Accessing host services for virtual guest operating systems

A computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to receive a function code and additional data from an application of a guest operating system, wherein the function code corresponds to a non-functional service request on a host operating system, and wherein the non-functional service request is a request for a service that the guest operating system does not have access to;
• program instructions to create a parameter control block using the function code and the additional data in memory of the guest operating system, wherein the parameter control block is accessible by the hypervisor;
• program instructions to issue a hardware instruction by the guest operating system, wherein a hypervisor of a host operating system receives control, and wherein the hardware instruction is associated with the parameter control block located in memory that is accessible by the hypervisor;
• program instructions to receive a notification from the hypervisor that the execution of the non-functional service request is complete;
• and
• program instructions to analyze a returned result located in the parameter control block in memory of the guest operating system to determine a next processing step.

A computer system comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• one or more computer readable storage media;
• program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to receive a function code and additional data from an application of a guest operating system, wherein the function code corresponds to non-functional service request on a host operating system, and wherein the non-functional service request is a request for a service that the guest operating system does not have access to;
• program instructions to create a parameter control block using the function code and the additional data in memory of the guest operating system, wherein the parameter control block is accessible by the hypervisor;
• program instructions to issue a hardware instruction by the guest operating system, wherein a hypervisor of a host operating system receives control, and wherein the hardware instruction is associated with the parameter control block located in memory that is accessible accessed by the hypervisor;
• program instructions to receive a notification from the hypervisor that the execution of the non-functional service request is complete;
• and
• program instructions to analyze a returned result located in the parameter control block in memory of the guest operating system to determine a next processing step.