Patent · US Active

Nested virtualization performance in a computer system

US8479196B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
1References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 2009
Grant dateJul 2, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 8, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2009/45566
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A virtualization architecture for improving the performance of nested virtualization in a computer system. A virtualization instruction reads or writes data in a control structure used by a virtual machine monitor (VMM) to maintain state on a virtual machine (VM) to support transitions between a root mode of operation of a CPU in which the VMM executes and a non-root mode of operation of the CPU in which the VM executes. A privileged data access is made to a primary control structure according to the virtualization instruction if the CPU is in the root mode. A non-privileged data access is made to a secondary control structure according to the virtualization instruction if the CPU is in the non-root mode and a secondary control structure field in the primary control structure is enabled.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.