Method of and apparatus for sharing dedicated devices between virtual machine guests
US6453392B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 10, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 17, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T409/30224
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a virtual machine (VM) environment, a virtual machine ID (VMID) uniquely associated with a preferred virtual guest (222) is sent to a storage controller (108) along with requests to RESERVE or RELEASE a direct access storage device (DASD) (128). The VMID is used by the storage controller (108) along with a path group ID (PGID) to determine the scope of the RESERVE or RELEASE. Thus, preferred virtual guests (216) of a single host processor (112) may share the DASD while both preserving data integrity and operating with the performance benefits of Input/Output (I/O) Assist. Sharing is similarly provided for tape devices with requests to ASSIGN or UNASSIGN.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.