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 computing system comprising:

• one or more devices including at least one processor, at least one of the one or more devices is directly assigned to the VM;
• one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:
• execute one or more first VM components and one or more second VM components, the one or more first VM components configured to manage the one or more second VM components via one or more identification pointers;
• while the one or more second VM components remain loaded in a system memory and the at least one device remains configured as attached to the VM and remains configured to communicate with the one or more second VM components:
• suspend the one or more second VM components;
• 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 system memory;
• 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 system memory;
• produce one or more restored first VM components by restoring 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 saved identification pointers;
• and
• resume operation of the one or more suspended second VM components.

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 one or more second VM components, the one or more first VM components configured to manage the one or more second VM components via one or more identification pointers, and one or more devices of the computing system being assigned to the VM;
• while the one or more second VM components remain loaded in a system memory of the computing system, and at least one device remains configured as attached to the VM and remains configured to communicate with the one or more second VM components,
• suspend an operation of the one or more second VM components;
• save a state of the one or more first VM components;
• save an identification pointer for the one or more second VM components in a portion of the system memory of the computing system;
• shut down the one or more first VM components;
• produce one or more restored first VM components by restoring 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 one or more second VM components.