Efficient sharing of identical graphics resources by multiple virtual machines using separate host extension processes

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for sharing graphics resources among a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) running on a host, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

• receiving a request to create a graphics resource from a first VM of the plurality of VMs, the request including a graphics object ID corresponding to the graphics resource to be created;
• generating a resource key based on content of the graphics resource, the resource key being substantially unique to the graphics resource;
• maintaining an association between the graphics object ID and the resource key;
• determining whether an identical graphics resource, previously created by another VM of the plurality of VMs, currently resides in a host graphics memory;
• when no identical graphics resource currently resides in the host graphics memory, sending a command to a host GPU driver to store the graphics resource in the host graphics memory;
• and
• when an identical graphics resource currently resides in the host graphics memory, preventing the graphics resource from being stored in the host graphics memory, wherein the identical graphics resource is shared by the first VM and at least one other VM,
• wherein each of the plurality of virtual machines is associated with a separate virtual machine extension (VMX) process of virtualization software running on the host, and wherein each VMX process communicates with a resource key generator to obtain the resource key for the graphics resource.

A method for causing a computer system to share graphics resources among a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) running on the computer system, the method comprising:

• transmitting code for receiving a request to create a graphics resource from a first VM of the plurality of VMs, the request including a graphics object ID corresponding to the graphics resource to be created;
• transmitting code for generating a resource key based on content of the graphics resource, the resource key being substantially unique to the graphics resource;
• transmitting code for maintaining an association between the graphics object ID and the resource key;
• transmitting code for determining whether an identical graphics resource, previously created by another VM of the plurality of VMs, currently resides in a host graphics memory;
• transmitting code for sending a command to a host GPU driver to store the graphics resource in the host graphics memory if no identical graphics resource currently resides in the host graphics memory;
• and
• transmitting code for preventing the graphics resource from being stored in the host graphics memory if an identical graphics resource currently resides in the host graphics memory, wherein the identical graphics resource is shared by the first VM and at least one other VM,
• wherein each of the plurality of virtual machines is associated with a separate virtual machine extension (VMX) process of virtualization software running on the computer system, and wherein each VMX process communicates with a resource key generator to obtain the resource key for the graphics resource.