Loading management hypervisors from a system control processor
AssigneeVMware, Inc.
InventorsAndrei Warkentin, Sunil Kotian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are various examples of loading management hypervisors from a system control processor. In some examples, a host device executes a first stage bootloader of a management hypervisor from a system control processor. The first stage bootloader loads management hypervisor data and firmware instructions into a main processor memory of a main processor, and initializes the main processor to execute the firmware instructions. The system then jumps to a second stage bootloader that configures and launches the management hypervisor using the management hypervisor data.
Claims20
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor on a host device to perform operations comprising:
- execute, by a system control processor of the host device, a first stage bootloader that is portion of a management hypervisor and executes in a user space of an execution environment of the system control processor, wherein the system control processor is different from a main processor of the host device;
- load, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, management hypervisor data and firmware instructions into a main processor memory accessible by the main processor;
- initialize, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, the main processor using instructions that cause the main processor to first execute the firmware instructions;
- and
- execute, by the main processor and based at least in part on the firmware instructions, a second stage bootloader that configures and launches the management hypervisor on the main processor using the management hypervisor data.
A system, comprising:
- a host device comprising at least one processor;
- and
- a data store comprising executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the host device to at least:
- execute, by a system control processor of the host device, a first stage bootloader that is portion of a management hypervisor and executes in a user space of an execution environment of the system control processor, wherein the system control processor is different from a main processor of the host device;
- load, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, management hypervisor data and firmware instructions into a main processor memory accessible by the main processor;
- initialize, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, the main processor using instructions that cause the main processor to first execute the firmware instructions;
- and
- execute, by the main processor and based at least in part on the firmware instructions, a second stage bootloader that configures and launches the management hypervisor on the main processor using the management hypervisor data.
A method, comprising:
- executing, by a system control processor of the host device, a first stage bootloader that is portion of a management hypervisor and executes in a user space of an execution environment of the system control processor, wherein the system control processor is different from a main processor of the host device;
- loading, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, management hypervisor data and firmware instructions into a main processor memory accessible by the main processor;
- initializing, by the first stage bootloader executing on the system control processor, the main processor using instructions that cause the main processor to first execute the firmware instructions;
- and
- executing, by the main processor and based at least in part on the firmware instructions, a second stage bootloader that configures and launches the management hypervisor on the main processor using the management hypervisor data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.