Updating a virtual machine monitor from a guest partition
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for updating a virtual machine monitor, the method comprising:
- receiving update data using facilities of a guest operating system;
extracting by the guest operating system a first portion of the update data that is intended for the virtual machine monitor;
transferring the first portion of the update data to the virtual machine monitor;
receiving by the guest operating system a signal from the virtual machine monitor to indicate a successful result of validating the first portion of the update data;
extracting a second portion of the update data intended for the guest operating system;
applying the second portion of the update data to update the guest operating system in response to the signal indicating the successful result of validating by the virtual machine monitor the first portion of the update data intended for the virtual machine monitor; and
applying the first portion of the update data to update the virtual machine monitor.
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Abstract
Mechanisms are disclosed for updating a virtual machine monitor (“VMM”). Facilities of a guest operating system running in a guest virtual machine managed by the VMM are leveraged to facilitate receiving an update package. The update package may contain updates for guest operating systems extensions in addition to a VMM update. An updater process, running in a guest operating system, extracts the VMM update and transfers it down to the VMM. Upon successful transfer, the updater process applies any necessary updates to guest operating systems extensions and then signals the VMM to commit the transferred VMM update.
38 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for updating a virtual machine monitor, the method comprising:
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receiving update data using facilities of a guest operating system; extracting by the guest operating system a first portion of the update data that is intended for the virtual machine monitor; transferring the first portion of the update data to the virtual machine monitor; receiving by the guest operating system a signal from the virtual machine monitor to indicate a successful result of validating the first portion of the update data; extracting a second portion of the update data intended for the guest operating system; applying the second portion of the update data to update the guest operating system in response to the signal indicating the successful result of validating by the virtual machine monitor the first portion of the update data intended for the virtual machine monitor; and applying the first portion of the update data to update the virtual machine monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system comprising:
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a physical processor; a virtual machine monitor configured to execute on the physical processor; and a guest operating system configured to execute under control of the virtual machine monitor; and a virtual machine monitor updater configured to execute on the guest operating system to extract a first portion of update data intended for the virtual machine monitor, to transfer the first portion of the update data to the virtual machine monitor, to receive a signal from the virtual machine monitor to indicate a successful result of validating the first portion of the update data, to extract a second portion of the update data intended for the guest operating system and to apply the second portion of the update data to update the guest operating system in response to the signal indicating the successful result of validating by the virtual machine monitor the first portion of the update data intended for the virtual machine monitor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A tangible computer readable storage medium, wherein the medium is not a signal, comprising computer executable instructions for managing an update to a virtual machine monitor, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:
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receiving update data using facilities of a guest operating system; extracting by the guest operating system a first portion of the update data that is intended for the virtual machine monitor; transferring the first portion of the update data to the virtual machine monitor; receiving by the guest operating system a signal from the virtual machine monitor to indicate a successful result of validating the first portion of the update data; extracting a second portion of the update data intended for the guest operating system; applying the second portion of the update data to update the guest operating system in response to the signal indicating the successful result of validating by the virtual machine monitor the first portion of the update data intended for the virtual machine monitor; and applying the first portion of the update data to update the virtual machine monitor. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification