Virtual Machine Power Management State Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual environments, power management of devices assigned to virtual machines is challenging due to the inability to save and restore device state information effectively, leading to unknown device states and potential system failures when power is removed and restored.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a notification module, a task module, and a power down module that communicates with the virtual machine and host machine to ensure that power is removed from a device only after the virtual machine has saved its state information, and then restores it when power is resumed, thereby maintaining consistent device states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If power is removed from a device assigned to a virtual machine, then power consumption is reduced, but device state information is lost leading to system failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by saving the virtual machine's device state information to persistent storage before removing power from the device. This ensures that when power is restored, the device can resume operation without failure by restoring from the saved state, thus maintaining reliability while enabling power removal for energy conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (state information saving and restoration system) between the device and power removal. This intermediary captures and preserves the device's operational state, allowing safe power removal and reliable restoration, thus resolving the contradiction between power consumption reduction and system reliability.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If power is removed from the device, then energy savings are achieved, but device state becomes unknown causing potential system failures
Solution Approach 1:
Before removing power from the device, the system performs the preliminary action of capturing and saving the device state information to persistent storage. This preliminary preservation of information enables subsequent power removal without loss of critical device state, achieving energy savings while preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the device state information and stores it in persistent storage before power removal. This copying mechanism ensures that the original device state is preserved even when power is removed, allowing the device to be restored to its previous state without actual loss of information.
3Reliability
If the host machine suspends the virtual machine before removing device power, then state information can be saved, but the process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the virtual machine suspension process with the device power removal process into a coordinated sequence. By combining these operations and managing them through a unified control mechanism, the system achieves reliable state information preservation while avoiding the complexity of entirely separate processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the host machine monitors the virtual machine's state and coordinates power removal based on confirmed state saving. This feedback loop ensures reliability by verifying that state information is preserved before power removal, while the automated feedback handling prevents complexity from manual coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of removing power from a device assigned to a virtual machine running on a host machine includes receiving a request, by a notification module, from the virtual machine to remove power from the device, and receiving, by the notification module, an indication from the virtual machine that a condition has been satisfied; managing an execution priority for requests, by a task module, where the task module schedules the request to be executed after the notification module receives the indication that the condition has been satisfied; and in response to execution of the request, by a power down module, sending a communication to the host machine to cause the host machine to remove power from the device.