Virtualized Systems With Hardware Interface Devices for Direct I/O
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtualization techniques face software compatibility issues and portability degradation when sharing hardware devices among multiple operating systems, particularly in hardware input/output operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtualized system that uses hardware interface devices to facilitate direct communication between guest operating systems and hardware input/output devices, ensuring compatibility and maintaining performance by bypassing complex software layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current virtualization techniques are used to share hardware devices among multiple operating systems, then multiple operating systems can run on one physical device, but software compatibility issues and portability degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hardware interface device as an intermediary layer between the guest operating system and the hardware input/output device. This hardware interface device includes a virtualization layer that manages hardware resource allocation and a guest operating system layer that provides standardized interfaces. The intermediary hardware interface device abstracts hardware-specific details from the guest operating system, ensuring software compatibility while enabling multiple operating systems to run on one physical device without degradation in portability or reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software layers are added for virtualization, then multiple operating systems can access hardware devices, but performance degradation occurs in hardware input/output operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtualization system into distinct functional layers: a hardware interface device layer that handles physical hardware communication, a virtualization layer that manages resource allocation, and a guest operating system layer that provides standardized interfaces. By segmenting the system this way, hardware input/output operations can be handled directly at the hardware interface device layer without passing through complex software virtualization layers, thereby maintaining high performance while still enabling multiple operating systems to access hardware devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex software layers are used for hardware abstraction, then hardware compatibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex software-based hardware abstraction layers with a hardware interface device that incorporates the virtualization functionality directly in hardware. The hardware interface device includes dedicated circuits for managing hardware resource allocation and interfacing with guest operating systems, eliminating the need for complex software layers. This substitution maintains hardware compatibility through standardized interfaces while significantly reducing system complexity and improving execution efficiency.
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AI summary
A virtualized system includes a processor (100), a host operating system (200), at least one guest operating system (300), a hypervisor (400), at least one hardware input/output (I/O) device (500) and at least one hardware interface device (600). The processor (100) provides a function for a virtualization environment. The host operating system (200) runs on the virtualization environment. The at least one guest operating system (300) runs on at least one virtual machine of the virtualization environment. The hypervisor (400) implements the virtualization environment using the function of the processor (100), and generates and controls the at least one virtual machine of the virtualization environment. The at least one hardware input/output device (500) is controlled by the host operating system (200) and the at least one guest operating system (300). The at least one hardware interface (600) device supports a communication between the at least one guest operating system (300) and the at least one hardware input/output device (500).