Nested Hypervisor VPID Emulation Key Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In nested computer systems, the host hypervisor often inadvertently invalidates undesired mappings due to a lack of precise association tracking between nested and non-nested virtual processors, leading to inefficiencies and potential system crashes.
Innovation Solution
The host hypervisor generates and stores keys defining associations between virtual machines and virtual processor identifiers, allowing for precise invalidation of mappings associated with specific nested virtual processors, thereby reducing overhead and improving efficiency in network function virtualization applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the host hypervisor uses a single identifier to tag all nested virtual processors, then implementation is simplified, but mappings for all nested virtual processors are inadvertently invalidated when one needs to be invalidated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mapping invalidation process by introducing individual keys for each nested virtual processor. Instead of using a single identifier for all nested VPs, the host hypervisor now generates and stores separate keys (e.g., key1, key2, key3) that correspond to each nested virtual processor. This segmentation allows precise control over which mappings are invalidated, resolving the contradiction between implementation simplicity and mapping invalidation accuracy.
2Reliability
If the host hypervisor tracks associations between nested and non-nested virtual processors, then precise invalidation is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces keys as intermediary elements that mediate between nested virtual processors and their mappings. The host hypervisor generates keys (key1, key2, key3) that serve as intermediaries to track and manage associations between nested VPs and their corresponding mappings. This intermediary mechanism enables precise invalidation control while keeping the complexity management straightforward through the use of simple key-value associations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of emulating virtual processor identifiers includes a nested hypervisor requesting a virtual processor identifier, which identifies a virtual processor, the request triggering an exit to a host hypervisor. The host hypervisor identifies a request including the virtual processor identifier. The host hypervisor generates a key defining an association between a virtual machine and the virtual processor identifier. The host hypervisor stores the key.