Patent ID: 8418173
Filing Date: 2013-04-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting an unauthorized use of a virtual machine, the method comprising: storing a virtual machine on a physical machine at a first time, the virtual machine including a boot pointer, the boot pointer pointing to a locator code; booting the virtual machine at a second time after the first time; bypassing the locator code, at a third time after the second time, by adjusting the boot pointer to point from the locator code to a boot code of the virtual machine if the virtual machine is in an authorized environment, which exists when the physical machine and the virtual machine are both registered with a management system and associated with each other by the management system, which manages at least one physical machine and at least one virtual machine; and executing the locator code, at a fourth time after the second time, if the virtual machine is in an unauthorized environment, which exists when the virtual machine is not in an authorized environment, wherein the locator code gathers information indicative of a location of the unauthorized environment, and transmits a message including the information indicative of the location.