Multi-Level Virtualizer Intercept Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional virtualizers are complex due to centralized intercept handling functionality, which is undesirable for simplicity and performance.
Innovation Solution
A multi-level virtualizer design that moves intercept handling functionality from a base-level virtualizer to external monitors within each partition, allowing these monitors to handle intercept events using the resources of the corresponding guest operating system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized intercept handling functionality is implemented in a base-level virtualizer, then intercept functionality is maintained across all partitions, but the virtualizer architecture becomes complex and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized intercept handling functionality into distributed external monitor components, one per partition. Each external monitor handles intercepts locally within its partition, eliminating the need for a complex centralized intercept handler in the base-level virtualizer. This segmentation reduces virtualizer architecture complexity while maintaining intercept functionality across all partitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts intercept handling functionality from the base-level virtualizer and places it into external monitors that run within partitions. This extraction removes the complexity burden from the virtualizer architecture while preserving the necessary intercept handling capabilities through the external monitor components.
2Reliability
If centralized intercept handling is implemented in a base-level virtualizer, then uniform intercept management is achieved, but performance overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each partition to service its own intercept events through local external monitors. Instead of all partitions relying on centralized intercept handling in the base-level virtualizer, each partition independently manages its own intercepts, reducing the performance overhead associated with centralized processing and improving overall system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-level centralized intercept handling architecture to a multi-level distributed architecture. By adding the dimension of partition-level external monitors, the system achieves uniform intercept management without the performance penalty of centralized processing, as intercepts are handled at multiple levels simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If external monitors are distributed within partitions, then virtualizer complexity is reduced, but coordination overhead between partitions may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes external monitors within partitions in advance, before intercept events occur. This preliminary positioning of intercept handling capabilities within partitions allows for immediate local response to intercept events, reducing the need for time-consuming coordination and communication between partitions for routine intercept handling.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a multi-level virtualizer that is designed to remove much of the intercept-related functionality from the base-level virtualizer (that exists outside of each partition) and, instead, incorporate much of this functionality directly into each partition. For several of the embodiments, certain intercept handling functions are performed by an “external monitor” that runs within a partition and responds to specific intercept events, and the base-level virtualizer installs these external monitors within each partition and thereafter manages the external monitors for both single-partition and cross-partition intercept events. This distributed approach to intercept handling allows for a much less complex virtualizer and moves the intercept functionality up into each partition where each external monitor uses the resources of the corresponding guest operating system in that partition to resolve the intercept event.