Dispatch of a secure virtual machine

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• a secure interface control;
• and
• a processing unit coupled with the memory and the secure interface control, the processing unit configured to execute a hypervisor that hosts a plurality of virtual machines, the hypervisor prohibited from directly accessing any data of a secure virtual machine, and wherein the hypervisor is configured to perform a method to manage initiation and exit of the virtual machines, the method comprising:
• receiving, by the hypervisor, a request to dispatch a virtual machine;
• based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine;
• and
• performing by the secure interface control:
• determining a security mode of the virtual machine;
• based on the security mode being a first mode, loading a virtual machine state from a first state descriptor for the virtual machine, the first state descriptor stored in a non-secure portion of memory;
• and
• based on the security mode being a second mode, loading the virtual machine state from a second state descriptor for the virtual machine, the second state descriptor stored in a secure portion of the memory, and wherein the first state descriptor includes a pointer to the second state descriptor.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions, which when executed by a processing unit causes the processing unit to perform a method comprising:

• receiving, by a hypervisor that is executing on a host server, a request to dispatch a virtual machine;
• based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine;
• and
• performing by a secure interface control of the host server:
• determining a security mode of the virtual machine;
• based on the security mode being a first mode, loading a virtual machine state from a first state descriptor for the virtual machine, the first state descriptor stored in a non-secure portion of memory;
• and
• based on the security mode being a second mode, loading the virtual machine state from a second state descriptor for the virtual machine, the second state descriptor stored in a secure portion of the memory, and wherein the first state descriptor includes a pointer to the second state descriptor.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• dispatching, by a hypervisor that is executing on a host machine, a secure virtual machine, wherein the hypervisor is prevented from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine;
• and
• based on occurrence of an exit condition for the secure virtual machine, performing, by a secure interface control of the host server:
• determining a security mode of the secure virtual machine;
• based on the security mode being a first mode, storing a virtual machine state of the secure virtual machine into a first state descriptor that is stored in a non-secure portion of memory;
• and
• based on the security mode being a second mode, storing the virtual machine state into a second state descriptor that is stored in a secure portion of the memory that is not accessible by the hypervisor, and wherein the first state descriptor includes a pointer to the second state descriptor.

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• a secure interface control;
• and
• a processing unit coupled with the memory and the secure interface control, the processing unit configured to execute a hypervisor that hosts a plurality of virtual machines, the hypervisor prohibited from directly accessing any data of a secure virtual machine, and wherein the hypervisor is configured to perform a method to manage initiation and exit of the virtual machines, the method comprising:
• dispatching, by the hypervisor, a secure virtual machine, the hypervisor prevented from directly accessing any data of a secure virtual machine;
• detecting an occurrence of an exit condition for the secure virtual machine;
• and
• performing by a secure interface control:
• determining a security mode of the secure virtual machine;
• based on the security mode being a first mode, storing a virtual machine state of the secure virtual machine into a first state descriptor that is stored in a non-secure portion of memory;
• and
• based on the security mode being a second mode, storing the virtual machine state into a second state descriptor that is stored in a secure portion of the memory that is not accessible by the hypervisor, and wherein the first state descriptor includes a pointer to the second state descriptor.