Fast stub and frame technology for virtual machine optimization
US7856547B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 2009 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 18, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/45504
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for handling of potential unsafe instructions and/or for handling transfers of control in a Virtual Machine, that includes generating a frame composed of pages of analyzed code based on original guest code; identifying instructions within the frame that transfer control (or are otherwise unsafe); replacing instructions that transfer the control with an interrupt that transfers control to a stub in non-privileged code; wherein the stub checks whether the control transfer (or instruction) is safe or unsafe, and (i) for unsafe control transfers/unsafe instructions, switches the context to Virtual Machine Monitor; and (ii) for safe control transfers, executes the control transfer in non-privileged mode. The instructions that transfer control can include any of JMP, CALL, RET and RET(n). The instructions that transfer control can also include interrupts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.