Virtual Aperture Mapping for VM Graphics Buffering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual machine technologies experience performance degradation and increased power consumption due to frequent copying of large graphical data between domU and dom0 virtual machines, which hampers the efficiency of graphics rendering and display in virtualized environments.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves mapping virtual apertures and buffers between domU and dom0 virtual machines using a shared physical memory space, allowing graphical data to be processed and displayed without copying, by allocating physical memory space in a textual buffer associated with the dom0 virtual machine and using page tables for mapping, thereby eliminating the need for data transfer between the two machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If graphical data is frequently copied from domU virtual machine to dom0 virtual machine for display, then the display function is achieved, but system performance degrades and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the graphical data storage space of domU virtual machine with the display buffer space of dom0 virtual machine by establishing a mapping relationship between their respective buffers. This allows the domU virtual machine to directly utilize the dom0's display buffer for graphical data, eliminating the need for frequent data copying between virtual machines and thereby reducing system performance degradation and power consumption.
2Productivity
If graphical data is frequently copied from domU virtual machine to dom0 virtual machine for display, then the display function is achieved, but overall system efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for physical data copying by establishing a virtual address mapping between the domU virtual machine's buffer and the dom0 virtual machine's display buffer. The domU virtual machine can write graphical data to its buffer, and the dom0 virtual machine can directly access and display this data through the mapped buffer, effectively replacing time-consuming data copying operations with efficient memory mapping operations.
3Ease of operation
If large amount of graphical data is transferred between virtual machines, then display functionality is maintained, but system performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffer mapping mechanism as an intermediary between the domU virtual machine's graphical data storage and the dom0 virtual machine's display system. This mapping layer allows the domU virtual machine to generate and store graphical data in its own buffer while enabling the dom0 virtual machine to access and display this data without requiring actual data transfer, thus maintaining display functionality while preserving system performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device for displaying images includes one or more processors to obtain graphical data that has been generated by one or more applications associated with a first virtual machine, and to map one or more virtual apertures or one or more actual buffers associated with the first virtual machine to a textual buffer associated with a second virtual machine, and process the graphical data based on the mapping. The virtual apertures are in a virtual memory space and the actual buffers being in a physical memory space. The graphical data includes rendered composite graphical data representing a desktop and one or more application windows. The one or more processors allocate physical memory space in the textual buffer associated with the second virtual machine to support the mapping. A display device displays images using the processed graphical data.