Abstract: In one embodiment, a predefined behavior of a virtual machine monitor (VMM) with respect to one or more virtual machines (VMs) is identified, and processor-managed resources associated with the one or more VMs are utilized based on the predefined behavior of the VMM.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a remapping circuit to facilitate access of one or more I/O devices to a memory device for direct memory access (DMA) transactions. The remapping circuit of the apparatus includes a translation mechanism to perform memory address translations for I/O DMA transactions via address window-based translations.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for processing virtual interrupts in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes virtual machine entry logic, recognition logic, and evaluation logic. The virtual machine entry logic is to transfer control of the apparatus from a host to a guest. The recognition logic is to recognize a virtual interrupt request. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control from the guest to an intervening monitor in response to the virtual interrupt request.

Abstract: A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for processing interrupts in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a recognition logic, window logic, and evaluation logic. The event logic is to recognize an interrupt request. The window logic is to determine whether an interrupt window is open. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control to one of at least two virtual machine monitors in response to the interrupt request if the interrupt window is open.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for processing virtualization events in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a event logic and evaluation logic. The event logic is to recognize a virtualization event. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control from a child guest to a parent guest in response to the virtualization event.

Abstract: A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of transitioning control to guest software in a virtual machine from a virtual machine monitor, receiving control following a transition from the virtual machine to the virtual machine monitor upon an event, and determining whether to modify a state of the guest code, a state of the virtual machine monitor or a state of controls. If such a determination is made, the state may be modified and control is transitioned back to the guest software.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transitioning control to a virtual machine (VM) upon receiving a request from a virtual machine monitor (VMM), determining that the request to transition control is associated with a request to be informed of an open event window, performing an event window check to determine whether an even window of the VM is open, and transitioning control to the VMM if the event window check indicates that the event window of the VM is open.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transitioning control to a virtual machine (VM) from a virtual machine monitor (VMM), determining that a VMM timer indicator is set to an enabling value, and identifying a VMM timer value configured by the VMM. The method further includes periodically comparing a current value of a timing source with the VMM timer value, generating an internal event if the current value of the timing source has reached the VMM timer value, and transitioning control to the VMM in response to the internal event without incurring an event handling procedure in any one of the VMM and the VM.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing a virtual machine monitor to assume control of a system when the current privilege level of guest software meets a privilege level exiting criteria. The processor detects that the current privilege level meets the criteria and then transfers control from the guest software to the virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor may decline to assume control for certain privilege level changes or values.

Abstract: A method for managing IO requests from a virtual machine to access IO resources on a physical machine includes determining a request priority associated with an IO request. The IO request is placed in an appropriate queue in response to determining the request priority.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to control transitions between a virtual machine (VM) and Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM). A processor uses state action indicators to load and/or store associated elements of machine state before completing the transition. The state action indicators may be stored in a Virtual Machine Control Structure (VMCS), predetermined, and/or calculated dynamically. In some embodiments, the values loaded can be directly acquired from the VMCS, predetermined and/or calculated dynamically. In some embodiments, the values stored may be acquired directly from machine state, predetermined and/or calculated dynamically.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a system to deprivilege components of a virtual machine monitor and enable deprivileged service virtual machines (SVMs) to handle selected trapped events. An embodiment of the invention is a hybrid VMM operating on a platform with hardware virtualization support. The hybrid VMM utilizes features from both hypervisor-based and host-based VMM architectures. In at least one embodiment, the functionality of a traditional VMM is partitioned into a small platform-dependent part called a micro-hypervisor (MH) and one or more platform-independent parts called service virtual machines (SVMs). The micro-hypervisor operates at a higher virtual machine (VM) privilege level than any SVM, while the SVM and other VMs may still have access to any instruction set architecture (ISA) privilege level. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a remapping circuit to facilitate access of one or more I/O devices to a memory device for direct memory access (DMA) transactions. The remapping circuit includes a translation mechanism to perform memory address translations for I/O DMA transactions via address window-based translations.

Abstract: A processor including logic to execute an instruction to synchronize a mapping from a physical address of a guest of a virtualization based system (guest physical address) to a physical address of the host of the virtualization based system (host physical address), and stored in a translation lookaside buffer (TLB), with a corresponding mapping stored in an extended paging table (EPT) of the virtualization based system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transitioning control to a virtual machine (VM) upon receiving a request from a virtual machine monitor (VMM), determining that the request to transition control is associated with a request to be informed of an open event window, performing an event window check to determine whether an even window of the VM is open, and transitioning control to the VMM if the event window check indicates that the event window of the VM is open.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transitioning control to a virtual machine (VM) upon receiving a request from a virtual machine monitor (VMM), determining that the request to transition control is associated with a request to be informed of an open event window, performing an event window check to determine whether an even window of the VM is open, and transitioning control to the VMM if the event window check indicates that the event window of the VM is open.

Abstract: Techniques for handling certain virtualization events occurring within a virtual machine environment. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the invention pertains to handling events related to the sub-operating system mode using a dedicated virtual machine monitor (VMM) called the system management mode VMM (SVMM), which exists in a separate portion of memory from a main virtual machine monitor (MVMM) used to handle virtualization events other than those related to the sub-operating system mode. In at least one embodiment, a technique for initializing and managing transitions to and from the SVMM is disclosed.

Abstract: A processor including logic to execute an instruction to synchronize a mapping from a physical address of a guest of a virtualization based system (guest physical address) to a physical address of the host of the virtualization based system (host physical address), and stored in a translation lookaside buffer (TLB), with a corresponding mapping stored in an extended paging table (EPT) of the virtualization based system.