Virtual Machine Scanning via Snapshot Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual computing environments, existing methods require duplicate and inefficient scanning of virtual machines by anti-virus software, leading to performance overhead and potential undetected viruses due to non-contiguous file data in the base machine's file system.
Innovation Solution
A scanning manager identifies and freezes virtual machines, creates snapshots, and maps file system information to enable a single scan at the base machine level, allowing for reliable scanning of all virtual machines without the need for separate scanning on each guestOS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anti-virus software scans the baseOS file system for viruses, then the base machine can be scanned, but reliable information concerning viruses in virtual machine files cannot be obtained due to non-contiguous file data storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a scanning manager as an intermediary component that coordinates between the baseOS scanner and guestOS scanners. This mediator orchestrates the scanning process, manages snapshots, and consolidates results, enabling reliable virus detection in virtual machines without requiring complex modifications to the baseOS file system or scanner
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning process is segmented into distinct phases: baseOS scanning, snapshot creation, guestOS scanning, and result consolidation. Each virtual machine is scanned as a separate unit through its own file system snapshot, allowing independent verification of virus presence while maintaining overall system coordination
2Reliability
If each virtual machine file system is scanned individually, then comprehensive virus detection is achieved, but work duplication and performance overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates file system snapshots of each virtual machine before scanning begins. This preliminary action captures the state of virtual machine files at a specific point in time, allowing the scanner to work with static copies rather than live changing data, which improves scanning efficiency while maintaining detection comprehensiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the scanning operations by having the baseOS scanner and guestOS scanners work in coordination through the scanning manager. Results from both scanning levels are consolidated into a unified report, achieving comprehensive detection without requiring completely separate scanning processes
3Reliability
If the anti-virus scanning tool is installed on each guestOS, then each virtual machine can be scanned independently, but the complexity of deployment and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning manager is designed as a universal component that can coordinate scanning across multiple virtual machines with different guestOS types. It provides a unified interface and coordination mechanism that works regardless of the underlying guestOS, simplifying deployment while maintaining independent scanning capability
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning manager scans the file systems of virtual machines running on a base computer. In order to scan a virtual machine, the scanning manager identifies the file on the base machine that represents the virtual machine, freezes the virtual machine, and creates a snapshot thereof. The scanning manager restarts the frozen machine, and starts the snapshot. The files of the snapshot are mapped at a virtual machine level, and the resulting file mapping information is used to scan the files of the virtual machine at a base machine level. The scanning can comprise scanning for malicious code, such as virus signatures. The scanning manager can scan one, multiple or all virtual machine(s) running on the base computer, in conjunction with a full or partial scan of the base computer, or independently.