Abstract: In an environment that includes a host computing system that executes virtual machines, and a secure cloud computing channel that communicatively couples the host to a client computing system that is assigned to a particular one of the virtual machines, the particular virtual machine generates a certificate, install the certificate on the itself, and returns a certificate representation to the client. This may occur when the virtual machine is provisioned. During a subsequent connection request from the client to the virtual machine, the virtual machine returns the certificate to the client. The client compares the certificate representation that was returned during provisioning with the certificate returned during the subsequent connection, and if there is a match, then the virtual machine is authenticated to the client. Thus, in this case, the virtual machine authenticates without the client having to generate, install, and manage security for a certificate.

Abstract: The provisioning of a virtual machine when booted from virtual storage. During virtual machine boot from an image, the virtual machine detects storage media. The virtual machine acquires a provisioning agent and provisioning data from the detected storage media. The virtual machine uses the provisioning data to provision itself, and executes the provisioning agent. The provisioning agent may monitor the progress of the provisioning and/or report a status of the provisioning. The virtual machine may operate in a cloud computing environment, the status of the provisioning agent being returned to the user through the cloud environment. The user need not generate the provisioning data in a format readable by the virtual machine. Instead, perhaps some naturally entered user input is used to automatically generate the properly formatted provisioning data using perhaps a service in the cloud.

Abstract: In an environment that includes a host computing system that executes virtual machines, and a secure cloud computing channel that communicatively couples the host to a client computing system that is assigned to a particular one of the virtual machines, the particular virtual machine generates a certificate, install the certificate on the itself, and returns a certificate representation to the client. This may occur when the virtual machine is provisioned. During a subsequent connection request from the client to the virtual machine, the virtual machine returns the certificate to the client. The client compares the certificate representation that was returned during provisioning with the certificate returned during the subsequent connection, and if there is a match, then the virtual machine is authenticated to the client. Thus, in this case, the virtual machine authenticates without the client having to generate, install, and manage security for a certificate.

Abstract: In an environment that includes a host computing system that executes virtual machines, and a secure cloud computing channel that communicatively couples the host to a client computing system that is assigned to a particular one of the virtual machines, the particular virtual machine generates a certificate, install the certificate on the itself, and returns a certificate representation to the client. This may occur when the virtual machine is provisioned. During a subsequent connection request from the client to the virtual machine, the virtual machine returns the certificate to the client. The client compares the certificate representation that was returned during provisioning with the certificate returned during the subsequent connection, and if there is a match, then the virtual machine is authenticated to the client. Thus, in this case, the virtual machine authenticates without the client having to generate, install, and manage security for a certificate.

Abstract: A system that includes multiple hosts, each having physical resources, a hypervisor, and a host agent that causes the virtual machines to operate above the hypervisor so as to be abstracted from the physical resources. A host fabric reviews requests to instantiate or upgrade a virtual machine, identifies a corresponding virtual machine image to instantiate the virtual machine from in order to honor the request, and determines whether the virtual machine to be instantiated has a valid lease on the virtual machine image. If the requestor does not have a valid lease, the request is blocked. If the requestor does have a valid lease, the host fabric facilitates the instantiation of the virtual machine from the virtual machine image. This prevents or eliminates the chances of multiple instances of the same virtual machine image writing to the virtual machine image at the same time.

Abstract: Goal state indicators can be communicated from a fabric controller of a computer cluster to each of multiple compute instances in the computer cluster managed by the fabric controller. The goal state indicators can be formatted according to a structured protocol that defines multiple possible goal states. Additionally, status reports can be received from the compute instances. Each of the status reports can indicate a current state of one of the compute instances relative to a goal state previously indicated in a goal state indicator communicated to that one of the compute instances.

Abstract: A system that includes multiple hosts, each having physical resources, a hypervisor, and a host agent that causes the virtual machines to operate above the hypervisor so as to be abstracted from the physical resources. A host fabric reviews requests to instantiate or upgrade a virtual machine, identifies a corresponding virtual machine image to instantiate the virtual machine from in order to honor the request, and determines whether the virtual machine to be instantiated has a valid lease on the virtual machine image. If the requestor does not have a valid lease, the request is blocked. If the requestor does have a valid lease, the host fabric facilitates the instantiation of the virtual machine from the virtual machine image. This prevents or eliminates the chances of multiple instances of the same virtual machine image writing to the virtual machine image at the same time.

Abstract: In an environment that includes a host computing system that executes virtual machines, and a secure cloud computing channel that communicatively couples the host to a client computing system that is assigned to a particular one of the virtual machines, the particular virtual machine generates a certificate, install the certificate on the itself, and returns a certificate representation to the client. This may occur when the virtual machine is provisioned. During a subsequent connection request from the client to the virtual machine, the virtual machine returns the certificate to the client. The client compares the certificate representation that was returned during provisioning with the certificate returned during the subsequent connection, and if there is a match, then the virtual machine is authenticated to the client. Thus, in this case, the virtual machine authenticates without the client having to generate, install, and manage security for a certificate.

Abstract: The provisioning of a virtual machine when booted from virtual storage. During virtual machine boot from an image, the virtual machine detects storage media. The virtual machine acquires a provisioning agent and provisioning data from the detected storage media. The virtual machine uses the provisioning data to provision itself, and executes the provisioning agent. The provisioning agent may monitor the progress of the provisioning and/or report a status of the provisioning. The virtual machine may operate in a cloud computing environment, the status of the provisioning agent being returned to the user through the cloud environment. The user need not generate the provisioning data in a format readable by the virtual machine. Instead, perhaps some naturally entered user input is used to automatically generate the properly formatted provisioning data using perhaps a service in the cloud.

Abstract: Goal state indicators can be communicated from a fabric controller of a computer cluster to each of multiple compute instances in the computer cluster managed by the fabric controller. The goal state indicators can be formatted according to a structured protocol that defines multiple possible goal states. Additionally, status reports can be received from the compute instances. Each of the status reports can indicate a current state of one of the compute instances relative to a goal state previously indicated in a goal state indicator communicated to that one of the compute instances.