Virtual machine update while keeping devices attached to the virtual machine

A computing system running a host operating system and a virtual machine (VM), the host operating system executing one or more first virtual machine (VM) components, and the VM executing one or more second VM components that are to remain loaded in computing system physical memory during a servicing operation for the computing system, the one or more first VM components configured to manage the one or more second VM components via one or more identification pointers, the computing system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a computer readable hardware storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to perform the following:
• suspend an operation of the VM running the one or more second VM components, the VM having one or more devices that are directly attached to it;
• save a state of the one or more first VM components of the host operating system;
• save the one or more identification pointers for the one or more second VM components in a portion of the computing system physical memory without removing any underlying data structures of the one or more second VM components from the computing system physical memory, wherein the one or more directly attached devices remain configured as attached to the VM and remain configured to communicate with the VM while the VM is suspended and while the servicing operation is performed since the underlying data structures of the one or more second VM components are not removed;
• shut down the one or more first VM components by removing any underlying data structures for the one or more first VM components from the computing system physical memory;
• restore at the completion of the servicing operation the one or more first VM components;
• reconnect the restored one or more first VM components to the one or more second VM components using the identification pointers;
• and
• resume the operation of the VM.

A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, the computer-executable instructions cause the computing system to:

• run a host operating system and a virtual machine (VM), the host operating system executing one or more first virtual machine (VM) components, and the VM executing one or more second VM components that are to remain loaded in computing system physical memory during a servicing operation for the computing system, the one or more first VM components configured to manage the one or more second VM components via one or more identification pointers;
• suspend an operation of the VM running the one or more second VM components, the VM having one or more devices that are directly attached to it;
• save a state of the one or more first VM components of the host operating system;
• save an identification pointer for the one or more second VM components in a portion of the computing system physical memory without removing any underlying data structures of the one or more second VM components from the computing system physical memory, wherein the one or more directly attached devices remain configured as attached to the VM and remain configured to communicate with the VM while the VM is suspended and while the servicing operation is performed since the underlying data structures of the one or more second VM components are not removed;
• shut down the one or more first VM components by removing any underlying data structures for the one or more first VM components from the computing system physical memory;
• restore at the completion of the servicing operation the one or more first VM components;
• reconnect the restored one or more first VM components to the one or more second VM components using the identification pointers;
• and
• resume the operation of the VM.