On-the-fly Virtualization Layer for Hardware Emulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hardware maintenance and system migration are challenging due to defective hardware, which disrupts system operation and requires complex logistics and management.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an on-the-fly virtualization layer between the operating system and hardware elements to enable hardware emulation and deactivation, allowing for seamless masking of hardware failures and management without rebooting the system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a virtualization layer is inserted to mask hardware failures and enable seamless maintenance, then system availability and ease of maintenance are improved, but system complexity and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A virtualization layer is inserted between the operating system and hardware devices to act as an intermediary. This layer provides hardware abstraction, allowing the system to mask hardware failures and enable seamless maintenance while maintaining system availability. The virtualization layer translates hardware-specific operations into standardized virtual device operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is segmented into distinct layers: the hardware layer, the virtualization layer, and the operating system layer. This segmentation allows independent management of each layer, enabling hardware maintenance without affecting the operating system and improving overall system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of repair

If hardware emulation is performed through virtualization to simplify maintenance, then ease of repair is improved, but processing overhead and system performance may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of maintenanceVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtualization layer pre-configures virtual device mappings and emulation rules before hardware failures occur. This preliminary setup enables rapid hardware replacement and maintenance without requiring complex reconfiguration during repair operations, improving ease of repair while minimizing performance impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If on-the-fly virtualization is implemented to enable hardware deactivation without rebooting, then productivity is improved, but system stability and reliability may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveuptimeVSAvoidsystem stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The virtualization layer implements dynamic hardware abstraction, allowing hardware devices to be activated, deactivated, or emulated in real-time without system reboot. This dynamic capability enables continuous operation and improved productivity while maintaining system stability through controlled virtualization operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9250942B2Hardware emulation using on-the-fly virtualization

Publication Date: 2016.02.02 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

At least one anomaly associated with at least one actual hardware element in a computer system having a plurality of hardware elements is addressed. The anomaly is detected, and, responsive to the detection, a virtualization layer is inserted between (i) an operating system of the computer system, and (ii) the plurality of hardware elements. Hardware emulation and/or selective hardware activation/deactivation are performed on the at least one actual hardware element by the virtualization layer. The insertion of the virtualization layer is accomplished in an on-the-fly manner.