Method and apparatus for a virtual machine hosting network with user devices

1. A method for delivering pre-packaged software solutions to a consumer electronics type information handling system comprising:

providing, by the server processor, a virtual machine (VM) host comprising a plurality of VM resources;

executing, by the server processor, the plurality of VM resources respective virtual machines, the virtual machine host executing on an information handling system;

providing a virtual appliance device, the virtual appliance device comprising a virtual appliance stored on the virtual appliance device, the virtual appliance comprising an application, the virtual appliance further comprising a security module;

installing, by the server processor, the provided virtual appliance onto the virtual machine host via the virtual appliance device, the virtual appliance device comprising a virtual appliance universal serial bus (USB) key;

coupling, by the server processor, one or more provided virtual appliance devices to hardware;

executing, by the hardware, a self-contained virtual session with the provided virtual appliance device;

including, by the hardware, a digital certificate of authenticity (COA) with each executed virtual session;

determining, by the hardware, that the virtual appliance (COA) is valid;

based on a determination that the virtual appliance (COA) is valid, analyze the virtual appliance and determines whether the virtual appliance includes a valid license;

based on a determination that the virtual appliance does not include a valid license, launching a web browser that accesses a virtual appliance licensing set;

based on a determination that the virtual appliance does include a valid license, accessing the resources of the hardware;

determining whether the hardware is over capacity based on the available resources of the hardware as well as the resources needed by the virtual appliance;

hosting, by the appliance device processor, the application via the virtual appliance;

performing, by the appliance device processor, an authentication process on a periodic basis before and during execution of the virtual appliance, the authentication process accessing the security module of the virtual appliance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the virtual appliance device comprises an embedded service provider unique key, the embedded service provider unique key facilitating unlocking of a service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the authentication process uses an embedded authentication key held in secure memory;

and, the authentication key is only accessible via the security module.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the authentication comprises a trusted entity type authentication and a subsequent user authentication.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

public keys are embedded in the virtual appliance device, the public keys authenticate a user;

authenticating the user unlocks previously locked services for which the user is subscribed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the customer obtains a duplicate virtual appliance from a virtual appliance supplier; and, the virtual appliance supplier interacts with a service provider back end to re-provision functionality and service keys on a new virtual appliance device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining an unauthorized attempt to use the virtual appliance on a virtualization enabled host by an unauthorized user, the unauthorized user is asked for the credentials for authentication before being allowed to access the virtual appliance.