Patents by Inventor Andrew Ernest Nicholas
Andrew Ernest Nicholas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9110698Abstract: A catch-up mode that runs a virtual programmable interrupt timer faster than a nominal rate to prevent time loss in a virtual machine can be implemented. If time loss is determined, a catch-up mode can be initiated to cause increased firings, beyond a nominal rate, of the programmable interrupt timer to adjust the clock of the virtual machine to the clock of the host system. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can also be readjusted to a predetermined nominal rate when the time loss in the guest operating system is determined approximately within a predetermined tolerance range. The catch-up mode can be monitored to avoid “interrupt storms” on the virtual machine. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can be altered by the guest operating system to accommodate different operating systems.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2013Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Rene Antonio Vega
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Patent number: 8984244Abstract: Various mechanisms are disclosed herein for the saving and restoring of virtual machine environment state. For example, virtual machine state can be either be saved or (multiple) snapshots can be taken of the virtual machine state. In the latter case, virtual processors can be allowed to run while the memory of the virtual machine state is being saved. In either case, virtual devices associated with the virtual machine environment can be quiesced such that these devices can prepare themselves to be saved. Once such virtual devices and memory are saved, they can also be restored. For example, restoration of memory can occur while virtual processors are running at the same time. And, moreover, restoration can occur in batches of pages, thus optimizing the response time for restoring saved data.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2013Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Aaron S. Giles, Eric P. Traut, Idan Avraham, Xiongjian Fu, Osama M. Salem
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Publication number: 20140075141Abstract: Various mechanisms are disclosed herein for the saving and restoring of virtual machine environment state. For example, virtual machine state can be either be saved or (multiple) snapshots can be taken of the virtual machine state. In the latter case, virtual processors can be allowed to run while the memory of the virtual machine state is being saved. In either case, virtual devices associated with the virtual machine environment can be quiesced such that these devices can prepare themselves to be saved. Once such virtual devices and memory are saved, they can also be restored. For example, restoration of memory can occur while virtual processors are running at the same time. And, moreover, restoration can occur in batches of pages, thus optimizing the response time for restoring saved data.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2013Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Aaron S. Giles, Eric P. Traut, Idan Avraham, Xiongjian Fu, Osama M. Salem
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Publication number: 20140007101Abstract: A catch-up mode that runs a virtual programmable interrupt timer faster than a nominal rate to prevent time loss in a virtual machine can be implemented. If time loss is determined, a catch-up mode can be initiated to cause increased firings, beyond a nominal rate, of the programmable interrupt timer to adjust the clock of the virtual machine to the clock of the host system. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can also be readjusted to a predetermined nominal rate when the time loss in the guest operating system is determined approximately within a predetermined tolerance range. The catch-up mode can be monitored to avoid “interrupt storms” on the virtual machine. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can be altered by the guest operating system to accommodate different operating systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2013Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Rene Antonio Vega
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Patent number: 8607009Abstract: Various mechanisms are disclosed herein for the saving and restoring of virtual machine environment state. For example, virtual machine state can be either be saved or (multiple) snapshots can be taken of the virtual machine state. In the latter case, virtual processors can be allowed to run while the memory of the virtual machine state is being saved. In either case, virtual devices associated with the virtual machine environment can be quiesced such that these devices can prepare themselves to be saved. Once such virtual devices and memory are saved, they can also be restored. For example, restoration of memory can occur while virtual processors are running at the same time. And, moreover, restoration can occur in batches of pages, thus optimizing the response time for restoring saved data.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2006Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Aaron S. Giles, Eric P. Traut, Idan Avraham, Xiongjian Fu, Osama M. Salem
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Patent number: 8533709Abstract: A catch-up mode that runs a virtual programmable interrupt timer faster than a nominal rate to prevent time loss in a virtual machine can be implemented. If time loss is determined, a catch-up mode can be initiated to cause increased firings, beyond a nominal rate, of the programmable interrupt timer to adjust the clock of the virtual machine to the clock of the host system. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can also be readjusted to a predetermined nominal rate when the time loss in the guest operating system is determined approximately within a predetermined tolerance range. The catch-up mode can be monitored to avoid “interrupt storms” on the virtual machine. The virtual programmable interrupt timer can be altered by the guest operating system to accommodate different operating systems.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2005Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CororationInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Rene Antonio Vega
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Patent number: 7581229Abstract: A host operating system can take ownership of a device. The host can project the presence of a device proxy (VDP) into a guest operating system. The VDP provides a set of device functions corresponding to the particular device class. Interactions with the VDP in the guest are forwarded to a Virtual Service Provider (VSP) in the host. The VSP maps a set of device class functions onto physical devices through a hardware abstraction and emulation layer. Functions supported directly by a physical device can be delivered to the device by the hardware abstraction layer (HAL). Functions not directly supported can be implemented through the hardware emulation layer (HEL). A uniform and robust set of functions may be made available in the guest regardless of hardware changes in the host, migration to a new host, or use of the device by other competing operating systems.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Douglas A. Watkins, Andrew Ernest Nicholas
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Publication number: 20080022032Abstract: Various mechanisms are disclosed herein for the saving and restoring of virtual machine environment state. For example, virtual machine state can be either be saved or (multiple) snapshots can be taken of the virtual machine state. In the latter case, virtual processors can be allowed to run while the memory of the virtual machine state is being saved. In either case, virtual devices associated with the virtual machine environment can be quiesced such that these devices can prepare themselves to be saved. Once such virtual devices and memory are saved, they can also be restored. For example, restoration of memory can occur while virtual processors are running at the same time. And, moreover, restoration can occur in batches of pages, thus optimizing the response time for restoring saved data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2006Publication date: January 24, 2008Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Ernest Nicholas, Aaron S. Giles, Eric P. Traut, Idan Avraham, Xiongjian Fu, Osama M. Salem