Virtual NIC Sharing via Service OS Bridge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Computing systems running multiple virtual machines often require multiple network interface cards (NICs) to facilitate communication, which can be uneconomical and impractical due to lack of PCI slots, high costs, or space constraints.

Innovation Solution

A system and method where one physical NIC is shared among multiple virtual machines, with a Service OS controlling access and virtualizing the NIC for Consumer OSs by using a Secure Enclave session and shared memory for packet processing, eliminating the need for additional physical NICs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple physical NICs are installed to support multiple OSs in virtual machines, then network communication capability is improved, but system cost and hardware complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork communication capabilityVSAvoidhardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple virtual machine network interfaces are merged and mapped to a single physical NIC through the Virtualization I/O Bridge. The bridge consolidates multiple virtual interfaces (vNICs) from different VMs and routes them through one physical network interface, eliminating the need for multiple physical NICs while maintaining full network communication capability for each VM.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The Virtualization I/O Bridge acts as an intermediary component between virtual machine network interfaces and the physical NIC. This bridge receives network packets from multiple VMs, translates and routes them appropriately, and forwards them through the single physical NIC, thereby decoupling the virtual network architecture from physical hardware requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple physical NICs are installed to support multiple OSs in virtual machines, then network communication capability is improved, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork communication capabilityVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A single physical NIC is made universal by enabling it to serve multiple virtual machines simultaneously. The Virtualization I/O Bridge allows one physical NIC to perform the functions of multiple NICs by dynamically routing network traffic from different VMs through the same physical interface, thereby reducing hardware quantity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Virtual network interfaces are created as software copies of physical NIC functionality. Each VM receives a virtual NIC that replicates the capabilities of a physical NIC, but these virtual copies are consolidated and mapped to share a single physical hardware resource, reducing the need for additional physical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple physical NICs are installed to support multiple OSs in virtual machines, then network communication capability is improved, but available PCI slots and space are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork communication capabilityVSAvoidspace requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple virtual network interfaces are merged and mapped to a single physical NIC through the Virtualization I/O Bridge. The bridge consolidates multiple virtual interfaces (vNICs) from different VMs and routes them through one physical network interface, eliminating the need for multiple physical NICs while maintaining full network communication capability for each VM.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8739177B2Method for network interface sharing among multiple virtual machines

Publication Date: 2014.05.27 INTEL CORP

AI summary

In a computing system, sharing a physical NIC device among multiple virtual machines may be implemented by a customer virtual machine by receiving, by a virtual network interface card (NIC) driver of a customer operating system (OS) running in the customer virtual machine on a computing system, a customer OS request packet for transmission by a physical NIC driver over a network coupled to the computing system, and copying at least a portion of the customer OS request packet into a free block of shared memory of the computing system and appending the block to a transmission queue in the shared memory. Next, a service virtual machine may support the implementation by fetching the block from the transmission queue by a virtual NIC driver of a service OS running in a service virtual machine and packaging the portion into a service OS request packet, passing the service OS request packet to a service OS network stack component of the service OS, routing the service OS request packet, by a bridge driver of the service OS network stack component, to the physical NIC driver, and sending the service OS request packet over the network by the physical NIC driver.