Devices and methods for traffic shaping arbitration to fetch commands from a host with multiple virtual machines

Abstract

A device and related method, the device communicatively coupled to a host, and the device including arbitration circuitry, command fetch circuitry, and processing circuitry. For each virtual machine of the host, arbitration circuitry determines (a) first credits value indicative of a number of commands that may be fetched and (b) a second credits value indicative of a bandwidth to fetch at least one command, from a queue group associated with the virtual machine. The arbitration circuitry selects a virtual machine based on at least one of the first credits values and the second credits values of the virtual machines, and communicates a signal to command fetch circuitry to fetch at least one command. In response to the reception of the signal, the command fetch circuitry fetches at least one command from the queue group associated with the selected virtual machine and communicates the fetched commands to processing circuitry for execution.