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

Abstract

Graphics resources are shared among a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) running on a host. In one embodiment, a request to create a graphics resource is received from a first VM, the request including a graphics object ID corresponding to the graphics resource to be created. A resource key is generated based on content of the graphics resource and an association is maintained between the graphics object ID and the resource key. If an identical graphics resource does not currently reside in the host graphics memory, a command is sent to the host GPU driver to store the graphics resource in the host graphics memory, but when an identical graphics resource resides in the host graphics memory, the graphics resource is not stored in the host graphics memory. Instead, the identical graphics resource is shared by the first VM and at least one other VM.