METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AN I/O OPERATION IN A VIRTUALIZATION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130055259A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dong, Yaozu
• Application Number:
  US13/576,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0058 Bus-related hardware virtualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for. Method and apparatus for handling an I/O operation in a virtualization environment. In some embodiments, a system comprises a hardware machine comprising an input/output (I/O) device; and a virtual machine monitor to interface the hardware machine and a plurality of virtual machines. In some embodiments, the virtual machine comprises a guest virtual machine to write input/output (I/O) information related to an I/O operation and a service virtual machine comprising a device model and a device driver, wherein the device model invokes the device driver to control a part of the I/O device to implement the I/O operation with use of the I/O information, and wherein the device model, the device driver and the part of the I/O device are assigned to the guest virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method operated by a service virtual machine, comprising

invoking, by a device model of the service virtual machine, a device driver of the service virtual machine to control a part of an input/output (I/O) device to implement an I/O operation by use of I/O information, which is related to the I/O operation and is written by a guest virtual machine;

wherein the device model, the device driver, and the part of the I/O device are assigned to the guest virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising if the part of the I/O device can not work compatibly with architecture of the guest virtual machine, then:

translating, by the device driver, the I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine into shadow I/O information complying with architecture of the part of I/O device; and

translating, by the device driver, updated shadow I/O information complying with the architecture of the part of I/O device into updated I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine, wherein the updated I/O information was updated by the part of the I/O device in response to the implementation of the I/O operation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the device driver, status of the part of the I/O device after the I/O operation is implemented.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

informing, by the device model, the guest virtual machine that the I/O operation is implemented.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the I/O information is written in a data structure starting from a head pointer that is controllable by the part of the I/O device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a tail pointer indicating end of I/O information is updated by the guest virtual machine.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a device model and a device driver, wherein the device model invokes the device driver to control a part of an input/output (I/O) device to implement an I/O operation by use of I/O information which is related to the I/O operation and is written by a guest virtual machine, and wherein the device model, the device driver and the part of the I/O device are assigned to the guest virtual machine.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if the part of the I/O device can not work compatibly with architecture of the guest virtual machine, then the device driver:

translates the I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine into shadow I/O information complying with architecture of the part of I/O device; and

translates updated shadow I/O information complying with the architecture of the part of I/O device into updated I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine, wherein the updated I/O information was updated by the part of the I/O device in response to the implementation of the I/O operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the device driver further maintains status of the part of the I/O device after the I/O operation is implemented

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the device model further informs the guest virtual machine that the I/O operation is implemented.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the I/O information is written in a data structure starting from a head pointer that is controllable by the part of the I/O device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a tail pointer indicating end of I/O information is updated by the guest virtual machine.

13. A machine-readable medium, comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed result in a system:

invoking, by a device model of a service virtual machine, a device driver of the service virtual machine to control a part of an input/output (I/O) device to implement an I/O operation by use of I/O information, which is related to the I/O operation and is written by a guest virtual machine,

wherein the device model, the device driver and the part of the I/O device are assigned to the guest virtual machine.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein if the part of the I/O device can not work compatibly with architecture of the guest virtual machine, then the plurality of instructions further result in the system:

translating, by the device driver, the I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine into shadow I/O information complying with architecture of the part of I/O device; and

translating, by the device driver, updated shadow I/O information complying with the architecture of the part of I/O device into updated I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine, wherein the updated I/O information was updated by the part of the I/O device in response to the implementation of the I/O operation.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the system:

maintaining, by the device driver, status of the part of the I/O device after the I/O operation is implemented.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the system:

informing, by the device model, the guest virtual machine that the I/O operation is implemented

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the I/O information is written in a data structure starting from a head pointer that is controllable by the part of the I/O device.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein a tail pointer indicating end of I/O information is updated by the guest virtual machine.

19. A system, comprising:

a hardware machine comprising an input/output (I/O) device; and

a virtual machine monitor to interface the hardware machine and a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the virtual machine comprises;

a guest virtual machine to write input/output (I/O) information related to an I/O operation; and

a service virtual machine comprising a device model and a device driver, wherein the device model invokes the device driver to control a part of the I/O device to implement the I/O operation by use of the I/O information, and wherein the device model, the device driver and the part of the I/O device are assigned to the guest virtual machine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein if the part of the I/O device can not work compatibly with architecture of the guest virtual machine, then the device driver of the service virtual machine further:

translates the I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine into shadow I/O information complying with architecture of the part of I/O device; and

translates updated shadow I/O information complying with the architecture of the at least part of I/O device into updated I/O information complying with the architecture of the guest virtual machine, wherein the updated I/O information was updated by the part of the I/O device in response to the implementation of the I/O operation.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the guest virtual machine writes the I/O information into a data structure starting from a head pointer which is updated by the part of the I/O device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the guest virtual machine updates a tail pointer indicating end of the I/O information.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the virtual machine monitor transfers control of the system from the guest virtual machine to the service virtual machine, if detecting that the tail pointer is updated.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the part of I/O device updates the I/O information in response that the I/O operation is implemented.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the device driver maintains status of the part of the I/O device after the I/O operation is implemented.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the device model informs the guest virtual machine that the I/O operation is implemented.