Virtualizing physical memory in a virtual machine system
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsSteven M. Bennett, Andrew V. Anderson, Gilbert Neiger, Rajesh Sankaran Madukkarumukumana, Richard Uhlig, Larry Smith, Dion Rodgers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.
Claims25
1-30. (canceled)
A processor to execute a virtual machine monitor on a host machine, the virtual machine monitor to control operation of guest software executing on a virtual machine, the processor comprising:
- execution logic to execute an instruction to transfer control of the processor from the virtual machine monitor to the guest software;
- a control register to store a pointer to a first plurality of page tables;
- and
- address translation logic to translate, using the first plurality of page tables as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, a guest virtual address to a guest physical address, and to translate, using a second plurality of page tables as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, the guest physical address to a host physical address.
A processor to execute a virtual machine monitor on a host machine, the virtual machine monitor to control operation of guest software executing on a virtual machine, the processor comprising:
- execution logic to execute an instruction to transfer control of the processor from the virtual machine monitor to the guest;
- a control register to store a pointer to a first plurality of page tables;
- and
- address translation logic to translate, using a plurality of nested page tables as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, a guest virtual address to a guest physical address and the guest physical address to a host physical address.
A method comprising:
- translating, as guest software executes on a virtual machine, a guest virtual address to a guest physical address, using a first plurality of page tables pointed to by a control register in a processor;
- and
- translating, as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, the guest physical address to a host physical address, using a second plurality of page tables.
A system comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor to execute a virtual machine monitor, the virtual machine monitor to control operation of guest software executing on a virtual machine, the processor including:
- execution logic to execute an instruction to transfer control of the processor from a virtual machine monitor to the guest software;
- a control register to store a pointer to a first plurality of page tables;
- and
- address translation logic to translate, using the first plurality of page tables as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, a guest virtual address to a guest physical address, and to translate, using a second plurality of page tables as the guest software executes on the virtual machine, the guest physical address to a host physical address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.