Virtual Machine–Co-Processor Passthrough for Host-Free Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualized systems, communication between a guest virtual machine (GVM) and a co-processor through the host incurs latency, power overhead, and introduces security risks due to the host's visibility and intervention in data forwarding.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism is introduced where the host allocates a hardware transport resource for direct communication between the GVM and the co-processor, establishing a communication channel without intervention from the host, using paravirtualized and link layer transports to enable secure and efficient data exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the host forwards packets between the GVM and co-processor, then communication is established, but latency and power overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the host from the data forwarding path by establishing a direct communication channel between the GVM and co-processor. The host only performs initial setup and allocation of hardware transport resources, after which data packets are transmitted directly between GVM and co-processor without host intervention, thereby eliminating the latency and power overhead associated with host forwarding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hardware transport resources as an intermediary mechanism that enables direct communication between GVM and co-processor. These hardware resources serve as a mediator that facilitates direct data transmission while maintaining the virtualized architecture, allowing the GVM to access co-processor resources directly without going through the host software stack.
2Reliability
If the host forwards packets between the GVM and co-processor, then communication is established, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the host from the data forwarding path by establishing a direct communication channel between the GVM and co-processor. The host only performs initial setup and allocation of hardware transport resources, after which data packets are transmitted directly between GVM and co-processor without host intervention, thereby eliminating the power overhead associated with host forwarding operations.
3Reliability
If the host forwards data between the GVM and co-processor, then communication is established, but security risks increase due to host visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the host from the data transmission path, establishing a direct encrypted communication channel between GVM and co-processor. By removing the host from visibility of the data stream, the security risk associated with host access is eliminated while communication reliability is maintained through the structured setup and hardware-enforced direct transmission path.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for virtual machine to co-processor passthrough. In one embodiment, a system includes a host, a guest virtual machine (GVM), and co-processor. The host operates a hypervisor, the GVM communicates with the host via a paravirtualized interface, and the co-processor communicates with the host via a link layer transport. The host allocates a hardware transport resource for the GVM and the co-processor, sends an address of the hardware transport resource and an identifier of the co-processor to the GVM via the paravirtualized interface, and sends the address of the hardware transport resource and an identifier of the GVM to the co-processor via the link layer transport. The GVM and the co-processor establish a communication channel based on the address of the hardware transport resource and received identifiers, and transmit data over the communication channel directly between the GVM and the co-processor without intervention by the host.