Methods and systems for tracking a virtual memory of a virtual machine
AssigneeMarvell Asia Pte Ltd
InventorsMerav Sicron, Rafi Shalom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for a virtual machine environment are provided. One method includes allocating a memory for storing a dirty pages data structure for tracking writes to a virtual machine memory by an adapter coupled to a computing device and shared by a plurality of virtual machines; initiating a tracking operation by the adapter or a virtual function driver to track writes to the virtual memory; providing access to the dirty pages data structure in response to a query command, while the adapter or the virtual function driver tracks writes to the virtual machine memory; and providing a number of dirty pages within the dirty pages data structure and a pointer the dirty pages data structure by the adapter or the virtual function driver.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- selecting, by a processor, a component to track writes to a virtual memory used by a virtual machine to write data to a storage device, during migration of the virtual machine from a source device to a destination device;
- updating, by the component, a data structure at a memory for tracking writes to the virtual memory;
- providing, by the component, a first list of dirty pages indicating data written using the virtual memory;
- detecting, by the component, a last entry in the first list of dirty pages;
- providing a second list of dirty pages by the component indicating data that was written to the virtual memory after the last entry;
- receiving, by the component an instruction to stop tracking writes to the virtual memory, and in response to the instruction, providing by the component access to the data structure indicating a number of dirty pages within the data structure.
A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions comprising machine executable code, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:
- select a component to track writes to a virtual memory used by a virtual machine to write data to a storage device, during migration of the virtual machine from a source device to a destination device;
- update, by the component, a data structure at a memory for tracking writes to the virtual memory;
- provide, by the component, in response to a first query request, a first list of dirty pages indicating data written using the virtual memory;
- detect, by the component, a last entry in the first list of dirty pages;
- provide, by the component, in response to a second query request, a second list of dirty pages indicating data that was written to the virtual memory after the last entry;
- and
- provide, by the component, access to the data structure indicating a number of dirty pages within the data structure, after the component is instructed to stop tracking writes to the virtual memory.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor executing a virtual machine at a source device using a virtual memory to write data to a storage device;
- a memory for storing a data structure for tracking writes to a virtual memory used by the virtual machine to write data to a storage device;
- and
- a component executed by the processor to:
- track writes to the virtual memory using the data structure stored at the memory, during migration of the virtual machine from the source device to a destination device;
- update the data structure;
- provide, in response to a first query request, a first list of dirty pages indicating data written using the virtual memory;
- detect a last entry in the first list of dirty pages;
- provide, in response to a second query request, a second list of dirty pages that was written to the virtual memory after the last entry;
- and
- provide access to the data structure indicating a number of dirty pages within the data structure, after being instructed to stop tracking writes to the virtual memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.