# US 10,481,924 B2 · Dynamically managing a serial port interface connected to a direct console user interface (DCUI) of virtualization software using headless flags > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,924 B2 - Document ID: US10481924B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/633,536 - Filed: 2017-06-26 - Published: 2017-10-12 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-15 - Assignees: VMware, Inc. - Applicants: VMware, Inc. - Inventors: Nagib Gulam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481924B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/44521: {Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading} - G06F 9/4411: {Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers} - G06F 9/45533: {Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors} - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - G06F 9/543: {User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 2009/45575: {Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances} - G06F 2009/45579: {I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract One or more examples provide techniques to dynamically manage serial port interface(s) of virtualization software executing in a host device. In an example, a method of managing a serial port interface of virtualization software executing on a host device includes initializing a serial port interface of the host device and examining a headless flag to determine if the host device is headless. If the headless flag is set, the method includes setting one or more serial port options to a default value, where a first serial port option connects a direct console user interface (DCUI) service to the serial port interface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing a serial port interface of virtualization software executing on a host device, comprising: initializing a serial port interface of the host device; examining a headless flag to determine if the host device is headless, wherein a headless device is a device that does not support direct connection to a physical human interface device; and if the headless flag is set, setting one or more serial port options to a default value, wherein a first serial port option connects a direct console user interface (DCUI) service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein examining the headless flag comprises reading headless flag data from a descriptor table. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connecting a logging service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connecting a service to the serial port interface based on boot options that are parametric input to a boot sequence. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the serial port interface for input characters; parsing the input characters to detect a character sequence; and connecting the serial port interface to a first service executing in the virtualization software in response to the character sequence during the execution of the virtualization software on the host device and not during a boot sequence of the host device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: connecting the serial port interface to a second service executing in the virtualization software in response to execution of a configuration application by the virtualization software. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving a request to connect the serial port interface to a second service executing in the virtualization software; and refusing the request in response to another serial port interface being connected to the second service. ### Claim 8 A computing device executing virtualization software, the computing device comprising: a hardware serial port; a memory having a program for managing a serial port interface of the virtualization software to the hardware serial port; and a processor configured to execute the program to: initialize a serial port interface of a host device; examine a headless flag to determine if the host device is headless, wherein a headless device is a device that does not support direct connection to a physical human interface device; and if the headless flag is set, set one or more serial port options to a default value, wherein a first serial port option connects a direct console user interface (DCUI) service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein examining the headless flag comprises reading headless flag data from a descriptor table. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connect a logging service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connect a service to the serial port interface based on boot options that are parametric input to a boot sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program to: monitor the serial port interface for input characters; parse the input characters to detect a character sequence; and connect the serial port interface to a first service executing in the virtualization software in response to the character sequence during the execution of the virtualization software on the host device and not during a boot sequence of the host device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to connect the serial port interface to a second service executing in the virtualization software in response to execution of a configuration application by the virtualization software. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive a request to connect the serial port interface to a second service executing in the virtualization software; and refuse the request in response to another serial port interface being connected to the second service. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed in a computer system, causes the computer system to carry out a method of managing a serial port interface of virtualization software executing on a host device, the method comprising: initializing a serial port interface of the host device; examining a headless flag to determine if the host device is headless, wherein a headless device is a device that does not support direct connection to a physical human interface device; and if the headless flag is set, setting one or more serial port options to a default value, wherein a first serial port option connects a direct console user interface (DCUI) service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein examining the headless flag comprises reading headless flag data from a descriptor table. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connecting a logging service to the serial port interface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein if the headless flag is not set, connecting a service to the serial port interface based on boot options that are parametric input to a boot sequence. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising: monitoring the serial port interface for input characters; parsing the input characters to detect a character sequence; and connecting the serial port interface to a first service executing in the virtualization software in response to the character sequence during the execution of the virtualization software on the host device and not during a boot sequence of the host device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising: connecting the serial port interface to a second service executing in the virtualization software in response to execution of a configuration application by the virtualization software.