Hypervisor Shared Memory for Cross-Domain Data Sharing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Virtualization technologies lead to inefficient usage of main memory due to the presence of duplicate copies of files, as multiple operating systems accessing the same resources result in redundant file copies in memory, which can decrease processing efficiency and increase I/O requests.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a hypervisor to manage pseudo-physical page mappings and shared memory, allowing domains to check if a file is already present in memory before loading it, thereby avoiding duplicate copies and optimizing memory utilization by using shared memory and updating hypervisor page maps to track file references.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple operating systems load separate copies of the same file into main memory, then each operating system can access the file independently, but main memory usage becomes inefficient due to duplicate copies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple copies of the same file into a single shared memory location that is accessible by multiple operating systems. The virtualization technology intercepts file access requests, checks if the file is already loaded in shared memory, and if so, provides access to the existing copy rather than loading a new one. This combining approach maintains file access independence while eliminating redundant memory consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal shared memory space that serves multiple operating systems simultaneously. A single file copy in shared memory can be accessed by any number of operating systems through the virtualization layer, making the memory resource multi-functional. The system provides a unified interface for file access that works across different operating systems without requiring separate copies.
2Ease of operation
If the virtualization technology loads a new copy of a file for each operating system request, then each operating system has its own file copy, but the number of I/O requests increases and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-loading files into shared memory when first requested, and then reusing this pre-loaded copy for subsequent requests from any operating system. The virtualization technology maintains a mapping of files to their shared memory locations, allowing it to quickly determine whether a file is already loaded without requiring new I/O operations. This preliminary loading approach eliminates redundant I/O requests and improves processing efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If the virtualization technology removes duplicate file copies from main memory, then main memory efficiency improves, but additional processing is required to manage copy removal and ensure proper file access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary virtualization layer that manages file copies between operating systems and main memory. This intermediary intercepts file access requests, manages the shared memory space, and handles the complexity of copy removal automatically. The virtualization technology maintains metadata about which files are loaded in shared memory and which operating systems have access to them, allowing it to intelligently remove duplicates when appropriate without requiring complex management logic in each operating system.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for sharing data between a first domain and a second domain, including issuing a first request for data from a storage pool by the first domain, receiving the first request by a control domain driver in a control domain, obtaining the data by the control domain driver, storing a first copy of the data in shared memory at a first physical address, updating a hypervisor page map to include an entry associating a first pseudo-physical page number with the first physical address, notifying the first domain that the first request has been completed, issuing a second request for the data by the second domain, receiving the second request by the control domain driver, determining that the first copy of the data is present in the shared memory, and updating the hypervisor page map to include an entry associating the second pseudo-physical page number with the first physical address.