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Method of managing virtual machines using a virtual machine monitor

  • US 9,092,251 B2
  • Filed: 12/18/2009
  • Issued: 07/28/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for managing virtual machines that use one or more physical devices in a data processing system, the method comprising:

  • providing, in a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), a virtual Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) arranged to interact with the virtual machines;

    interacting the VMM with a real ACPI based on interaction between the virtual ACPI and the plurality of virtual machines;

    providing, in at least one of the virtual machines, an ACPI driver in a kernel to enable the at least one of the virtual machines to interact directly with one or more of said physical devices;

    maintaining, within the virtual ACPI, a respective virtual device state of the physical device for each of the multiple ones of the virtual machines, wherein the virtual device state includes at least one of a device performance state, a device power state, or a device clock throttling state, the device power state includes at least one intermediate power setting between a maximum power setting and a power-off setting, wherein each virtual device state is requested by a corresponding one of the virtual machines;

    determining a maximum requested device state from the virtual device states; and

    setting, by the VMM, a real device state for the physical device based on the maximum requested device state.

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