Adaptive clock scaling to optimize time-based operations within virtualized guest operating systems

A method for managing how a passage of time is observed by a software execution environment, comprising:

• one or more hardware components of a computer system maintaining a set of physical time sources which measure logical time for said computer system and do not measure wall-clock time;
• a first hypervisor, executing on the computer system, instantiating a second hypervisor as a guest;
• and
• after the first hypervisor presents a first set of virtual time sources to the second hypervisor, the second hypervisor computing a second set of virtual time sources based on said first set of virtual time sources, wherein said second set of virtual time sources are observed by processes executing in an operational environment in which said second hypervisor executes, wherein said second set of virtual time sources operate independently of both said first set of virtual time sources and said set of physical time sources, and wherein said set of virtual time sources measure logical time for said computer system at a different rate than said set of physical time sources.

An apparatus for managing how a passage of time is observed by a software execution environment, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed, cause:
• one or more hardware components of a computer system maintaining a set of physical time sources which measure logical time for said computer system and do not measure wall-clock time;
• a first hypervisor, executing on the computer system, instantiating a second hypervisor as a guest;
• and
• after the first hypervisor presents a first set of virtual time sources to the second hypervisor, the second hypervisor computing a second set of virtual time sources based on said first set of virtual time sources, wherein said second set of virtual time sources are observed by processes executing in an operational environment in which said second hypervisor executes, wherein said second set of virtual time sources operate independently of both said first set of virtual time sources and said set of physical time sources, and wherein said set of virtual time sources measure logical time for said computer system at a different rate than said set of physical time sources.