Shell Logic Reconfiguration for Active Virtual Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cloud computing environments, providing specialized hardware to clients while maintaining efficient resource allocation and addressing performance, security, and stability concerns is challenging, especially when allowing clients to define and use proprietary hardware.
Innovation Solution
A configurable computing system with a client configurable circuit and shell logic, where the shell logic includes a static and reconfigurable shell, allowing the client virtual machine to remain active during reconfiguration by handling requests and isolating the reconfigurable shell, ensuring security and efficient resource management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shell logic is reconfigured to provide specialized hardware functionality, then adaptability and client-specific performance are improved, but system stability and security may deteriorate during the reconfiguration process
Solution Approach 1:
The shell logic is divided into two distinct parts: a static shell that remains unchanged and provides stable, secure foundational functions, and a reconfigurable shell that can be dynamically modified to provide specialized hardware functionality. This segmentation allows the system to maintain stability through the static shell while achieving adaptability through the reconfigurable shell, eliminating the trade-off between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The static shell is pre-configured with essential security and stability functions before the reconfiguration process begins. By having these critical functions already in place and immutable, the system ensures that even during reconfiguration of the reconfigurable shell, the foundational stability and security requirements are maintained, preventing system failures or security breaches.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the virtual machine is suspended during shell logic reconfiguration to ensure security, then security is improved, but productivity and service continuity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shell logic into static and reconfigurable components, the patent enables the virtual machine to remain active during reconfiguration. The static shell continues to enforce security policies and protect the system, while the reconfigurable shell is updated without requiring VM suspension. This resolves the contradiction by allowing security protection to continue uninterrupted while maintaining service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The static shell acts as an intermediary that mediates between the reconfigurable shell and the virtual machine. During reconfiguration, the static shell maintains security controls and manages the transition, allowing the virtual machine to continue operating while the reconfigurable shell is updated. This intermediary role ensures both security protection and service continuity are maintained simultaneously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary hardware is provided to meet client-specific requirements, then adaptability and performance are improved, but device complexity and resource management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shell logic structure provides a universal framework that can accommodate multiple different client-specific hardware configurations. The static shell provides universal security and management functions, while the reconfigurable shell can be configured to support various proprietary hardware requirements. This multi-functionality approach allows a single system to serve multiple clients with different hardware needs without increasing overall system complexity, as the same shell structure adapts to different requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are techniques for configuring a shell logic in a configurable computing system while a client virtual machine (VM) using the shell logic is active. In certain embodiments, a configurable device includes a client configurable circuit associated with a client virtual machine, and a shell logic configured to isolate the client configurable circuit. The shell logic includes a reconfigurable shell, an isolation logic, and a packet processing logic. The isolation logic is configured to disable communication between the reconfigurable shell and the client virtual machine when the reconfigurable shell is being reconfigured. The packet processing logic is configured to service transactions between the client virtual machine and the configurable device after the communication between the reconfigurable shell and the client virtual machine is disabled. In some embodiments, the shell logic also includes a mailbox configured to enable communication between the client virtual machine and a management virtual machine.