User-controllable boot order through a hypervisor
AssigneeRed Hat Israel, Ltd.
InventorsMichael S. Tsirkin, Gieb Natapov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for providing a user-controllable boot order via a hypervisor in a virtual machine system. A Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) receives a boot order list associated with a guest from the hypervisor. The boot order list is an ordered list that specifies an order of device names, according to which the BIOS searches for boot software when booting up the guest. In the boot order list, devices of the same device type are identified by different device names. Upon receipt of a command to boot up the guest, the BIOS searches for the boot software following the order of the device names specified by the boot order list. The BIOS then boots up the guest using the boot software located in one of the devices.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), a boot order list associated with a guest from a hypervisor hosted by a processing device, the boot order list being an ordered list that specifies an order of device names, according to which the BIOS searches for boot software when booting up the guest, wherein devices of a same device type are identified by different device names in the boot order list;
- searching, by the BIOS, the devices in the order of the device names specified by the boot order list for the boot software upon receipt of a command to boot up the guest;
- and
- booting up the guest using the boot software located in one of the devices.
A system comprising:
- a non-volatile memory that stores a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS);
- and
- a processor, coupled to the non-volatile memory executing a hypervisor, a guest and a management component, to:
- receive a boot order list of the guest from the management component, wherein the boot order list comprises an ordered list that specifies an order of device names, according to which the BIOS searches for boot software when booting up the guest, wherein devices of the same device type are identified by different device names in the boot order list,
- pass the boot order list to the BIOS via the hypervisor, search the devices in the order of the device names specified by the boot order list for the boot software upon receipt of a command to boot up the guest, and boot up the guest with the boot software located in one of the devices.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, by a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), a boot order list of a guest from a hypervisor hosted by the processing device, the boot order list being an ordered list that specifies an order of device names, according to which the BIOS searches for boot software when booting up the guest, wherein devices of a same device type are identified by different device names in the boot order list;
- searching, by the BIOS, the devices in the order of the device names specified by the boot order list for the boot software upon receipt of a command to boot up the guest;
- and
- booting up the guest using the boot software located in one of the devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.