Hypervisor Storage Transfer for VM Power Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image processing apparatuses, guest virtual machines are not informed of operation mode changes made by other virtual machines, leading to delays or failures in accessing devices during power saving mode transitions.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus with a hardware processor, volatile storage, and non-volatile storage, where a host controller and guest controller manage access through a hypervisor, with a transfer portion that stores data from non-volatile storage to volatile storage before power saving and converts access destinations after power saving is activated, ensuring seamless transitions between operation modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the device is changed to a power saving state to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the device cannot be accessed quickly by other virtual machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by transferring data from the non-volatile storage device to the volatile storage device before the device is actually stopped. This ensures that when the device enters power-saving mode, the data is already available in volatile storage, enabling other virtual machines to access it quickly without waiting for device activation. The transfer portion executes the transfer operation in advance, and the access destination converter portion redirects subsequent access requests to the volatile storage location.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the operation mode of a device is changed to power saving mode by one virtual machine, then power consumption is reduced, but other virtual machines cannot be informed of the change and cannot access the device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the volatile storage device as an intermediary to communicate the operation mode change between virtual machines. When one virtual machine stops the device for power-saving mode, it transfers the data to volatile storage and redirects access requests to this intermediate location. Other virtual machines can then access the data through the volatile storage without needing to be directly notified of the device state change, effectively using volatile storage as a mediator for information sharing across virtual machine boundaries.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a volatile first storage, a non-volatile second storage, a host controller, a guest controller, an emulator that emulates access to the first storage and the second storage by the host controller such that the guest controller accesses the first storage and the second storage, and an application portion that controls the host controller to access the first storage and the second storage. Any one of the application portion and the emulator includes a transfer portion that stores data that is stored in a predetermined region of the second storage in a certain region of the first storage before the application portion stops the second storage. The emulator includes an access destination converter that converts access to the second storage by the guest controller into access to the certain region of the first storage after the second storage is stopped.