SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLICATION MIGRATION

• US 20170161212A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Jonathan Lawrence, Shen, Yuping
• Granted Patent: US 9,971,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Described is a method and apparatus for application migration between a dockable device and a docking station in a seamless manner. The dockable device includes a processor and the docking station includes a high-performance processor. The method includes determining a docking state of a dockable device while at least an application is running. Application migration from the dockable device to a docking station is initiated when the dockable device is moving to a docked state. Application migration from the docking station to the dockable device is initiated when the dockable device is moving to an undocked state. The application continues to run during the application migration from the dockable device to the docking station or during the application migration from the docking station to the dockable device.

Claims

1. A method for application migration, the method comprising:

determining a docking state of a dockable device while at least an application is running;

initiating application migration from the dockable device to a docking station on a condition that the dockable device is in a docked state, wherein the dockable device includes a processor and the docking station includes a high-performance processor; and

initiating application migration from the docking station to the dockable device on a condition that the dockable device is moving to an undocked state,

wherein the application continues to run during the application migration from the dockable device to the docking station or during the application migration from the docking station to the dockable device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining all data required to recreate an application state on a transferee processor, wherein the processor regardless of docked state has the data to minimize data transfer when undocking.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

destroying state information on a transferor processor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a virtual high-performance processor on the dockable device on a condition that the dockable device is in an undocked state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a user mode driver and a kernel mode driver ensures that no work is sent to the virtual high-performance processor.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a user mode driver and a kernel mode records certain operations to be propagated to the dockable device when the dockable device is docked with the docking station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a notification from a kernel mode driver to a user mode driver to initiate application migration on a condition that the kernel mode driver detects a docking event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user mode driver locks critical sections during application migration.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an undock request;

locking the undock request; and

on a condition that application migration is complete, unlocking an undock request so that the dockable device can be physically undocked.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a docking event;

initiating application migration from the dockable device to the docking station on a condition that the detected docking event is to dock the dockable device; and

initiating application migration from the docking station to the dockable device on a condition that the detected docking event is to undock the dockable device.

11. A dockable device, comprising:

a processor;

a kernel mode driver configured to determine a docking state of a dockable device while at least an application is running;

the kernel mode driver configured to initiate application migration from the dockable device to a docking station on a condition that the dockable device is in a docked state, wherein the docking station includes a high-performance processor; and

the kernel mode driver configured to initiate application migration from the docking station to the dockable device on a condition that the dockable device is moving to an undocked state,

wherein the application continues to run during the application migration from the dockable device to the docking station or during the application migration from the docking station to the dockable device.

12. The dockable device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user mode driver, wherein the user mode driver and the kernel mode driver are configured to maintain all data required to recreate an application state on a transferee processor, wherein the processor regardless of docked state has the data to minimize data transfer when undocking.

13. The dockable device of claim 12, further comprising:

the user mode driver configured to destroy state information on a transferor processor.

14. The dockable device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user mode driver, wherein the user mode driver and the kernel mode driver are configured to maintain a virtual high-performance processor on the dockable device on a condition that the dockable device is in an undocked state.

15. The dockable device of claim 14, further comprising:

the user mode driver and the kernel mode driver are configured to ensure that no work is sent to the virtual high-performance processor.

16. The dockable device of claim 14, further comprising:

the user mode driver and the kernel mode driver configured to record certain operations to be propagated to the dockable device when the dockable device is docked with the docking station.

17. The dockable device of claim 11, further comprising:

the kernel mode driver configured to send a notification to a user mode driver to initiate application migration on a condition that the kernel mode driver detects a docking event.

18. The dockable device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user mode driver configured to lock critical sections during application migration.

19. The dockable device of claim 11, further comprising:

the kernel mode driver configured to detect an undock request;

the kernel mode driver configured to lock the undock request; and

on a condition that application migration is complete, the kernel mode driver configured to unlock an undock request so that the dockable device can be physically undocked.

20. A computer readable non-transitory medium including instructions which when executed in a processing system cause the processing system to execute a method for application migration, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a docking state of a dockable device while at least an application is running;

initiating application migration from the dockable device to a docking station on a condition that the dockable device is in a docked state, wherein the dockable device includes a processor and the docking station includes a high-performance processor; and

initiating application migration from the docking station to the dockable device on a condition that the dockable device is moving to an undocked state,

wherein the application continues to run during the application migration from the dockable device to the docking station or during the application migration from the docking station to the dockable device.