Patent · US Active

Virtual machine system and a method for sharing a graphics card amongst virtual machines

US9176765B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
3References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 25, 2007
Grant dateNov 3, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 13, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2009/45579
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual machine system and a method for sharing a graphics card amongst virtual machines. A VMM of the virtual machine system is provided with a resource-converting module, which converts data exchanged between a graphics card drive module of a GOS in the foreground and the graphics card based on a resource-converting table, and also intercepts accesses to the real graphics card by a GOS in the background and then responds to its operations on the graphics card. The VMM is further provided with a switching module, which alters a state of a VM based on a command for switching the VM, saves a graphics card state before the VM is switched to the background and restores the stored graphics card state to the graphics card when the VM is switched back to the foreground. Further, the GOSs each comprise a graphics card drive module corresponding to the real graphics card for accessing the real graphics card. The systems and the methods according to the present invention enable the GOSs to access the real graphics card, and also enable switching among a plurality of virtual machines.

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