AI Chip Firmware for Live Migration with Reduced Hypervisor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for live migration on artificial intelligence chips require continuous hypervisor intervention and do not address maintaining partial system operation during migration, especially for SR-IOV devices, which are focused on network devices and implement migration control logic within the hypervisor layer, consuming dedicated CPU resources.
Innovation Solution
A system connected to a kernel space with hardware and ROM, where firmware virtualizes multiple virtual hardware components, enabling live migration by receiving activation requests, sending to-be-migrated data in batches, and sending end signals, utilizing SR-IOV technology for efficient resource sharing among virtual machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hypervisor-based solutions with dirty memory tracking module are used to enable live migration, then live migration can be achieved without modifying guest operating systems, but continuous hypervisor intervention is required which consumes dedicated CPU resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling virtual devices to perform their own migration through embedded firmware. The physical function in the firmware directly handles migration operations including receiving migration requests, tracking dirty pages, and transferring device state without requiring continuous hypervisor intervention, thus reducing CPU resource consumption while maintaining live migration capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring migration capability within the device firmware itself. The physical function is prepared in advance with all necessary migration logic and can autonomously execute migration operations when triggered, eliminating the need for real-time hypervisor involvement and reducing ongoing CPU resource requirements
2Reliability
If SR-IOV virtualization is implemented to provide independent computation space for users, then service stability is improved, but live migration cannot be fully implemented on artificial intelligence chips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating migration functionality into independent firmware components within the SR-IOV virtualization framework. The physical function is divided into distinct modules including dirty page tracking, state saving, and migration coordination, allowing live migration to be implemented as an independent capability that works alongside SR-IOV virtualization without compromising service stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the firmware's physical function as an intermediary between the virtualized SR-IOV devices and the migration process. This intermediary layer handles migration operations transparently, enabling live migration on AI chips while maintaining the service stability provided by SR-IOV virtualization through coordinated state management
3Reliability
If migration control logic is implemented within the hypervisor layer for network devices, then live migration is enabled, but device complexity increases and focuses only on network devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts migration control logic from the hypervisor layer and embeds it directly within the device firmware as a physical function. This extraction reduces hypervisor complexity and generalizes the solution beyond network devices to any virtualized device, as the migration capability becomes an intrinsic property of each device rather than a centralized hypervisor function
4Reliability
If all migration control logic is implemented within the hypervisor layer, then live migration can be coordinated, but dedicated CPU resources are required during migration process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling virtual devices to perform their own migration through embedded firmware. The physical function in the firmware directly handles migration operations including receiving migration requests, tracking dirty pages, and transferring device state without requiring continuous hypervisor intervention, thus reducing CPU resource consumption while maintaining live migration capability
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus and a readable storage medium for realizing live migration. A computation apparatus of the present disclosure is included in an integrated circuit apparatus, which includes a general interconnection interface and other processing apparatuses. The computation apparatus interacts with other processing apparatuses to jointly complete computation operations specified by users. The integrated circuit apparatus also includes a storage apparatus. The storage apparatus is respectively connected to the computation apparatus and the other processing apparatuses and is used for storing data of the computation apparatus and other processing apparatuses.