Methods and systems to perform a computer task in a reduced power consumption state

• US 8,910,169 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Jing W., Kuang, Ming, Rothman, Michael A., Zimmer, Vincent J., Chen, Jack, Zhao, Yebin Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): FENNEMA, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US12/241,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 718/1, 718/102, 713/320
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

Methods and systems to perform a computer task in a reduced power consumption state, including to virtualize physical resources with respect to an operating environment and service environment, to exit the operating environment and enter the service environment, to place a first set of one or more of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and to perform a task in the service environment utilizing a processor and a second set of one or more of the physical resources. A physical resource may be assigned to an operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment, and re-assigned to the service environment to be utilized by the service environment while other physical resources are placed in a reduced power consumption state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

virtualizing physical resources of a computer system with respect to an operating environment and a service environment of the computer system;

assigning a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment and a second one of the physical resources to the service environment;

switching between the operating environment and the service environment to access the first physical resource in the operating environment and to access the second physical resource in the service environment;

determining to perform a service task in a power saving mode of the computer system and, based on the determination, re-assigning the first physical resource from the operating environment to the service environment, placing a first set of physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and performing the service task in the service environment with a second set of physical resources while the first set of physical resources is in the reduced power consumption state, wherein the second set of physical resources includes the first and second physical resources and at least a portion of a processor environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on a schedule of the service task.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is in progress.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is scheduled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on an instruction received over a network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-assigning includes providing the service environment with direct access to a driver of the first physical resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-assigning includes re-initiating a driver of with the first physical resource with respect to the service environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first physical resource includes a storage device and the second physical resource includes a network interface device, and wherein the performing a service task includes transferring information between the network interface device and the storage device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by an application program within the operating environment.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a virtual machine manager (VMM) to,

host an operating system within a first virtual machine (VM) and a service operating system within a second VM,

virtualize physical resources of the computer system with respect to the operating system and the service operating system,

assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating system and a second one of the physical resources to the service operating system, and

switch between the operating system and the service operating system to access the first physical resource through the operating system and the second physical resource through the service operating system;

a power management system to place a first set of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state; and

a decision system to determine to perform a service task in a power saving mode of the computer system;

wherein the VMM is implemented to re-assign the first physical resource from the operating environment to the service environment, invoke the power management system to place a first set of physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and enter the service environment to perform the service task in the service environment while the first set of the physical resources is in the reduced power consumption state, based on the determination; and

wherein the second set of physical resources includes the first and second physical resources and at least a portion of a processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the decision system is implemented to base the determination on a schedule of the service task.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the decision system is implemented to base the determination on a request from the operating system to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is in progress.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the decision system is implemented to base the determination on a request from the operating system to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is scheduled.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the decision system is implemented to base the determination on an instruction received over a network.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the VMM is implemented to provide the service operating system with direct access to a driver of the first physical resource when the first physical resource is re-assigned to the service operating system.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the VMM is implemented to re-initiate a driver of with the first physical resource with respect to the service operating system when the first physical resource is re-assigned to the service operating system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first physical resource includes a storage device and the second physical resource includes a network interface device, and wherein the service task includes transferring information between the network interface device and the storage device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the decision system includes an application program to execute under control of the operating system and to determine to perform the service task in the power saving mode of the computer system.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, including instructions to cause a processor to:

virtualize physical resources of a computer system with respect to an operating environment and a service environment of the computer system;

assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment and a second one of the physical resources to the service environment;

switch between the operating environment and the service environment to access the first physical resource from the operating environment and to access the second physical resource in the service environment;

determine to perform a service task in a power saving mode of the computer system and, based on the determination, re-assign the first physical resource from the operating environment to the service environment, place a first set of physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and perform the service task in the service environment with a second set of physical resources while the first set of physical resources is in the reduced power consumption state, wherein the second set of physical resources includes the first and second physical resources and at least a portion of a processor.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the determination is based on a schedule of the service task.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the determination is based on a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is in progress.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the determination is based on a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when the service task is scheduled.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the determination is based on an instruction received over a network.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to cause the processor to provide the service environment with direct access to a driver of the first physical resource when the first physical resource is re-assigned to the service environment.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to cause the processor to re-initiate a driver of with the first physical resource with respect to the service environment when the first physical resource is re-assigned to the service environment.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first physical resource includes a storage device and the second physical resource includes a network interface device, and wherein the instructions further include instructions to cause the processor to transfer information between the network interface device and the storage device as part of the service task.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further encoded with an application program, including instructions to cause the processor to determine to perform the service task in the power saving mode of the computer system, from within the operating environment.