Nested Virtual Function Hierarchy for Request Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing information handling systems face challenges in optimizing performance in virtualized environments, particularly in nested virtualization setups where efficient request and response handling across multiple virtual machines and hypervisors is complex, leading to potential bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a logical nested hierarchy of physical and virtual functions, where requests and responses are iteratively forwarded through a hierarchy of virtual functions, allowing for parent-child relationships and recursive nesting, enabling efficient communication and resource management across nested hypervisors and virtual machines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If requests are forwarded through multiple nested virtual functions in a hierarchy, then communication flexibility and resource management are improved, but request handling complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication flexibilityVSAvoidrequest handling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested hierarchy of virtual functions where parent virtual functions contain and manage child virtual functions, similar to nested dolls. Each level of virtualization can contain multiple levels of nested virtual machines and virtual functions, allowing requests to be processed through hierarchical layers. This nesting structure enables flexible resource management while organizing complexity in a structured manner.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the request handling process into discrete hierarchical levels, where each virtual function operates at a specific level and forwards requests to appropriate child or parent functions. This segmentation divides the complex nested virtualization management into manageable segments, with each virtual function handling only its designated portion of the request processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If requests are iteratively forwarded through multiple nesting levels, then resource management across nested hypervisors is improved, but processing time and response delays increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource management efficiencyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes pre-configured parent-child relationships between virtual functions before requests are processed. The hierarchical structure, mapping relationships, and forwarding paths are all set up in advance, allowing requests to be quickly routed through the predetermined hierarchy without requiring dynamic decision-making at each level during request processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Parent virtual functions act as intermediaries that manage and coordinate requests between child virtual functions and the physical function. These intermediary virtual functions buffer and regulate the flow of requests through the hierarchy, preventing direct bottlenecks and allowing for more efficient resource allocation across nested levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a logical nested hierarchy is implemented, then communication across nested virtual machines is improved, but system complexity and configuration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal virtual function interface that can operate at any level of the hierarchy, with each virtual function capable of both receiving requests from children and forwarding to parents. This multi-functionality allows the same basic virtual function design to be reused throughout the nested hierarchy, simplifying configuration while maintaining communication efficiency across different nesting levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10853113B2Hierarchically nested virtualized functions having a physical function providing processing requests and responses to each level of the hierarchy

Publication Date: 2020.12.01 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

In one or more embodiments, a device may include and/or implement a physical function and multiple virtual functions that are operable to be arranged in a logical nested hierarchy and operable to be configured to respective virtual machines in a hierarchy of nested virtual machines. For example, the physical function may be configured to receive a request, issued from a virtual function of the multiple virtual functions corresponding to a Nth level of nesting of the multiple virtual functions. Until a response to the request is received, the physical function may iteratively provide the request to a virtual function of the multiple virtual functions corresponding to a current level of nesting and if the response to the request is not received from the virtual function corresponding to the current level of nesting, utilize the current level of nesting as a level immediately below the current level of nesting.