational state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If operating system images are stored together with virtual machine metadata, then ease of operation is improved, but security and isolation are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility of configuration dataVSAvoidsecurity risks from metadata exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments storage into separate sections for host operating system images, guest operating system images, host metadata, and guest metadata. This segmentation maintains ease of operation through organized access while enforcing security boundaries that prevent unauthorized access or exposure of sensitive metadata between different system components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by storing different types of metadata with specific operating system images based on their functional requirements. Host metadata is stored with host images while guest metadata is stored with guest images, creating localized access patterns that improve operational efficiency while maintaining security isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple operating system instances are supported simultaneously, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for multiple OS instancesVSAvoidvirtualization system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by creating a standardized virtualization framework that can accommodate multiple different operating system instances (host and guest) using the same underlying infrastructure. The standardized metadata formats and interfaces allow the system to manage diverse OS configurations without requiring separate specialized handling for each OS type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses nesting by organizing the virtualization structure with the host operating system containing the virtualization layer, which in turn contains multiple guest virtual machines. Each guest VM can be further configured with its own operating system instances, creating nested layers of isolation and management that reduce overall system complexity through hierarchical organization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS8677352B2Interchangeable guest and host execution environments

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 OMNISSA LLC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention include methods, systems, apparati, computer program products and other tangible realizations of techniques to support interchange of role for guest and host operating system instances executed (or executable) within a virtualization system. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a method operating a computer system, the method comprising: (a) selecting a first operating system image from amongst plural operating system images accessible to a hardware machine; (b) booting the hardware machine using the first operating system image and executing code thereof as a host operating system; (c) providing a virtualization environment and instantiating therein a virtual machine using configuration data descriptive of a particular system virtualized, wherein the configuration data is stored separately from the first operating system image; and (d) loading from a second one of the operating system images, a guest operating system and executing code thereof in connection with the instantiated virtual machine.