Virtual Machine Manager Hardware Device Segmentation for Direct Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual machine systems face incompatibility issues between hardware and software due to limited direct hardware access (DHA) capabilities, requiring separate designs for each hardware device and imposing high requirements on the operating system, leading to programming and development challenges.
Innovation Solution
A computer system architecture that includes a virtual machine managing module with first-type, second-type, and third-type device configuration modules, allowing direct configuration of devices for the host and guest operating systems, with the first-type device dedicated to the host, second-type device dedicated to the guest, and third-type device virtualized for both, using BIOS modifications to provide actual memory and interrupt resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hardware devices are directly accessed by Guest OS in DHA mode, then access capability to hardware devices is enhanced, but incompatibility problems occur between hardware devices and multiple operating systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments hardware devices into three types: first-type devices dedicated to host OS, second-type devices dedicated to guest OS, and third-type devices virtualized for both. This segmentation allows direct access for dedicated devices while maintaining compatibility through virtualization for shared devices, resolving the contradiction between enhanced access capability and broad operating system compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual machine manager acts as an intermediary that manages hardware device allocation and configuration. It provides direct access pathways for dedicated devices while maintaining virtualization abstraction for shared devices, enabling both high-performance direct access and broad compatibility through a single mediation layer.
2Productivity
If separate design is required for each hardware device to provide DHA to Guest OS, then direct access capability is achieved, but programming and development requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual machine manager implements a universal device configuration mechanism that handles all hardware devices through a unified interface and standardized process. Instead of requiring separate designs for each device, the system provides a multi-functional framework that manages first-type, second-type, and third-type devices through common procedures, significantly reducing programming and development complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the approach from device-specific design parameters to unified configuration parameters managed by the virtual machine manager. By standardizing device allocation, configuration, and access control through consistent parameters and interfaces, the complexity of programming and development is reduced while maintaining direct hardware access capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If only certain PCI devices are considered for DHA in existing designs, then implementation is simplified, but comprehensive hardware access capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual machine manager implements a universal configuration mechanism that can handle any hardware device type through standardized procedures. The system categorizes devices into three types but manages them all through a unified framework, enabling comprehensive hardware access capability while maintaining implementation simplicity through the universal management approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its configuration approach based on device type and usage requirements. The virtual machine manager can flexibly allocate devices as first-type, second-type, or third-type based on actual needs, allowing the system to maintain simplicity for common cases while providing comprehensive capability for diverse hardware scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer and method for directly accessing computer hardware by a virtual system are provided. The computer comprises a hardware platform having a first-type device, a second-type device and a third-type device provided thereon; a virtual machine managing module; a first operating module; a second operating module; wherein the virtual machine managing module comprises a first-type device configuration module for directly configuring the first type device to be used by the main operating system; a second-type device configuration module for directly configuring the second-type device to be used by the guest operating system; and a third-type device configuration module for virtualizing the third-type device on the hardware platform to generate a virtualized third-type device and configuring the virtualized third-type device to be used by the main operating system and the guest operating system, respectively. The present invention considers the distribution and use of the devices as a whole in combination with the use of BIOS in the main board. Therefore, the incompatibility problem between hardware and software of the virtual system can be solved.