Secure recursive virtualization

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

• allocate a portion of memory allocated to a virtual machine monitor (VMM) or an operating system (OS) to a new domain in response to a condition being met to generate the new domain;
• load an initial program for the new domain into the portion of memory;
• call secure recursive virtualization firmware (SVF) in a data processing system to request that the new domain be generated;
• determine whether the call is from a privileged domain or a non-privileged domain in response to receiving the call to generate the new domain from either the VMM or the OS, wherein the privileged domain is authorized to generate either another privileged domain or a non-privileged domain and wherein the non-privileged domain is not authorized to generate either a privileged domain or another non-privileged domain;
• remove all access to the new domain from any other domain in the data processing system in response to the request being from the privileged domain;
• schedule an execution of the initial program in response to receiving an indication from the SVF that the new domain has been generated;
• reserve a sub-portion of the portion of memory allocated to the new domain for secure recursive virtualization metadata (SVM);
• initialize the SVM;
• mark the new domain as either privileged or non-privileged as per the request from either the VMM or the OS;
• and
• return the indication to either the VMM or the OS that the new domain has been generated.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• allocate a portion of memory allocated to a virtual machine monitor (VMM) or an operating system (OS) to a new domain in response to a condition being met to generate the new domain;
• load an initial program for the new domain into the portion of memory;
• call secure recursive virtualization firmware (SVF) in a data processing system to request that the new domain be generated;
• determine whether the call is from a privileged domain or a non-privileged domain in response to receiving the call to generate the new domain from either the VMM or the OS, wherein the privileged domain is authorized to generate either another privileged domain or a non-privileged domain and wherein the non-privileged domain is not authorized to generate either a privileged domain or another non-privileged domain;
• remove all access to the new domain from any other domain in the data processing system in response to the request being from the privileged domain;
• schedule an execution of the initial program in response to receiving an indication from the SVF that the new domain has been generated;
• reserve a sub-portion of the portion of memory allocated to the new domain for secure recursive virtualization metadata (SVM);
• initialize the SVM;
• mark the new domain as either privileged or non-privileged as per the request from either the VMM or the OS;
• and
• return the indication to either the VMM or the OS that the new domain has been generated.