Chipset support for managing hardware interrupts in a virtual machine system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a multiplex block, an interrupt request signal from a device via an interrupt request line coupled with the multiplex block; and
determining, based on a current configuration value of the multiplex block, whether the interrupt request signal is to be sent to an interrupt controller or a virtual machine monitor (VMM) block coupled to the multiplex block,wherein the current configuration value of the multiplex block requires that the interrupt request signal be sent to the interrupt controller or the VMM block depending on whether the device is managed by a currently-operating virtual machine (VM) or is not managed by the currently-operating VM respectively.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a set of multiplex blocks coupled with an interrupt controller and multiple interrupt request lines, and a virtual machine monitor block (VMM) coupled to the set of multiplex blocks. Each multiplex block corresponds to a distinct interrupt request line. Each multiplex block is to route the interrupt request signal received via the corresponding interrupt request line either to the interrupt controller or the VMM block depending on a current configuration value of this multiplex block.
253 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a multiplex block, an interrupt request signal from a device via an interrupt request line coupled with the multiplex block; and determining, based on a current configuration value of the multiplex block, whether the interrupt request signal is to be sent to an interrupt controller or a virtual machine monitor (VMM) block coupled to the multiplex block, wherein the current configuration value of the multiplex block requires that the interrupt request signal be sent to the interrupt controller or the VMM block depending on whether the device is managed by a currently-operating virtual machine (VM) or is not managed by the currently-operating VM respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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identifying one or more interrupt request lines that are coupled to one or more devices managed by a virtual machine (VM); configuring one or more multiplex blocks to route only interrupt request signals on the one or more interrupt request lines associated with the VM to an interrupt controller; configuring one or more multiplex blocks to route interrupt request signals on interrupt request lines that are not managed by the VM to a vritual machine monitor (VMM) block; and generating a request to transfer control to the VM. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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identifying one or more interrupt request lines that are coupled to one or more devices managed by a virtual machine (VM); configuring one or more multiplex blocks to route only interrupt request signals on the one or more interrupt request lines associated with the VM to an interrupt controller; configuring one or more multiplex blocks to route interrupt request signals on interrupt request lines that are not managed by the VM to a virtual machine monitor (VMM) block; and generating a request to transfer control to the VM. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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an interrupt controller; a virtual machine monitor (VMM) block; and a multiplex block, couplable with the interrupt controller and the VMM block, to receive an interrupt request signal from a device via an interrupt request line coupled with the multiplex block, and to determine, based on a current configuration value of the multiplex block, whether the interrupt request signal is to be sent to the interrupt controller or the VMM block, wherein the current configuration value of the multiplex block requires that the interrupt request signal be sent to the interrupt controller or the VMM block depending on whether the device is managed by a currently-operating virtual machine (VM) or is not managed by the currently-operating VM respectively. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification