Patent ID: 8479015

Claim:
A method comprising: creating, by a server computing device, a virtual image configured for execution by a hypervisor on a client computing device; obtaining, by the server computing device, usage privileges defining access to the virtual image; storing, by the server computing device, the usage privileges in a description file; generating an encrypted version of the description file; deriving a first coded summary from the encrypted version of the description file, wherein the first coded summary identifies a valid encrypted version of the description file; and transmitting the virtual image, the encrypted version of the description file, and the first coded summary from the server computing device to the client computing device, wherein the hypervisor, in response to obtaining the virtual image: derives a second coded summary from the encrypted version of the description file; authenticates the encrypted version by determining that the first coded summary matches the second coded summary; obtains, in response to the authentication, the description file by decrypting the encrypted version of the description file; executes the virtual image according to the usage privileges in the description file; and restricts access to the virtual image based on the usage privileges in the description file.