System and method for attributing to a corresponding virtual machine CPU usage of a domain in which a shared resource's device driver resides

• US 20060200820A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regional Resources Ltd (Imperial Metals Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gardner, Robert D., Cherkasova, Ludmila
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3423 where the assessed time is active or idle time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to a domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides. The method further comprises determining, based on the observed communication, CPU utilization of the domain that is attributable to the VM. According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Virtual Machines (VMs), and a domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides, wherein the domain is operable to receive requests from the VMs for access to the shared resource. The system further comprises a CPU utilization monitor operable to determine an amount of CPU utilization of the domain in processing the received requests that is attributable to each of the VMs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to a domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides; and

determining, based on said communication, CPU utilization of said domain attributable to said VM.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing comprises:

observing communication from said VM to a privileged management domain.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication that is directed from said VM to said domain.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication from said VM that is intercepted by a virtual machine monitor (VMM).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said VM is a fully virtualized VM.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said VM is a paravirtualized VM.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication from said VM that is requesting access to a resource.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication from said VM that is requesting access to said shared resource that is accessible by a plurality of VMs.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication from said VM that is requesting access to an input/output (I/O) resource.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining comprises:

determining CPU utilization of said domain attributable to said VM as the CPU utilization of said domain performed for processing said access request for said VM.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication between said VM and said device driver.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing memory page exchanges between said VM and said domain.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing data copying between said VM and said domain.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

observing communication from each of a plurality of VMs to the domain; and

determining, for each of said VMs, based on said communication, CPU utilization of said domain attributable to such VM.

15. A method comprising:

a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) communicating with a domain for requesting access to a shared resource, wherein a device driver for said shared resource resides in said domain; and

determining CPU utilization of each VM, wherein said determining includes determining CPU utilization of said domain attributable to each of said VMs.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said determining said CPU utilization of said domain attributable to each of said VMs is based on observing communication between said VMs and said domain.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing communication between said VMs and said device driver.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing memory page exchanges between said VMs and said domain.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing data copying between said VMs and said domain.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said observing communication comprises:

observing the communication requesting access to said shared resource by said VMs.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said determining CPU utilization of said domain attributable to each of said VMs comprises:

determining CPU utilization of said domain attributable to a first of said VMs as the CPU utilization of said domain performed for processing a resource access request for said first of said VMs.

22. A method comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs), CPU utilization allocated by a scheduler to such VM;

determining, for each of said VMs, an amount of a privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to such VM; and

determining, for each of said VMs, total CPU utilization attributable to such VM by summing the determined CPU utilization allocated to the VM by the scheduler and the determined amount of the privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to the VM.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said determining CPU utilization allocated by said scheduler to a VM comprises:

computing

${\mathrm{Dom}}_i^T<br><br>\left(\mathrm{CPU}\right)=\underset{t_1\ge <br><br>T_1}{\overset{t_2\le <br><br>T_2}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>\left(t_1^i,t_2^i,\mathrm{execution}\right)/\left(T_2-T_1\right),$

wherein i is a variable identifying one of the plurality of VMs, T is a time interval from time T₁ to time T₂, Dom_i^T(CPU) corresponds to CPU utilization scheduled for VM i of the plurality of VMs for time T, t₁ⁱ corresponds to a time at which VM i is scheduled for execution, and t₂ⁱ corresponds to a time at which VM i is descheduled from execution.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said determining an amount of the privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to a VM comprises:

measuring a number (N_i^mp) of memory page exchanges performed between VM i and the privileged management domain over a time interval (T_i), wherein i is a variable identifying one of the plurality of VMs.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said measuring comprises measuring the number of memory page exchanges performed when the privileged management domain is in an execution state.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said determining an amount of the privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to a VM further comprises:

deriving a CPU cost of the memory page exchanges as Cost_i^mp=T_i/N_i^mp.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said determining an amount of the privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to a VM further comprises:

for N_i^Domi memory page exchanges between the privileged management domain and VM i, charging VM i for Dom_i-0^Ti(CPU)=N_i^Domi×

Cost_i^mp of CPU time processing of the privileged management domain.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said determining an amount of the privileged management domain'"'"'s CPU utilization attributable to a VM further comprises:

computing a share of CPU time used by the privileged management domain for processing resource access activities on behalf of a VM i over time T=(T₁,T₂) as

${\mathrm{Dom}}_{i-0}^T<br><br>\left(\mathrm{CPU}\right)=\underset{T_i\in <br><br>T}{\sum <br><br>}<br><br>\left({\mathrm{Dom}}_{i-0}^{T_i}<br><br>\left(\mathrm{CPU}\right)\right)/\left(T_2-T_1\right).$

29. A system comprising:

Central Processing Unit (CPU);

Virtual Machines (VMs);

domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides, said domain operable to receive requests from said VMs for access to said shared resource; and

a CPU utilization monitor operable to determine an amount of CPU utilization of said domain in processing said received requests that is attributable to each of said VMs.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

a virtual machine monitor (VMM), wherein said CPU utilization monitor is implemented in said VMM.

31. The system of claim 29 further comprising said shared resource that is accessible by each of said VMs.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein said CPU utilization monitor observes communication from said VMs to said device driver, and wherein said CPU utilization monitor uses said observed communication for determining the amount of CPU utilization of said domain in processing said received requests that is attributable to each of said VMs.

33. Computer-executable software code stored to a computer-readable medium, said computer-executable software code comprising:

code for observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to a privileged management domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides; and

code for determining, based on said communication, CPU utilization of said privileged management domain attributable to said VM.

34. The computer-executable software code of claim 33 wherein said code for observing communication comprises:

code for observing communication requesting access to said shared resource by said VM.

35. The computer-executable software code of claim 34 wherein said code for determining comprises:

code for determining CPU utilization of said privileged management domain attributable to said VM as the CPU utilization of said privileged management domain performed for processing said access request for said VM.

36. The computer-executable software code of claim 35 wherein said code for observing communication comprises:

code for observing communication between said VM and said device driver.

37. The computer-executable software code of claim 33 wherein said code for observing communication comprises:

code for observing memory page exchanges between said VM and said privileged management domain.