Address Conversion for VM iSCSI Storage Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

In environments where a storage device over an IP network is used from a virtual machine, existing technologies face challenges in achieving high-speed data transfer due to unnecessary buffer copying and require modifications to the virtual machine or infrastructure for control, which complicates storage coupling management.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that acquires and converts host physical addresses from iSCSI packets into guest physical addresses, storing them in association for direct data access, thereby reducing buffer copying and enabling high-speed access without modifying the virtual machine, allowing infrastructure to manage storage coupling efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If existing technologies are used for storage access from virtual machines, then storage coupling management is possible, but data transfer speed is reduced due to unnecessary buffer copying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer speedVSAvoidbuffer copying complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary buffer copying step from the data transfer path. By implementing direct memory access where the guest OS can access storage data directly without intermediate buffering, the solution removes a redundant operation that was slowing down data transfer while complicating the system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The information processing apparatus is designed to handle both host OS and guest OS storage access requirements through a unified address conversion mechanism. The system maintains address translation capabilities that work for both direct and virtualized access modes, making the storage subsystem universally accessible without requiring separate buffer management paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If modifications are made to virtual machine or infrastructure for control, then storage coupling management becomes possible, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage coupling managementVSAvoidvirtual machine modification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary address conversion layer that translates between host physical addresses and guest physical addresses. This mediator component enables the host infrastructure to manage storage coupling without requiring modifications to the guest virtual machine, as the address translation happens transparently in the intermediary layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the address management function into distinct components: host address management, address conversion logic, and guest address management. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently with well-defined interfaces, simplifying the overall system while enabling effective storage coupling management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If buffer copying is performed between host and guest OS, then data transfer can be managed, but access speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage access speedVSAvoidbuffer copying time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary address conversion setup during virtual machine initialization, creating a mapping between host and guest physical addresses before data transfer begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for runtime buffer copying operations, as the address translation is pre-configured and executed directly during data access operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11487466B2Information processing apparatus reading data using host physcal address and guest physical address and computer-readable recording medium recording control program reading data using host physical address and guest physical address

Publication Date: 2022.11.01 FUJITSU LTD

AI summary

An information processing apparatus coupled to a storage device via a network includes a processor configured to: acquire a host physical address over a physical storage region in which information regarding an access to the storage device from a guest OS is stored from a first packet stored in the physical storage region storing a packet obtained by encapsulating the information regarding the access; convert the acquired host physical address into a guest physical address recognized by the guest OS; create a data structure of a block device; store the guest physical address in a data address region of the data structure; specify the host physical address corresponding to the guest physical address while referring to the memory when reading from the data address region is detected; read data from the specified host physical address over the physical storage region; and transfer the read data to the guest OS.