Systems and methods for hypervisor discovery and utilization

• US 20060248528A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thornton, Andrew John, Oney, Adrian J., Traut, Eric P., Lewis, Nathan T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided, whereby partitions may become enlightened and discover the presence of a hypervisor. Several techniques of hypervisor discovery are discussed, such as detecting the presence of virtual processor registers (e.g. model specific registers or special-purpose registers) or the presence of virtual hardware devices. Upon discovery, information (code and/or data) may be injected in a partition by the hypervisor, whereby such injection allows the partition to call the hypervisor. Moreover, the hypervisor may present a versioning mechanism that allows the partition to match up the version of the hypervisor to its virtual devices. Next, once code and/or data is injected, calling conventions are established that allow the partition and the hypervisor to communicate, so that the hypervisor may perform some operations on behalf of the partition. Four exemplary calling conventions are considered: restartable instructions, a looping mechanism, shared memory transport, and synchronous or asynchronous processed packets. Last, cancellation mechanisms are considered, whereby partition requests may be cancelled.

Claims

1. A system for discovering and utilizing a virtualizing program, comprising:

a virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program; and

a calling convention, wherein upon discovery of the presence of the virtualizing program based on the virtualized device, the virtualizing program injects information into a partition and establishes the calling convention between the virtualizing program and the partition.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program makes use of an underlying processor'"'"'s registers.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program comprises of a virtual hardware device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information injected into the partition is one of code and data.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein before the information is injected into the partition, a version of the virtualizing program is determined.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the calling convention is based on one of restartable instructions, a calling loop, and a shared memory transport.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein an instruction using the calling convention is cancelable.

8. A method for discovering and utilizing a virtualizing program, comprising:

using a virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program; and

using a calling convention, wherein upon discovery of the presence of the virtualizing program based on the virtualized device, the virtualizing program injects information into a partition and establishes the calling convention between the virtualizing program and the partition.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program makes use of an underlying processor'"'"'s registers.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program comprises of a virtual hardware device.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information injected into the partition is one of code and data.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein before the information is injected into the partition, a version of the virtualizing program is determined.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the calling convention is based on one of restartable instructions, a calling loop, and a shared memory transport.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein an instruction using the calling convention is cancelable.

15. A computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions for discovering and utilizing a virtualizing program, comprising:

employing a virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program; and

employing a calling convention, wherein upon discovery of the presence of the virtualizing program based on the virtualized device, the virtualizing program injects information into a partition and establishes the calling convention between the virtualizing program and the partition.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program makes use of an underlying processor'"'"'s registers.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the virtualized device for indicating the presence of the virtualizing program comprises of a virtual hardware device.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information injected into the partition is one of code and data.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the calling convention is based on one of restartable instructions, a calling loop, and a shared memory transport.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein an instruction using the calling convention is cancelable.