Technologies for zero-copy inter-virtual-machine data movement

One or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause a computing device to:

• store, by a first virtual machine executed by the computing device, data into a first memory block wherein the first virtual machine has read-write access to the first memory block;
• enable access by the first virtual machine to a protected code of the computing device in response to storing the data into the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• execute the protected code in a context of the first virtual machine in response to enabling access to the protected code;
• set a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the protected code, wherein setting the permission disallows write access and execute access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block;
• notify, by the protected code, a second virtual machine executed by the computing device that the data is available in response to setting the permission;
• read, by the second virtual machine, the data from the first memory block in response to notifying the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine has read-only access to the first memory block;
• enable access by the second virtual machine to a second protected code of the computing device in response to reading the data from the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• execute the second protected code in a context of the second virtual machine in response to enabling access to the second protected code;
• and
• clear a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the second protected code, wherein clearing the permission allows write access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block.

A computing device for inter-virtual-machine communication, the computing device comprising:

• means for storing, by a first virtual machine executed by the computing device, data into a first memory block wherein the first virtual machine has read-write access to the first memory block;
• means for enabling access by the first virtual machine to a protected code of the computing device in response to storing the data into the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• means for executing the protected code in a context of the first virtual machine in response to enabling access to the protected code;
• means for setting a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the protected code, wherein setting the permission disallows write access and execute access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block;
• means for notifying, by the protected code, a second virtual machine executed by the computing device that the data is available in response to setting the permission;
• means for reading, by the second virtual machine, the data from the first memory block in response to notifying the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine has read-only access to the first memory block;
• means for enabling access by the second virtual machine to a second protected code of the computing device in response to reading the data from the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• means for executing the second protected code in a context of the second virtual machine in response to enabling access to the second protected code;
• and
• means for clearing a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the second protected code, wherein clearing the permission allows write access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block.

A method for inter-virtual-machine communication, the method comprising:

• storing, by a first virtual machine executed by a computing device, data into a first memory block wherein the first virtual machine has read-write access to the first memory block;
• enabling, by the computing device, access by the first virtual machine to a protected code of the computing device in response to storing the data into the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• executing, by the computing device, the protected code in a context of the first virtual machine in response to enabling access to the protected code;
• setting, by the computing device, a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the protected code, wherein setting the permission disallows write access and execute access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block;
• notifying, by the protected code, a second virtual machine executed by the computing device that the data is available in response to setting the permission;
• reading, by the second virtual machine, the data from the first memory block in response to notifying the second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine has read-only access to the first memory block;
• enabling access by the second virtual machine to a second protected code of the computing device in response to reading the data from the first memory block, without generating a virtual machine exit event;
• executing the second protected code in a context of the second virtual machine in response to enabling access to the second protected code;
• and
• clearing a permission of an extended page table associated with the first memory block in response to executing the second protected code, wherein clearing the permission allows write access by the first virtual machine to the first memory block.