Patent · US Active

Hardware based isolation for secure execution of virtual machines

US10387686B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by

5References

24Claims

0Family size

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

Richard H. Boivie · Hawthorne, US
Bradly G. Frey · Austin, US
William E. Hall · Clinton, US
Benjamin Herrenschmidt · Forrest, AU
Guerney D. H. Hunt · Yorktown Heights, US
Jentje Leenstra · Nagold, DE
Paul Mackerras · Cessnock, AU
Cathy May · Ossining, US
Albert J. Van Norstrand, Jr. · Round Rock, US

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 1, 2038

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F2221/2149
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Hardware based isolation for secure execution of virtual machines (VMs). At least one virtual machine is executed via operation of a hypervisor and an ultravisor. A first memory component is configured for access by the hypervisor and the ultravisor, and a second memory component is configured for access by the ultravisor and not by the hypervisor. A first mode of operation is operated, such that the virtual machine is executed using the hypervisor, wherein the first memory component is accessible to the virtual machine and the second memory component is not accessible to the virtual machine. A second mode of operation is operated, such that the virtual machine is executed using the ultravisor, wherein the first memory component and the second memory component are accessible to the virtual machine, thereby executing application code and operating system code using the second memory component without code changes.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.