System and method for monolithic scheduling in a portable computing device using a hypervisor

A computer system for monolithic workload scheduling in a portable computing device (“PCD”) having a hypervisor, the system comprising:

• a system-on-chip (SoC) having a processor and memory, the processor and memory configured to execute:
• application software, a graphics imaging library, and a run-time integrity checker module having a first exception level (EL0) corresponding to a user-mode of operation;
• a primary virtual machine comprising a monolithic scheduler that is accessible by a secure virtual machine and a guest virtual machine, wherein the primary virtual machine, secure virtual machine, and guest virtual machine have a second exception level (EL1) corresponding to a kernal mode of operation;
• and
• a hypervisor comprising an interrupt manager, a memory management unit, and an application core manager, wherein the interrupt manager, memory management unit, and AC manager have a third exception level (EL2) corresponding to a hypervisor mode of operation, the hypervisor configured to record a virtual machine usage state and provide that state to the monolithic scheduler of the primary virtual, the hypervisor configured to periodically schedules secure task for verifying software image signatures to the secure virtual machine, monitor a secure timer relating to the secure task, and based on the secure timer, determine the presence or absence of malware by determining whether a software image signature matches an approved signature.

A computer system for monolithic workload scheduling in a portable computing device (“PCD”) having a hypervisor, the system comprising:

• means for instantiating a primary virtual machine at a first exception level, wherein the primary virtual machine (VM) comprises a monolithic scheduler configured to allocate workloads within and between one or more guest virtual machines in response to one or more interrupts;
• means for instantiating a secure virtual machine at the first exception level;
• means for instantiating one or more guest virtual machines at the first exception level;
• means for receiving an interrupt at a hypervisor associated with a second exception level;
• means for forwarding the interrupt to the monolithic scheduler along with hardware usage state data and guest virtual machine usage state data;
• means for generating one or more context switches with the monolithic scheduler, wherein the one or more context switches comprise at least one intra-VM context switch and at least one inter-VM context switch;
• means for periodically scheduling a secure task for verifying software image signatures to the secure virtual machine;
• means for monitoring a secure timer relating to the secure task;
• and
• means for determining, based on the secure timer, the presence or absence of malware by determining whether a software image signature matches an approved signature.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable device having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for monolithic workload scheduling in a portable computing device (“PCD”) having a hypervisor, said method comprising:

• instantiating a primary virtual machine at a first exception level, wherein the primary virtual machine comprises a monolithic scheduler configured to allocate workloads within and between one or more guest virtual machines in response to one or more interrupts;
• instantiating a secure virtual machine at the first exception level;
• instantiating one or more guest virtual machines at the first exception level;
• receiving an interrupt at a hypervisor associated with a second exception level;
• forwarding the interrupt to the monolithic scheduler along with hardware usage state data and guest virtual machine usage state data;
• generating one or more context switches with the monolithic scheduler, wherein the one or more context switches comprise at least one intra-VM context switch and at least one inter-VM context switch;
• periodically scheduling a secure task for verifying software image signatures to the secure virtual machine;
• monitoring a secure timer relating to the secure task;
• and
• based on the secure timer, determining the presence or absence of malware by determining whether a software image signature matches an approved signature.