Rule-Based Virtualization Manager for Cross-Environment Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtualization systems fail to effectively control interaction between virtualized environments and other environments, leading to issues such as data loss when virtualized applications are destroyed and limitations in accessing resources across different environments.
Innovation Solution
A rule-based system and method that utilizes a virtualization environment manager to detect requests and retrieve rules from a programmable database, directing actions to appropriate target environments based on process, base environment, and resource-specific rules, enabling communication and resource access between virtualized and non-virtualized environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complete isolation is implemented in virtualized environments, then application security and containment are improved, but data accessibility and resource sharing between environments deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an environment manager as an intermediary layer between virtualized environments and the base environment. This manager intercepts and processes requests, determining whether to allow access based on predefined rules. The intermediary enables controlled communication between isolated environments without compromising security, resolving the contradiction by providing both containment and selective accessibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If virtualized applications are completely isolated, then system stability is improved, but data persistence and cross-environment resource access deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The environment manager serves as a mediator that allows virtualized applications to access resources in the base environment or other virtualized environments under controlled conditions. This enables data persistence across environment boundaries while maintaining system stability through rule-based access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The environment manager provides multi-functional capabilities by handling various types of requests (file access, registry access, process communication) through a unified rule-based framework. This universal approach enables data persistence across different resource types and environment boundaries while maintaining systematic control.
3Reliability
If strict virtualization isolation is enforced, then resource protection is improved, but operational flexibility and inter-environment communication deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic access control where the environment manager evaluates requests in real-time against configurable rules. The isolation level is not static but can be adjusted dynamically based on the specific request and predefined policies, allowing the system to be strict when needed and flexible when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The environment manager as an intermediary enables operational flexibility by providing a controlled interface for inter-environment communication. It allows legitimate operations to proceed while blocking unauthorized access, thus maintaining resource protection without unduly restricting operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling interaction among environments including virtualized environments and a system environment. A process issues a request to perform an action on a resource or a second process. A virtualization environment manager operating in the system environment detects the request and in response, retrieves data associated with the request identifying the first process, a base environment corresponding to the process, and the resource, and retrieves a first rule from a programmable database of rules. A base environment of a process is an environment in which a process is running. The first rule corresponds to at least one of the first process, the base environment, and the resource and identifies a target environment in which to process the request. The target environment is different from the base environment of the process. The virtualization environment manager directs the request to the target environment.