Environment managers via virtual machines
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus enforce computing policies of an enterprise in a distributed manner so that idiosyncratic services to a computing device can be minimized or altogether eliminated. Pluralities of virtual machines are arranged on one or more computing devices and define, for example, applications specified by a user and shared services approved by the enterprise. A central library stores the virtual machines and each is available for check-out by users. A manager evaluates the virtual machines for satisfactory compliance with the computing policies at a time when the virtual machines are resident in the library. Upon confirmation of satisfactory compliance, the applications and shared services are available for deployment to users. Otherwise, the virtual machines are centrally serviced for compliance and/or tested before redeployment. Libraries, managers, software program products, threat assessment, and policy management are other features, to name a few.
1. In a computing system environment having pluralities of computing devices, a method of enforcing enterprise computing governance policies in a distributed manner using virtual machines arranged on one or more of the computing devices, comprising:
establishing a library of virtual machines including applications and shared services, the applications and the shared services to be utilized by way of a computing device upon deployment from the library;
defining the enterprise computing governance policies applicable to the virtual machines;
evaluating satisfactory compliance with the enterprise computing governance policies by the virtual machines while resident in the library of virtual machines; and
deploying the applications and the shared services to the computing device upon request, but only upon confirming the satisfactory compliance.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including evaluating threats and rules applicable to the virtual machines while resident in the library of virtual machines.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the establishing the library of virtual machines further includes storing the applications and the shared services.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the evaluating satisfactory compliance further includes auditing the evaluated threats and rules for the satisfactory compliance.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deploying further includes making executable code available to the computing device to execute the applications and the shared service.
6. The method of claim 1 , further including servicing the virtual machines resident in the library of virtual machines in the event of non-compliance during the evaluating.
7. The method of claim 6 , further including testing the virtual machines resident in the library of virtual machines after the servicing to further evaluate satisfactory compliance.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the evaluating satisfactory compliance further includes inspecting the applications and the shared services for relevant computing patches.
9. The method of claim 1 , further including subscribing to an alert service for undertaking the evaluating satisfactory compliance.
10. The method of claim 1 , further including providing an identity service for identifying users of the virtual machines.
11. In a computing system environment having pluralities of computing devices, a method of enforcing enterprise computing governance policies in a distributed manner using virtual machines arranged on one or more of the computing devices, comprising:
establishing a library of virtual machines including applications and shared services, the applications and the shared services to be utilized by way of a computing device upon deployment from the library;
defining the enterprise computing governance policies applicable to the virtual machines;
evaluating satisfactory compliance with the enterprise computing governance policies by the virtual machines while resident in the library of virtual machines, the evaluating including evaluating virus threats to the applications and the shared services and determining whether the applications and the shared services comply with the computing policies;
deploying the applications and the shared services to the computing device upon request, but only upon confirming the satisfactory compliance; and
servicing the virtual machines resident in the library of virtual machines in the event of non-compliance during the evaluating.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the evaluating satisfactory compliance further includes inspecting the applications and the shared services for relevant computing patches.
13. The method of claim 12 , further including subscribing to an alert service for undertaking the evaluating satisfactory compliance.
14. The method of claim 11 , further including testing the virtual machines resident in the library of virtual machines after the servicing to further evaluate satisfactory compliance.
15. A computing system to enforce computing policies in a distributed manner so that services to a computing device can be minimized or eliminated, comprising:
a plurality of computing devices arranged locally and/or remotely, including a workstation arranged as the computing device;
a plurality of virtual machines arranged on one or more of the computing devices, the virtual machines defining applications and shared services;
a library storing the virtual machines to be utilized by way of the computing device upon deployment from the library;
one or more enterprise computing governance policies applicable to the virtual machines;
a first manager to evaluate satisfactory compliance of the enterprise computing governance policies by the virtual machines while resident in the library; and
a second manager the same or different as the first manager to deploy the applications and the shared services to the computing device upon request, but only upon independent confirmation of the satisfactory compliance while the virtual machines are resident in the library.
16. The computing system of claim 15 , further including a computing subscription to an alert service regarding threats to the applications and the shared services.
17. The computing system of claim 15 , further including a controller of at least one of the computing devices configured to service the virtual machines resident in the library in the event of non-compliance to the computing policy.
18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to test the virtual machines resident in the library after the servicing to further evaluate satisfactory compliance.
19. A computer program product available as a download available from a remote computing device or on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having executable instructions for installation on one or more computing devices in a computing environment for enforcing computing policies in a distributed manner so that individual services to an individual computing device can be minimized or eliminated, the one or more computing devices including a plurality of virtual machines defining applications and shared services, comprising:
a first component configured for receipt of an enterprise computing governance policy applicable to the virtual machines resident in a library of virtual machines;
a second component configured to evaluate satisfactory compliance of the enterprise computing governance policy by the virtual machines while resident in the library; and
a third component configured to deploy the applications and the shared services to the individual computing device upon request, but only upon independent confirmation of the satisfactory compliance by the second component.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 , further including a fourth component configured to service the virtual machines resident in the library in the event of non-compliance to the computing policy.
21. The computer program product of claim 20 , further including a fifth component to test the virtual machines resident in the library after the servicing.