Virtual Machine Interrupt Handling via CPU and VMM Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualization technologies, active virtual machines delay responding to interrupts when inactive virtual machines are interrupted, and the virtual machine manager (VMM) also experiences delays in accepting interrupts, leading to suboptimal interrupt handling and real-time capability issues.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device configuration that allows the CPU to directly handle interrupts for active virtual machines and switches to the VMM for inactive virtual machines, using an event determination unit to manage interrupt processing based on VM information and active VM status, ensuring efficient interrupt handling and real-time capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the active virtual machine is allowed to accept interrupts, then interrupt responsiveness for active VM is improved, but inactive virtual machines cannot accept interrupts until execution switches to them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a VMM interrupt handler as an intermediary that receives interrupts for inactive VMs when the active VM cannot handle them. The handler switches to the appropriate inactive VM to process the interrupt, eliminating the need for inactive VMs to wait for scheduler-based context switches while maintaining the active VM's direct interrupt handling capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the VMM is allowed to accept interrupts, then interrupt handling for inactive VMs is improved, but the active virtual machine delays responding to interrupts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments interrupt handling into two distinct paths: (1) direct interrupt handling by the active VM when it is the target, and (2) VMM-mediated interrupt handling for inactive VMs. This segmentation allows each path to be optimized independently, preventing the VMM from becoming a bottleneck for active VM interrupts while still providing comprehensive interrupt coverage for all VMs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If interrupts are passed between VMs and VMM using message boxes and exception handlers, then interrupt routing flexibility is improved, but interrupt processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the interrupt handling logic from the general VM execution context and creates a dedicated VMM interrupt handler with specialized functionality. This extracted handler directly manages interrupt routing and VM switching for interrupt processing, separating interrupt-specific operations from general VM management and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Semiconductor device that improves an interrupt capability of a virtual machine. A semiconductor device includes a memory to store a plurality of virtual machines and a virtual machine manager to manage the virtual machines and a CPU to perform the virtual machines and the virtual machine manager. The CPU causes an active virtual machine to perform an interrupt process when information (first information) about an interrupt-processing virtual machine is equal to information (second information) about the active virtual machine. When the first information differs from the second information, the CPU causes the virtual machine manager to stop the active virtual machine and operates the interrupt-processing virtual machine to perform an interrupt process.