Authentication of plugins in a virtualized computing environment
AssigneeVMware, Inc.
InventorsTony Ganchev, Tihomir Mateev
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Plugins are authenticated for purposes of accessing and using application program interfaces (APIs) of a management service of a virtualized computing environment. In an authentication process, each plugin is associated with a session ticket that is unique to the plugin. The session ticket may be in the form of a single-use token that has a finite duration, and which may be used by the plugin to establish a session with the APIs of the management service. Because of the single-use and finite duration constraints of the token, the plugin is unable to use the token for other sessions and other plugins are also unable to use the same token to conduct their own sessions with the management service.
Claims21
A method to authenticate a plugin to enable the plugin to interact with a management service in a virtualized computing environment, the method comprising:
- obtaining a session identification (ID) that is uniquely associated with the plugin;
- using, by a plugin server, the session ID to request a session ticket from a management server, for the virtualized computing environment, that provides the management service;
- obtaining, by the plugin server from the management server, the requested session ticket, wherein the session ticket is uniquely associated with the plugin and has a finite duration;
- and
- using, by the plugin server, the session ticket to establish a session between the plugin and the management service, wherein the session is conducted within the finite duration of the session ticket.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which in response to execution by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform or control performance of operations to authenticate a plugin to enable the plugin to interact with a management service in a virtualized computing environment, the operations comprising:
- obtaining a session identification (ID) that is uniquely associated with the plugin;
- using, by a plugin server, the session ID to request a session ticket from a management server, for the virtualized computing environment, that provides the management service;
- obtaining, by the plugin server from the management server, the requested session ticket, wherein the session ticket is uniquely associated with the plugin and has a finite duration;
- and
- using, by the plugin server, the session ticket to establish a session between the plugin and the management service, wherein the session is conducted within the finite duration of the session ticket.
A system, comprising:
- a plugin server, having a plugin resident thereon, usable to authenticate the plugin to enable the plugin to interact with a management service in a virtualized computing environment, wherein the plugin server is configured to:
- obtain a session identification (ID) that is uniquely associated with the plugin;
- use the session ID to request a session ticket from a management server, for the virtualized computing environment, that provides the management service;
- obtain, from the management server, the requested session ticket, wherein the session ticket is uniquely associated with the plugin and has a finite duration;
- and
- use the session ticket to establish a session between the plugin and the management service, wherein the session is conducted within the finite duration of the session ticket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.