Logically partitioned processing system having hypervisor for creating a new translation table in response to OS request to directly access the non-assignable resource

A method for protecting the integrity of a logically partitioned data processing system, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a hypervisor, a request from an operating system to perform an operation;
• said data processing system including said hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of assignable resources wherein each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions, and at least one non-assignable resource;
• providing, by the hypervisor, a set of services, to each of the plurality of logical partitions, that perform modifications to the non-assignable resource without allowing the operating system to directly access the non-assignable resource;
• responsive to a determination that the request would not result in direct access by the operating system to said non-assignable resource, performing the operation;
• and
• wherein the request is a request to map a partition resource to a memory address and performing the operation comprises creating a translation table entry to map the memory address to an entry in a page frame table, wherein the entry in the page frame table corresponds to the partition resource.

A method executing within a logically partitioned data processing system, the method comprising:

• said data processing system including a hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, and a non-assignable system resource;
• receiving a request from an operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource to modify said system resource to enable said non-assignable system resource to perform a particular task;
• determining whether direct access by said operating system to said non-assignable system resource is permitted;
• responsive to a determination that the non-assignable system resource is one for which direct access is denied to the operating system, requesting a service from said hypervisor to perform said particular task, wherein said particular task is performed without permitting said operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource;
• and
• a service for creating a new translation table for mapping a change in logical address to a physical address without modifying an existing translation table.

A computer program product in computer readable media for use in a data processing system for protecting the integrity of a logically partitioned data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

• instructions for receiving, at a hypervisor, a request from an operating system to perform an operation;
• said data processing system including said hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of assignable resources wherein each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions, and at least one non-assignable resource;
• instructions for providing, by the hypervisor, a set of services to each of the plurality of logical partitions that perform modifications to the non-assignable resource, in response to an operating system request to access said non-assignable resource, without allowing the operating system to directly access the non-assignable resource;
• and
• instructions, responsive to a determination that the request would not result in direct access by the operating system to said non-assignable resource, for performing the operation;
• and
• wherein the request is a request to map a partition resource to a memory address and performing the operation comprises creating a translation table entry to map the memory address to an entry ina page frame table, wherein the entry in the page frame table corresponds to the partition resource.

A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a logically partitioned data processing system for providing modification of system resources by an operating system executing within the logically partitioned data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

• said data processing system including a hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, and a non-assignable system resource;
• instructions for receiving a request from an operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource to modify said non-assignable system resource to enable said non-assignable system resource to perform a particular task;
• instructions for determining whether direct access by said operating system to said non-assignable system resource is permitted;
• instructions, responsive to a determination that the non-assignable system resource is one for which direct access is denied to the operating system, for requesting a service from said hypervisor to perform said particular task, wherein said particular task is performed without permitting said operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource;
• and
• wherein a set of services comprise a service for creating a new translation table for mapping a change in a logical address to a physical address without modifying an existing translation table.

A system for protecting the integrity of a logically partitioned data processing system, the system comprising:

• means for receiving, at a hypervisor, a request from an operating system to perform an operation;
• said data processing system including said hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of assignable resources wherein each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions, and at least one non-assignable resource;
• said hypervisor for providing a set of services to each of the plurality of logical partitions that perform modifications to the non-assignable resource, in response to an operating system request to access said non-assignable resource, without allowing the operating system to directly access the non-assignable resource;
• means, responsive to a determination that the request would not result in direct access by the operating system to said non-assignable resource, for performing the operation;
• and
• wherein the request is a request to map a partition resource to a memory address and performing the operation comprises creating a translation table entry to map the memory address to an entry in a page frame table, wherein the entry in the page frame table corresponds to the partition resource.

A system for providing for modification of system resources by an operating system within a logically partitioned data processing system, the system comprising:

• means for determining that a system resource needs to be modified;
• said data processing system including a hypervisor and a platform that includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems each assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, and a non-assignable system resource;
• means for receiving a request from an operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource to modify said system resource to enable said non-assignable system resource to perform a particular task;
• means for determining whether direct access by said operating system to said non-assignable system resource is permitted;
• means, responsive to a determination that the non-assignable system resource is one for which direct access is denied to the operating system, for requesting a service from said hypervisor to perform said particular task, wherein said particular task is performed without permitting said operating system to directly access said non-assignable system resource;
• and
• wherein a set of services comprise a service for creating a new translation table for mapping a change in a logical address to a physical address without modifying an existing translation table.