US 10,884,784 B2 · Systems and methods of efficiently interrupting virtual machines

Abstract

The systems and methods for enabling a lightweight VMM to efficiently interrupt virtual machines are provided. In some examples, the lightweight VMM is configured to utilize a self IPI to deliver external interrupts to the virtual machines. The self IPI may be generated by writing one or more values, including an identifier of the external interrupt, to an ICR of a programmable interrupt controller. The programmable interrupt controller may retrieve the one or more values from the ICR, identify the external interrupt and process the external interrupt, which culminates in the external interrupt being written to an IDT of a virtual machine targeted for interrupt delivery by the lightweight VMM.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computing device comprising:

a memory;
at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to
execute a lightweight virtual machine monitor (VMM),
execute a virtual machine under control of the lightweight VMM, and
generate, via execution of the lightweight VMM, a self inter-processor interrupt (IPI) comprising an identifier of an external interrupt;
and
an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC) comprised within the at least one processor and configured to
receive the self IPI,
identify the external interrupt, and
deliver the external interrupt to the virtual machine.

7 more elements

A method of delivering an external interrupt to a virtual machine using a lightweight virtual machine monitor (VMM), the method comprising:

executing, via at least one processor of a computing device, the lightweight VMM;
executing, via the at least one processor of the computing device, a virtual machine under control of the lightweight VMM;
generating, via execution of the lightweight VMM, a self inter-processor interrupt (IPI) comprising an identifier of an external interrupt;
receiving, via an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC), the self IPI;
identifying, via the APIC, the external interrupt;
and
delivering, via the APIC, the external interrupt to the virtual machine.

4 more elements

A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for delivering interrupts to a virtual machine, the process comprising:

executing, via at least one processor of a computing device, a lightweight VMM;
executing, via the at least one processor of the computing device, a virtual machine under control of the lightweight VMM;
generating, via execution of the lightweight VMM, a self inter-processor interrupt (IPI) comprising an identifier of an external interrupt;
receiving, via an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC), the self IPI;
identifying, via the APIC, the external interrupt;
and
delivering, via the APIC, the external interrupt to the virtual machine.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods of efficiently interrupting virtual machines

Life of this patent

Systems and methods of efficiently interrupting virtual machines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20