VIRTUAL MACHINE CONTROL STRUCTURE SHADOWING
First Claim
1. A processor comprising:
- instruction hardware to receive a plurality of instructions, including a first instruction to transfer the processor from a root mode to a non-root mode for executing guest software in at least one virtual machine, wherein the processor is to return to the root mode upon the detection of any of a plurality of virtual machine exit events, and a second instruction to access at least one data structure for controlling the at least one virtual machine; and
execution hardware to execute the first instruction and the second instruction; and
control logic to cause the processor to access a shadow data structure instead of the at least one data structure, without returning to the root mode for the access to be performed, when the second instruction is executed in the non-root mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for processing virtual machine control structure shadowing are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The instruction hardware is to receive instructions. A first instruction is to transfer the processor from a root mode to a non-root mode. The non-root mode is for executing guest software in a virtual machine, where the processor is the return to root mode upon the detection of a virtual machine exit event. A second instruction is to access a data structure for controlling a virtual machine. The execution hardware is to execute the instructions. The control logic is to cause the processor to access a shadow data structure instead of the data structure, without returning to the root mode for the access to be performed, when the second instruction is executed in the non-root mode.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A processor comprising:
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instruction hardware to receive a plurality of instructions, including a first instruction to transfer the processor from a root mode to a non-root mode for executing guest software in at least one virtual machine, wherein the processor is to return to the root mode upon the detection of any of a plurality of virtual machine exit events, and a second instruction to access at least one data structure for controlling the at least one virtual machine; and execution hardware to execute the first instruction and the second instruction; and control logic to cause the processor to access a shadow data structure instead of the at least one data structure, without returning to the root mode for the access to be performed, when the second instruction is executed in the non-root mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a processor, a virtual machine enter instruction; executing, by the processor, the virtual machine enter instruction to transfer control from a root virtual machine monitor in a root mode to a guest virtual machine monitor in a non-root mode; attempting, by the guest virtual machine monitor running in the non-root mode on the processor, to access a child virtual machine control structure; and causing, by control logic in the processor, the access to be redirected to a shadow virtual machine control structure without returning to the root mode to perform the access. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a memory to store at least one data structure for controlling at least one virtual machine and at least one shadow data structure; and a processor including instruction hardware to receive a plurality of instructions, including a first instruction to transfer the processor from a root mode to a non-root mode for executing guest software in at least one virtual machine, wherein the processor is to return to the root mode upon the detection of any of a plurality of virtual machine exit events, and a second instruction to access at least one data structure, and execution hardware to execute the first instruction and the second instruction, and control logic to cause the processor to access the shadow data structure instead of the at least one data structure, without returning to the root mode for the access to be performed, when the second instruction is executed in non-root mode. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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- 19. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory is also to store a second data structure to be created by a guest virtual machine monitor running in the non-root mode, the second data structure to control a second virtual machine to be hosted by the guest virtual machine monitor.
Specification