Patent ID: 8015563

Claim:
A method for automatically managing the creation and operation of a virtual machine, comprising: receiving electronic control instructions from a virtual machine authority, the control instructions comprising a policy setting, the policy setting authorizing a creation of a virtual machine or an operation of a virtual machine; storing the policy setting in a configuration store; receiving a user request to create the virtual machine in accordance with a parameter; determining from the policy setting that the user request can be granted; sending a first instruction to a virtual machine host, the virtual machine host creates the virtual machine in accordance with a parameter in response to receiving the first instruction; identifying that the virtual machine at the virtual machine host is unauthorized to execute upon the virtual machine host because the virtual machine is operating outside of the policy setting in the configuration store; and sending a second instruction to the virtual machine host, in response to determining that the virtual machine is unauthorized, the virtual machine host halts the virtual machine from further operation, pauses the virtual machine, or deletes the virtual machine in response to receiving the second instruction.