Virtual machine operating system LAN

• US 20040015966A1
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacChiano, Angelo, Tarcza, Richard, White, W. Romney, Musselwhite, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A virtual machine operating system for communication between first and second applications which execute in different user portions of the virtual machine operating system and use Internet Protocol (IP). The virtual machine operating system comprises a first user portion, a second user portion and a base portion. The first user portion executes the first application and includes a first device driver for a first virtual network interface card (NIC). The second user portion executes the second application and includes a second device driver for a second virtual NIC. The base portion is shared by the first and second user portions and includes the first and second virtual NICs. The base portion maintains a table of IP addresses by which each device driver addresses its respective NIC and other, corresponding addresses by which the base portion addresses the virtual NIC. The first device driver is programmed to receive an IP datagram from the first application and pass it to the first NIC using IP. The datagram includes an IP address of the second virtual NIC and an indication that the second application should receive the datagram. The base portion is programmed to determine the other address of the second NIC based on the table and transfer the datagram to a storage location associated with the second virtual NIC or the second device driver.

Claims

1. A virtual machine operating system for communication between first and second applications, said first and second applications executing in different user portions of said virtual machine operating system and using Internet Protocol (IP), said virtual machine operating system comprising:

a first user portion for executing the first application and including a first device driver for a first virtual network interface card (NIC);

a second user portion for executing the second application and including a second device driver for a second virtual NIC;

a base portion shared by said first and second user portions and including said first and second virtual NICs, said base portion maintaining a table of IP addresses by which each device driver addresses its respective NIC and other, corresponding addresses by which the base portion addresses said virtual NIC; and

wherein

said first device driver is programmed to receive an IP datagram from said first application and pass it to said first NIC using IP, said datagram including an IP address of said second virtual NIC and an indication that said second application should receive said datagram;

said base portion is programmed to determine said other address of said second NIC based on said table and transfer said datagram to a storage location associated with said second virtual NIC or said second device driver.

2. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base portion, after transferring said datagram to said storage location, notifies said second device driver using IP that said datagram is available;

and

said second user portion is programmed to review said datagram using IP to determine that said second application should receive notification of said datagram and then notify said second application that said datagram is available to access.

3. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said virtual NICs is formed by computer programming and associated storage, whereby each of said virtual NICs does not require any other hardware over and above the hardware required to execute the other parts of said virtual machine operating system.

4. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first device driver implements IP in sending said datagram to said first virtual NIC, and said second device driver implements IP in receiving said datagram.

7. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said virtual NICs registers in said base operating system its IP address and said other, corresponding address.

5. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said first device driver interacts with said first virtual NIC using IP as if said first virtual NIC was a tangible NIC.

6. A virtual machine operating system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second device driver interacts with said second virtual NIC using IP as if said second virtual NIC was a tangible NIC.