Virtual Machine Hot-Upgrading via Interrupt Descriptor Inheritance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual machine hot-upgrading technologies face issues with interrupt loss and invalid interrupt injection, leading to resource wastage and inefficiency due to the reissuance of virtual interrupts during the hot-upgrading process.

Innovation Solution

The method involves creating a target virtual machine that inherits the interrupt descriptor information of the virtual machine to be upgraded by switching interrupt descriptor structures from a kernel state to a user state and causing the interrupt descriptor structure address of the target virtual machine to point to that of the original, thereby ensuring consistent interrupt handling and preventing resource wastage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If virtual interrupts are reissued during hot-upgrading to prevent interrupt loss, then interrupt reliability is improved, but system resource consumption increases and invalid interrupts are injected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterrupt reliabilityVSAvoidsystem resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a target virtual machine that copies the interrupt descriptor structure from the original virtual machine. By making the target VM's interrupt descriptor structure point to the same interrupt descriptor as the original VM, the system ensures interrupt information is preserved during hot-upgrade without needing to reissue interrupts, thus preventing both interrupt loss and invalid interrupt injection while avoiding excessive resource consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by switching the interrupt descriptor structure from kernel state to user state before the hot-upgrade process, and by pre-configuring the target virtual machine with the same interrupt descriptor address. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the hot-upgrade occurs, interrupts are already properly configured and will not be lost or duplicated, eliminating the need for post-upgrade interrupt reissuance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If virtual interrupts are reissued during hot-upgrading, then interrupt loss is prevented, but upgrading time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterrupt continuityVSAvoidupgrading time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By copying the interrupt descriptor structure address to the target virtual machine before hot-upgrade, the patent ensures interrupt information is preserved without loss. The target VM inherits the same interrupt descriptor as the original VM, eliminating the need for time-consuming interrupt reissuance operations during and after the upgrade process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent skips the traditional interrupt reissuance step by directly inheriting the interrupt descriptor structure. This allows the hot-upgrade process to proceed more quickly without the time-consuming operation of reissuing interrupts, as the interrupt information is already preserved in the inherited descriptor structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Adaptability or versatility

If interrupt descriptor structure is switched from kernel state to user state, then hot-upgrade is enabled, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehot-upgrade capabilityVSAvoidstate management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent simplifies state management by copying the interrupt descriptor structure address rather than managing complex state transitions. The target virtual machine's interrupt descriptor structure is made to point to the same address as the original VM, enabling hot-upgrade capability while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple interrupt descriptor states

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20240220235A1Virtual machine hot-upgrading method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2024.07.04 DOUYIN VISION CO LTD

AI summary

The specification provides a method that comprises: for a virtual machine to be upgraded, creating a target virtual machine; separately switching a first interrupt descriptor structure of the virtual machine to be upgraded and a second interrupt descriptor structure of the target virtual machine from a kernel state to a user state; and causing the interrupt descriptor structure address of the second interrupt descriptor structure to point to the interrupt descriptor structure address of the first interrupt descriptor structure, so that the target virtual machine inherits interrupt descriptor information of the virtual machine to be upgraded, so as to achieve the hot upgrade of the virtual machine to be upgraded. The problems of interruption loss and invalid interruption injection during the hot upgrade of the virtual machine can be effectively avoided, the waste of resources can also be reduced.