Display Adapter Offloading GDI Processing in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

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Solution Overview

Problem

In virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) scenarios, the processing of Graphics Device Interface (GDI) instructions by CPUs leads to high CPU and memory resource consumption, especially when dealing with high-resolution virtual machines, causing inefficiencies in display processing.

Innovation Solution

A display driver processing method and system where a display adapter receives and stores GDI instructions, including display content and video memory identification information, and sends them to a client terminal via a network interface card, allowing multiple virtual machines to share a physical display adapter and reducing CPU and memory usage by storing content in video memory rather than physical machine memory.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If GDI instructions are processed by CPU in virtual machines, then display functionality is achieved, but CPU resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay functionalityVSAvoidCPU resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the GDI instruction processing function from the CPU by implementing a display driver program that runs independently in kernel mode. This display driver program directly processes GDI instructions from virtual machines and communicates with the physical display device, bypassing the need for CPU intervention in display processing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a display driver program as an intermediary layer between virtual machines and the physical display device. This intermediary component handles all display-related operations, including GDI instruction processing and video memory management, thereby isolating the CPU from resource-intensive display processing tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If high resolution virtual machines are used, then display quality is improved, but memory consumption on physical machine increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay qualityVSAvoidmemory consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the memory architecture by introducing video memory as a dedicated memory space within the display adapter, separate from the physical machine's main memory. Video memory is specifically optimized for storing display data, allowing high-resolution graphics to be rendered with dedicated memory resources rather than consuming general-purpose system memory.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements video memory as a copy of display data storage space located in the display adapter rather than in the physical machine's memory. This copying approach allows the system to maintain high-resolution display buffers locally in the display adapter, reducing the need to allocate large amounts of physical machine memory for display purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If multiple virtual machines share a physical display adapter, then resource utilization is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal display driver program that can handle multiple virtual machines simultaneously. The display driver program is designed to process GDI instructions from any virtual machine, manage multiple video memory buffers, and coordinate with the physical display device in a unified manner, enabling one display adapter to serve multiple virtual machines efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8860740B2Method and apparatus for processing a display driver in virture desktop infrastructure
Publication Date: 2014.10.14 HUAWEI CLOUD COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
  • US8860740B2 patent drawing
  • US8860740B2 patent drawing
  • US8860740B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computing machine includes a virtual machine monitor and a display adapter. The virtual machine monitor receives a graphics device interface (GDI) instruction including display content information and virtual machine identification information from a virtual machine, obtains video memory identification information by querying a correspondence between the virtual machine identification information and the video memory identification information, and sends a display driver message including the display content information and the video memory identification information to the display adapter. The display adapter receives the display driver message, stores the display content information in a video memory in the display adapter according to the video memory identification information, and sends the display driver message to a client terminal via a network interface card in the display adapter.