Stateless Virtualization Management Through Firewall-Friendly HTTP

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional virtual machine management tools face connectivity issues and security risks due to their active, stateful approach, which is problematic in environments with strict firewall policies, leading to implementation delays and potential security exposures.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a stateless management system where agents on host machines communicate with a central management service using HTTP/HTTPS protocols, allowing agents to exist on varying domains and non-domain joined assets, and utilizing bidirectional protocols like WebSockets for real-time communication without maintaining standing connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an active, stateful management approach is used, then real-time control and monitoring capabilities are improved, but connectivity issues occur and security risks increase due to firewall restrictions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereal-time control capabilityVSAvoidconnectivity reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional active management model by making agents initiate connections to a passive management server rather than having the server actively push commands. This reversal allows agents to communicate through firewalls using standard HTTP/HTTPS protocols, eliminating the need for complex firewall configurations while maintaining operational capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces HTTP/HTTPS as an intermediary communication layer between management agents and the management server. This intermediary protocol acts as a universal translator that works through standard firewall rules, enabling reliable communication without requiring direct server-initiated connections or specialized ports.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If firewall policies are tightened for security, then security risks are reduced, but connectivity issues occur between management tools and agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity riskVSAvoidcommunication connectivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the communication parameters from custom ports and protocols to standard HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) protocols. These parameter changes align with common firewall policies that allow web traffic, enabling secure communication through tightened security measures without requiring exception openings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex stateful communication mechanisms with simple stateless HTTP requests. This substitution eliminates the need for persistent connections and complex session management, reducing the attack surface while maintaining functional connectivity through standardized protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Speed

If standing connections are maintained for real-time communication, then response time is improved, but system complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidconnection management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs periodic HTTP requests instead of continuous standing connections. Agents can poll for changes at intervals or use event-driven architectures where updates trigger requests only when needed. This periodic action maintains responsiveness while eliminating the complexity of managing persistent connections and stateful sessions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12407749B2Systems and methods for stateless management of a virtualization platform

Publication Date: 2025.09.02 JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NA

AI summary

Systems and methods for providing stateless management of a virtualization platform are disclosed. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including: listening, at an agent executing on a host machine of a plurality of host machines that include a cluster for hosting virtual machines, for an event triggered on a virtual machine manager associated with the agent; determining, by the agent and based on the event, parameters needed for an API call at a central management service that manages a plurality of virtual machines and virtual machine managers; sending a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to the central management service, wherein the parameters are included in the HTTP request; receiving, by the agent and from the central management service, a response to the HTTP request including return data based on the determined parameters and the API call.