Intel Corporation

Stephen T Chou

Gilbert A Neiger

Richard A Uhlig

Erik C Cota-Robles

Michael A Kozuch

Alain Kagi

Stalinselvaraj Jeyasingh

Sebastian Schoenberg

Victor B Lortz

Mohan J Kumar

Russell Jerome Fenger

Chih-Kan Wang

Mil Travnicek

Benjamin L Manny

Stalinselvaraj Jevasingh

In one embodiment, a processor mode is provided for guest software. The processor mode enables the guest software to operate at a privilege level intended by the guest software. When the guest software attempts to perform an operation restricted by the processor mode, the processor mode is exited to transfer control over the operation to a virtual-machine monitor, which runs outside this processor mode.

Processor mode for limiting the operation of guest software running on a virtual machine supported by a virtual machine monitor

In one embodiment, a method for supporting address translation in a virtual-machine environment includes creating a guest translation data structure to be used by a guest operating system for address translation operations, creating an active translation data structure based on the guest translation data structure, and periodically modifying the content of the active translation data structure to conform to the content of the guest translations data structure. The content of the active translation data structure is used by a processor to cache address translations in a translation-lookaside buffer (TLB).

Virtual translation lookaside buffer

A method and apparatus for constructing host processor soft devices independent of the host processor operating system are provided. In one embodiment, a driver of a soft device is implemented in a virtual machine monitor (VMM), and the soft device is made available for use by one or more virtual machines coupled to the VMM. In an alternative embodiment, a software component of a soft device is implemented in a first virtual machine that is coupled to a VMM, and the soft device is made available for use by a second virtual machine coupled to the VMM.

Method and apparatus for constructing host processor soft devices independent of the host processor operating system

In one embodiment, a method for providing power management via virtualization includes monitoring the utilization of a host platform device by one or more virtual machines and managing power consumption of the host platform device based on the results of monitoring.

Mechanism for providing power management through virtualization

In one embodiment, a method for resolving address space conflicts includes detecting that a guest operating system attempts to access a region occupied by a first portion of a virtual machine monitor and relocating the first portion of the virtual machine monitor within the first address space to allow the guest operating system to access the region previously occupied by the first portion of the virtual machine monitor.

Method for resolving address space conflicts between a virtual machine monitor and a guest operating system

One embodiment of the invention is method for resolving address space conflicts between a virtual machine monitor and a guest operating system. The method includes allocating an address space for the operating system and an address space for the monitor. The method also includes mapping a portion of the monitor into the address space allocated for the operating system and the address space allocated for the monitor, and locating another portion of the monitor in the address space allocated for the monitor. The method also includes detecting that the operating system attempts to access a region occupied by the portion of the monitor within the address space allocated for the operating system, and relocating that portion of the monitor within that address space to allow the operating system to access the region previously occupied by that portion of the monitor.

A computer system with unattended on-demand availability includes power-saving features which place the system into a Standby mode whenever the system is idle or is not being used. Prior to entering Standby mode, the system sets a hardware timer which indicates when the next scheduled event in the system should be performed. When either the timer expires or another event occurs which requires system operation, the system resumes to the On power state without user intervention. In one embodiment, the system of the present invention allows applications to periodically save their operational states. By saving their operational states, applications are able to guard against power failures and crashes. If a power failure or crash occurs, the system consults restart policies and, if appropriate, automatically re-starts applications to their most recently saved operational states once power is re-stored.

Computer system with unattended on-demand availability

A method and system for adding device entries to a device tree is disclosed. When the computer system detects the connection of a device, the computer system searches a device tree to determine if the device is being connected for the first time. If so, a device entry for the device, including a device type and at least one device function, is added to the device tree. Using the device type and at least one device function, the system searches a match tree to identify at least one first sequence of instructions to execute when the device is connected for the first time. The first sequence of instructions modifies the device entry to associate at least one software category with the device. The first sequence of instructions may: (1) modify the device entry to include at least one software component to be notified when the device is connected; and/or (2) modify the device entry to associate with each software category at least one software component to be used with the device.

Method and system for adding a device entry to a device tree upon

A method and apparatus for task scheduling across multiple execution sessions allows each scheduled task to be scheduled to occur at a specific time(s), to occur periodically, or to occur in response to certain system events. A task can be scheduled which requires execution of an application even if the application is not running at the scheduled time or event, and even if the system is in a low-power standby mode at the scheduled time or event. In one embodiment, the present invention keeps track of specific time events by setting a timer(s) which indicates the time which should elapse until a scheduled event is to occur. When a timer expires, the system determines which task is scheduled to occur at the time the timer expires and executes that task. In one embodiment, the present invention checks a scheduling database to determine which task is scheduled to occur when a timer expires.

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Stephen T Chou