IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,442,751

Granted Patent B2

US 9,442,751 · App. 14/223,223 · Granted Sep 13, 2016

Virtual credential adapter for use with virtual machines

Inventors: Christine L. Eisenmann (Lewisville, TX); Louis T. Fuka (Austin, TX); James W. Moody (Denton, TX); Washington E. Munive (Alpharetta, GA)

Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION

G06F9/45558 G06F21/00 G06F21/6281 G06F2009/45587

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 9,442,751
App. No.: 14/223,223
Granted: Sep 13, 2016
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Managing credential for use with virtual machines includes storing a first virtual credential adapter within a hypervisor executing within a host data processing system. The first virtual credential adapter maintains a credential for a computing resource. Using a processor of the host data processing system, associating the first virtual credential adapter with a first virtual machine. The first virtual credential adapter is associated, at most, with a single virtual machine at any time. Responsive to associating the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine accesses the computing resource using the credential maintained by the first virtual credential adapter.

Claims (43)

1. A method, comprising:

storing a first virtual credential adapter within a hypervisor executing within a host data processing system, wherein the first virtual credential adapter maintains a credential for a computing resource;

associating, using a processor of the host data processing system, the first virtual credential adapter with a first virtual machine, wherein the first virtual credential adapter is associated, at most, with a single virtual machine at any time; and

responsive to associating the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine accessing the computing resource using the credential maintained by the first virtual credential adapter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual credential adapter is associated with the first virtual machine responsive to a request from the first virtual machine to the hypervisor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

including the credential within the first virtual credential adapter prior to association of the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

including the credential within the first virtual credential adapter subsequent to association of the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

changing a credential usage flag of the first virtual credential adapter to unused.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

moving the credential from the first virtual credential adapter to a second virtual credential adapter not associated with the first virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

disassociating the first virtual credential adapter from the first virtual machine.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual credential adapter comprises an indicator that indicates to the hypervisor whether the credential is in use by the first virtual machine.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

associating, using the processor, the first virtual credential adapter with a first virtual machine, wherein the first virtual credential adapter is associated, at most, with a single virtual machine at any time; and

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first virtual credential adapter is associated with the first virtual machine responsive to a request from the first virtual machine to the hypervisor.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

including the credential within the first virtual credential adapter prior to association of the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

including the credential within the first virtual credential adapter subsequent to association of the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

changing a credential usage flag of the first virtual credential adapter to unused.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

moving the credential from the first virtual credential adapter to a second virtual credential adapter not associated with the first virtual machine.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource comprises:

disassociating the first virtual credential adapter from the first virtual machine.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first virtual credential adapter comprises an indicator that indicates to the hypervisor whether the credential is in use by the first virtual machine.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

storing, using the processor, a first virtual credential adapter within a hypervisor executing within a host data processing system, wherein the first virtual credential adapter maintains a credential for a computing resource;

responsive to associating the first virtual credential adapter with the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine accessing, using the processor, the computing resource using the credential maintained by the first virtual credential adapter.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:

terminating access of the first virtual machine to the computing resource.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2014

From: EISENMANN, CHRISTINE L.; FUKA, LOUIS T.; MOODY, JAMES W.; MUNIVE, WASHINGTON E.

To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION

Reel/Frame 032508/0442 →

Continuity (1)

Related Publication 20150268982A1 · Sep 24, 2015