Virtual machine management using processor state information

• US 8,296,762 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Knauerhase, Robert C., Tewari, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kawsar, Abdullah Al
• Application Number:
  US12/176,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for virtual machine management. According to one embodiment, processor state information associated with a processor is evaluated, and the processor state information is used to manage one or more virtual machines.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring processor state information relating to a processor;

gathering the processor state information, wherein the processor state information provides processor state relating to one or more of characteristics of the processor, history of the processor, characteristics of a plurality of virtual machines associated with the processor, history of the plurality of virtual machines, and event monitoring data; and

managing, using the processor state information, the plurality of virtual machines including a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, wherein managing includes managing the characteristics of the processor and predetermined time slices allocated to each of the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, and dynamically allocating resources to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, wherein dynamically allocating includes alternating between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, wherein alternating includes switching tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine based on the information and reallocating the predetermined time slices from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on the characteristics of the processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing of the first and second virtual machines is performed by a virtual machine manager (VMM) comprising a state management unit.

3. A system comprising:

a storage medium to store information relating to a processor coupled with the storage medium; and

a processor having a virtual machine manager (VMM), wherein the VMM to

monitor processor state information relating to a processor,

gather the processor state information, wherein the processor state information provides processor state relating to one or more of characteristics of the processor, history of the processor, characteristics of a plurality of virtual machines associated with the processor, history of the plurality of virtual machines, and event monitoring data, and

manage, using the processor state information, the plurality of virtual machines including a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, wherein managing includes managing the characteristics of the processor and predetermined time slices allocated to each of the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, and dynamically allocating resources to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, wherein dynamically allocating includes alternating between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, wherein alternating includes switching tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine based on the information and reallocating the predetermined time slices from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on the characteristics of the processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor comprises one or more of microprocessors, hyperthreaded processors, digital signal processors, and microcontrollers.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second virtual machines comprise guest software, the guest software having one or more of an operating software and a software application.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

monitor processor state information relating to a processor;

gather the processor state information, wherein the information provides processor state relating to one or more of characteristics of the processor, history of the processor, characteristics of a plurality of virtual machines associated with the processor, history of the plurality of virtual machines, and event monitoring data; and

manage, using the processor state information, the plurality of virtual machines including a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, wherein managing includes managing the characteristics of the processor and predetermined time slices allocated to each of the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, and dynamically allocating resources to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, wherein dynamically allocating includes alternating between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, wherein alternating includes switching tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine based on the information and reallocating the predetermined time slices from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on the characteristics of the processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the managing of the first and second virtual machines is performed by a virtual machine manager (VMM) comprising a state management unit.

8. A method comprising:

allocating a first predetermined time slice to a first virtual machine, and a second predetermined time slice to a second virtual machine at a computing system;

switching tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on characteristics of a processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices, wherein the processor is associated with the first and second virtual machines, wherein the characteristics of the processor is obtained from processor state information relating to the processor of the computing system;

suspending the first predetermined processing time allocated to the first virtual machine; and

extending the second predetermined processing time allocated to the second virtual machine by granting the suspended first predetermined processing time of the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor state information further provides historical information relating to the processor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor state information further provides one or more of characteristic information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, historical information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machines, and event monitoring data.

11. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

allocate a first predetermined time slice to a first virtual machine, and a second predetermined time slice to a second virtual machine at a computing system;

switch tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on characteristics of a processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices, wherein the processor is associated with the first and second virtual machines, wherein the characteristics of the processor is obtained from processor state information relating to the processor of the computing system;

suspend the first predetermined processing time allocated to the first virtual machine; and

extend the second predetermined processing time allocated to the second virtual machine by granting the suspended first predetermined processing time of the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor state information further provides historical information relating to the processor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor state information further provides one or more of characteristic information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, historical information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machines, and event monitoring data.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

allocate a first predetermined time slice to a first virtual machine, and a second predetermined time slice to a second virtual machine at a computing system;

switch tasks being performed on the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine when the second virtual machine is determined to be better at performing the tasks than the first virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is determined to be better based on characteristics of a processor and independent of the predetermined allocated time slices, wherein the processor is associated with the first and second virtual machines, wherein the characteristics of the processor is obtained from processor state information relating to the processor of the computing system;

suspend the first predetermined processing time allocated to the first virtual machine; and

extend the second predetermined processing time allocated to the second virtual machine by granting the suspended first predetermined processing time of the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the processor state information provides historical information relating to the processor.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the processor state information further provides one or more of characteristic information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine, historical information relating to the first virtual machine or the second virtual machines, and event monitoring data.