Migrating virtual machines configured with pass-through devices
AssigneeVMware, Inc.
InventorAdam M. Belay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Virtual machines that utilize pass-through devices are migrated from a source host computer to a destination host computer. During preparation for migration, the pass-through device is substituted with an emulation handler that simulates the pass-through device experiencing errors. Upon successful migration, an error reporting signal is triggered to cause the device driver in the virtual machine to initiate a reset of the pass-through device at the destination host computer, upon which the pass-through device is mapped to the migrated virtual machine.
Claims20
A method for preparing a virtual machine, configured with a pass-through device, for migration from a source host computer to a destination host computer, the method comprising:
- generating an emulation handler that simulates the pass-through device, including generating the emulation handler specifically to simulate the pass-through device as one that is experiencing errors;
- replacing the pass-through device with the emulation handler, such that a device driver in the virtual machine corresponding to the pass-through device now interacts with the emulation handler instead of the pass-through device;
- and
- transmitting a current state of the virtual machine to the destination host computer, wherein the current state does not include a state of the pass-through device.
A method for recovering, on a destination host computer, a migrated virtual machine configured with a pass-through device on a source host computer, the method comprising:
- loading a state of the migrated virtual machine into the destination host computer, wherein the state includes a device driver and a corresponding emulation handler that simulates the pass-through device experiencing errors;
- transmitting an error reporting signal for receipt by a guest operating system of the migrated virtual machine;
- intercepting a request to reinitialize the pass-through device from the device driver;
- mapping a pass-through device of the destination host computer to the migrated virtual machine;
- forwarding the reinitialization request to the pass-through device of the destination host computer;
- and
- reinitializing the pass-through device of the destination host computer to restore functionality to the device driver.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program used to migrate a virtual machine configured with a pass-through device from a source host computer to a destination host computer, wherein the source host computer executing the computer program carries out steps of:
- generating an emulation handler that simulates the pass-through device, including generating the emulation handler specifically to simulate the pass-through device as one that is experiencing errors;
- replacing the pass-through device with the emulation handler, such that a device driver in the virtual machine corresponding to the pass-through device now interacts with the emulation handler instead of the pass-through device;
- and
- transmitting a current state of the virtual machine to the destination host computer, wherein the current state does not include a state of the pass-through device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.