Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting, installing and uninstalling a virtual machine monitor on a host device is provided. In general, in one aspect, a computer implemented method is provided. The computer implemented method includes initiating a user session on a host device, where the user session is initiated upon the insertion of a peripheral device into the host device. Additionally, a virtual machine monitor and a virtual machine are stored on the peripheral device and the virtual machine monitor is automatically installed on the host device. In some implementations, the virtual machine monitor is automatically uninstalled when the user session is terminated.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that presents an alternate computing environment on a host computing device. During operation, this system detects the presence of a removable storage device which is in communication with an interface of the host computing device. The system also locates code which implements the alternate computing environment on the removable storage device. Finally, the system runs the code which presents the alternate computing environment through an environment player on the host device, wherein the environment player prevents a user of the alternate computing environment from interacting directly with a native computing environment of the host computing device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program apparatus, implementing techniques for publishing, subscribing to, or playing live appliances. A live appliance includes a current virtual machine image. In publishing, a proxy file of a live appliance file type is provided to the publisher. The type is mapped to a live appliance player; so that when a proxy file is opened, the current virtual machine image is run. The player automatically binds a writeable file system external to the virtual machine image to the image to provide file storage that is accessible from within the virtual machine image and from a host operating system. The player also creates a subscription to the live appliance on the host computer if one does not exist when the proxy file is run. With the subscription, the player runs the then-current virtual machine image whenever the live appliance is run.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that protects an application from malware on a host system. During operation, the system receives a command to commence execution of the application on the host system. In response to the command, the system causes a security scan to be performed on the host system to detect malware, wherein the malware can compromise the security of the application. The system also restricts one or more operations associated with the application until the security scan successfully completes.

Abstract: The disclosed implementations are related to trace-assisted prefetching of a virtual machine from a network resource to improve interactive performance of the virtual machine on a host device. Trace patterns can be automatically uploaded to a network resource, which aggregates the patterns, and serves the patterns back to the host device, or a different host device, when the host device downloads a virtual machine for the first time.

Abstract: The disclosed implementations related to prefetching of virtual machines. Some embodiments can receive a virtual disk including a first page table block corresponding to one or more other page table blocks or one or more data blocks. Next, the embodiments can generate a representation of the first page table block, the representation of the first page table block including presence information with respect to the one or more other page table blocks or the one or more data blocks in the virtual disk that are pointed to by the first page table block. The embodiments can then sign the representation of the first page table block. Next, the embodiments can use the signature and the generated position independent representation to verify the integrity of the first page table block, and/or change the offset of the one or more other page table blocks or the one or more data blocks.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for network-extended storage. A portable storage device is coupled to a host computer, and network extension code stored on the portable storage device is invoked. The network extension code is operable to detect a file system write function call generated by an application executing on the host computer, the file system write function call operable to cause data to be written to the portable storage device, and cause the data to be written to the portable storage device based upon the file system write function call. The network extension code is further operable to generate a transmit determination indicative of whether to transmit the data to a network repository, and transmit the data to the network repository based upon the transmit determination.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that presents an alternate computing environment on a host computing device. During operation, this system detects the presence of a removable storage device which is in communication with an interface of the host computing device. The system also locates code which implements the alternate computing environment on the removable storage device. Finally, the system runs the code which presents the alternate computing environment through an environment player on the host device, wherein the environment player prevents a user of the alternate computing environment from interacting directly with a native computing environment of the host computing device.

Abstract: A remote DMA (RDMA) shim protocol laid atop an existing network data transfer protocol but logically underneath higher level disk and file access protocols specifies the portion of a data packet to be transferred directly into a separate area of memory such as an application layer memory buffer. This RDMA protocol identifies the area of memory into which the data should be delivered, a data ID, data start, data length or end, and flag bits. Option fields added to (or already present in) the transport protocol describe the RDMA transfer. On reception of a packet specifying RDMA, the receiving device delivers the data directly into the correct memory location using the RDMA description data. In some embodiments of the present invention, the RDMA shim protocol is implemented with TCP options specifically introduced to enable RDMA and thus reduce the overhead of transferring and receiving data with a TCP-based protocol such as NFS or HTTP.

Abstract: An automated approach to updating, testing, and distributing virtual machine images is described. Centralized updates allow for a virtual machine image executed locally on thousands of machines to be updated in a single place and the automated testing and distribution signaling provides for smooth rollouts of the updates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for network-extended storage. A portable storage device is coupled to a host computer, and network extension code stored on the portable storage device is invoked. The network extension code is operable to detect a file system write function call generated by an application executing on the host computer, the file system write function call operable to cause data to be written to the portable storage device, and cause the data to be written to the portable storage device based upon the file system write function call. The network extension code is further operable to generate a transmit determination indicative of whether to transmit the data to a network repository, and transmit the data to the network repository based upon the transmit determination.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for combining data segments. At a combiner node, data segments are received from a first node that are destined for a second node. At the combiner node, the received data segments are combined and buffered with previously buffered data segments from the first node if present until a first condition is met. At the combiner node, at least a portion of the combined data segments are sent to the second node when the first condition is met. The received data segments are combined in the combiner node prior to being sent to the second node so as to reduce processing and/or storage resources consumed by the second node.

Abstract: A remote DMA (RDMA) shim protocol laid atop an existing network data transfer protocol but logically underneath higher level disk and file access protocols specifies the portion of a data packet to be transferred directly into a separate area of memory such as an application layer memory buffer. This RDMA protocol identifies the area of memory into which the data should be delivered, a data ID, data start, data length or end, and flag bits. Option fields added to (or already present in) the transport protocol describe the RDMA transfer. On reception of a packet specifying RDMA, the receiving device delivers the data directly into the correct memory location using the RDMA description data. In some embodiments of the present invention, the RDMA shim protocol is implemented with TCP options specifically introduced to enable RDMA and thus reduce the overhead of transferring and receiving data with a TCP-based protocol such as NFS or HTTP.