Remote network access via virtual machine

Abstract

A virtual machine project manager creates a generic, i.e., not user-specific, virtual machine image file. Copies of this image file may be distributed to one or more users, each of whom may then use an automated procedure to generate a user-specific virtual machine image file and, thus, a user-specific virtual machine on his/her remote host computer. The generic virtual machine image file may be distributed on computer-readable media, such as a DVD disks, or the file may be stored on a server and downloaded (such as via the Internet) by the users. Each user also receives or downloads a token, which contains a small amount of user-specific information that is used by the automated procedure to provision the generic virtual machine image file for the particular user. A virtual machine accesses a security token connected to a host computer to automatically authenticate or re-authenticate a user, such as when a virtual private network connection is restarted. Substantially identical session identifiers are used by a host computer and a virtual machine, or by two or more virtual machines and, when communicating with an integrated access server. A file server stores virtual machine images that are accessed by a plurality of host computers.