International Business Machines Corporation

Paul Knowles

Adam James McNeeney

Henry Paul Nash

Geraint M North

Gavin Barraclough

John H Sandham

Alex Brown

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for transferring a virtual machine from a first server to a second server. A first enhanced system translator executing on the first server includes a first virtual machine interface to interface with a first instance of the virtual machine on the first server and a first convert state component. A second enhanced system translator executing on the second server includes a second virtual machine interface to interface with a second instance of the virtual machine and a second convert state component. The first convert state component converts a state of the first instance of the virtual machine to a first instruction set architecture and the second convert state component converts the first instructions set architecture to a second instruction set architecture for use by the second instance of the virtual machine to run on the second server.

Cross architecture virtual machine migration

A system, method and computer program for transferring a running virtual machine from a first to a second physical machine, where each of the physical machines has a different instruction set architecture. The system may comprise a receiver for receiving a transfer request. In response to receiving the transfer request, the virtual machine is paused and a state of the virtual machine is collected. A first interface component operable on the first physical machine stopped and a second interface component operable on the second physical machine is started. The state is transferred to the second interface component. The virtual machine is started on the second physical machine in response to the state transfer.

A system, method and computer program for transferring a running virtual machine from a first to a second physical machine, where each of the physical machines has a different instruction set architecture. The system may comprise a receiver for receiving a transfer request; responsive to receiving the transfer request, pausing the virtual machine and collecting a state of the virtual machine. A first interface component operable on the first physical machine is stopped and a second interface component operable on the second physical machine is started. The state is transferred to the second interface component. The the virtual machine on the second physical machine is started in response to the state transfer.

A dynamic binary translatorconverts a subject programinto target codeon a target processor. For a multi-threaded subject environment, the translatorprovides a global tokencommon to each thread, and one or more sets of local data, which together are employed to coordinate access to a memoryas a shared resource. Adjusting the global tokenallows the local datastructuresin each thread to detect potential interference with the shared resource

Converting program code with access coordination for a shared memory

A partitioning technique utilized by a translator to divide the subject code space into regions, referred to hereafter as partitions, where each partition contains a distinct set of basic blocks of subject code and corresponding target code. The partitioning technique divides the translator's representation of subject code and subject code translations into non-overlapping regions of subject memory. In this manner, when the subject program modifies subject code, only those partitions actually affected by the self-modifying code need be discarded and all translations in unaffected partitions can be kept. This partitioning technique is advantageous in limiting the amount of target code that must be retranslated in response to self-modifying code operation. In another process, the partitioning technique allows multithreaded subject programs that also involve self-modifying code to perform code modification in a thread-safe manner.

Partitioning code in program code conversion

A method and apparatus for verifying program code conversion performed by an emulator. A first emulator configured in a same-to-same (X-X) mode converts subject code into target code for execution by a subject processor. Execution of the subject code natively by the subject processor is compared against execution through the first emulator, to verify that program code conversion. Optionally, the first emulator is then used to incrementally validate program code conversion (i.e. optimisation and/or translation) performed by a second emulator, such as a this-to-that (X-Y) mode emulator running on a target processor.

Method and apparatus for performing incremental validation of program code conversion

An adjustable precision exception handling technique is providing for handling exceptions encountered during translation of subject code to target code at varying levels of precision, depending upon the particular type of exception encountered. As an exception signal is detected by the translator, the state of the subject processor is captured at a precision determined to be sufficient for the detected exception.

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Manchester, United Kingdom

Paul Knowles