Virtual machine update while keeping devices attached to the virtual machine

A computing system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one hardware storage device having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:
• access a first virtual machine (VM) component and a second VM component, the second VM component being associated with an identification pointer;
• and
• while the second VM component remains loaded in a memory:
• suspend the second VM component;
• save a state of the first VM component;
• save the identification pointer;
• shut down the first VM component;
• produce a restored first VM component by restoring the first VM component;
• and
• connect the restored first VM component to the second VM component using the identification pointer.

A method comprising:

• accessing a first virtual machine (VM) component and a second VM component, the second VM component being associated with an identification pointer;
• and
• while the second VM component remains loaded in a memory:
• suspending the second VM component;
• saving a state of the first VM component;
• saving the identification pointer;
• shutting down the first VM component;
• producing a restored first VM component by restoring the first VM component;
• and
• connecting the restored first VM component to the second VM component using the identification pointer.

A method comprising:

• accessing a first virtual machine (VM) component and a second VM component, the second VM component being associated with an identification pointer, wherein the second VM component includes at least one of:
• (i) a hypervisor partition and a corresponding virtual processor, (ii) a page mapping between system memory of a device implementing said method and virtual memory, or (iii) a virtual device driver;
• and
• while the second VM component remains loaded in a memory:
• suspending the second VM component;
• saving a state of the first VM component;
• saving the identification pointer;
• shutting down the first VM component;
• producing a restored first VM component by restoring the first VM component;
• and
• connecting the restored first VM component to the second VM component using the identification pointer.