Virtualization Control Unit Parallel Boot-Up for System Boards

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional virtualization systems require a significant amount of time to boot up due to the concentration of management data for hypervisors in a single area, leading to prolonged initialization processes across multiple system boards.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus with a virtualization control unit that distributes management information and resource information across multiple system boards, allowing each CPU to execute initialization processes in parallel, thereby reducing the overall boot-up time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If management data is concentrated in a single area (SB#0), then system control is simplified, but boot-up time increases due to sequential initialization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem control complexityVSAvoidboot-up time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides management data into two categories: global management data (stored in SB#0) and local management data (stored in each SB's memory). This segmentation allows each SB to independently access its local data during initialization, enabling parallel boot-up processes while maintaining centralized control for system-wide management through the hypervisor in SB#0.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If all system boards share common management data from SB#0, then data consistency is maintained, but initialization must be sequential

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidinitialization speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by providing each system board with its own local management data in addition to accessing global management data from SB#0. This allows each SB to have customized local information (such as SB-specific configuration and resource allocation) while maintaining access to common system-wide data, enabling parallel initialization without compromising data consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If SB#0 executes initialization for all system boards, then centralized control is maintained, but boot-up time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized controlVSAvoidboot-up time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing local management data in each system board's memory before the initialization process begins. This allows each SB to immediately access its required data without waiting for SB#0 to provide it during initialization, thereby maintaining centralized control architecture while significantly reducing boot-up time through parallel processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2645245B1Information processing apparatus, apparatus mangement method, and apparatus management program
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 FUJITSU LTD
  • EP2645245B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2645245B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2645245B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An information processing apparatus (10, 20) that mounts a first and second system boards (SB#0, SB#1) includes a virtualization control unit (13, 21) that controls a virtual machine for virtualizing hardware resources. The SB#0 includes a memory (14c, 22) that stores a command line (14d, 22a), resource information (14f, 22d), and management information (14e, 22c). The SB#1 includes a memory (15c, 32) that stores a command line (15d, 32a) and resource information (15e, 32b). The command line is executed by the virtualization control unit (13, 21). The resource information (14f, 15e, 22d, 32d) is data used by each system board (SB#0, SB#1) from among data used when the virtualization control unit (13, 21) operates. The management information (14e, 22c) is data commonly shared by each system board (SB#0, SB#1) and used by the virtualization control unit (13, 21). A command line (14d, 15d, 22a, 32a) and resource information (14f, 15e, 22d, 32d) are used when the virtualization control unit (13, 21) operates and information on the hardware resources (14f, 15e, 22d, 32d) included in the corresponding SB (SB#0, SB#1). Each SB (SB#0, SB#1) executes the command line (14d, 15d, 22a, 32a) and refers to the information stored in the memory (14c, 15c, 22, 32) in SBs (SB#0, SB#1).