Abstract: Systems and methods for providing cross-partition preemption analysis and prevention. Computing devices typically include a main central processing unit (CPU) with multiple cores to execute instructions independently, cooperatively, or in other suitable manners. In some examples, one or more cores are partitioned and dedicated to a particular application, where exclusive access of the cores in the partition is intended for running processes of the application. In some examples, some “noise” can be introduced in a partition, where preemptions associated with other processes can interrupt execution of the particular application. A preemption diagnostics system and method identify and prevent sources of cross-partition preemption events from running in a dedicated CPU partition. Thus, the particular application has dedicated use of the cores in the partition. As a result, latency of the application is reduced and bounded latency corresponding to a service level agreement can be achieved.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for the non-disruptive servicing of components of a user mode process. In examples, a user mode process comprises multiple components, each encapsulating a distinct piece of functionality. A replacement component is loaded and initialized. The replacement component is validated to ensure that the required dependencies of the replacement component are satisfied by the other components of the user mode process. The component to be serviced and the components having dependencies on the component to be serviced are suspended to enable a snapshot of the runtime state of the component to be serviced to be captured. The runtime state is copied to the replacement component and the components having dependencies on the component to be serviced are updated to reference the replacement component. The replacement component is executed and the suspended components are resumed. The component to be serviced is unloaded.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for non-disruptively hibernating and resuming a guest environment using a network virtual service client. In examples, when a guest environment is hibernated, a network virtual service client provides an instruction to a virtual network interface card to set the device power state of the virtual network interface card to a low power state. The network virtual service client disables the communication channels used by the network virtual service client and saves the operating state of the virtual network interface card. When the guest environment is resumed, the network virtual service client provides an instruction to set the device power state of the virtual network interface card to a full power state. The network virtual service client reenables the communication channels used by the network virtual service client and restores the operating state of the virtual network interface card.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for transmit side scaling. In examples, transmission side configuration information is received by a host operating system from a guest operating system, where the transmission side scaling configuration information specifies the manner in which data packets transmitted by the host operating system are to be distributed to a network interface card of the host operating system. The transmission side configuration scaling information is implemented in an outbound transmission table of the host operating system. When a data packet is received by the host operating system, the host operating system evaluates the data packet using the outbound transmission table. Based on the evaluation, that data packet is transmitted using a specified transmit queue of the network interface card.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and reporting actual utilization of a core of a central processing unit (CPU) of a host. Prior to implementation of aspects of the present disclosure, running a poll querying endpoints of a process for work appears to the host's operating system as busy work (e.g., taking full use of the core for the poll duration). However, only a percentage of the duration of the poll is used to process a task of the process, where the remaining duration of the poll is spent querying the endpoints (idle time) and the core is not performing a task. Accordingly, a core utilization reporting system and method automatically detects the processing time of the tasks of a process, determines actual CPU utilization of the core based on a percentage of the time the core is busy polling (doing effectively no work) versus doing actual work (processing a task).

Abstract: Embodiments of hybrid network processing load distribution in a computing device are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a main processor, an indication from the network interface controller to perform network processing operations for first and second packets in a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller, and in response to receiving the request, assigning multiple cores for performing the network processing operations for the first and second packets, respectively. The method also includes performing the network processing operations at the multiple cores to effect processing and transmission of the first and second packets to first and second applications, respectively, both the first and second applications executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of network processing resource management in computing devices are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from a network interface controller to perform network processing operations at a first core of a main processor for packets assigned by the network interface controller to a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller. The method also includes determining whether the first core has a utilization level higher than a threshold when performing the network processing operations to effect processing and transmission of the packets. If the first core has a utilization level higher than the threshold, the method includes issuing a command to the network interface to modify affinitization of the queue from the first core to a second core having a utilization level lower than the threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments of network processing resource management in computing devices are disclosed therein. An example method includes receiving a request from a network interface controller to perform network processing operations at a first core of a main processor for packets assigned by the network interface controller to a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller. The method also includes determining whether the first core has a utilization level higher than a threshold when performing the network processing operations to effect processing and transmission of the packets. If the first core has a utilization level higher than the threshold, the method includes issuing a command to the network interface to modify affinitization of the queue from the first core to a second core having a utilization level lower than the threshold.

Abstract: Techniques of network traffic management in a computing device are disclosed. One example method includes receiving, at a main processor, a request from a network interface controller to perform network processing operations for packets assigned by the network interface controller to a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller. The method also includes, in response to receiving the request, causing one of multiple cores of the main processor with which the queue of the virtual port is affinitized to perform the network processing operations to effect processing and transmission of the packets to an application executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of hybrid network processing load distribution in a computing device are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a main processor, an indication from the network interface controller to perform network processing operations for first and second packets in a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller, and in response to receiving the request, assigning multiple cores for performing the network processing operations for the first and second packets, respectively. The method also includes performing the network processing operations at the multiple cores to effect processing and transmission of the first and second packets to first and second applications, respectively, both the first and second applications executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of hybrid network processing load distribution in a computing device are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a main processor, an indication from the network interface controller to perform network processing operations for first and second packets in a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller, and in response to receiving the request, assigning first and second cores for performing the network processing operations for the first and second packets, respectively. The method also includes performing the network processing operations at the first and second cores to effect processing and transmission of the first and second packets to first and second applications, respectively, both the first and second applications executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.

Abstract: A computing device and method for establishing more direct access to a storage device from unprivileged code in an unprivileged storage architecture component. Using a storage infrastructure driver to discover and enumerate storage architecture component(s), a user-mode application requests at least one portion of the storage device to store application-related data corresponding to executing input/output activity. The storage infrastructure driver maps the at least one portion of the storage device to substantially match an address space associated with the application-related data and configures at least one path for the user-mode application to perform block-level input/output between the storage device and the unprivileged storage architecture component. A virtual function may be generated corresponding to at least one path between a computing device and the unprivileged storage architecture component to execute input/output activity using the address space.

Abstract: Embodiments of network processing resource management in computing devices are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from a network interface controller to perform network processing operations at a first core of a main processor for packets assigned by the network interface controller to a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller. The method also includes determining whether the first core has a utilization level higher than a threshold when performing the network processing operations to effect processing and transmission of the packets. If the first core has a utilization level higher than the threshold, the method includes issuing a command to the network interface to modify affinitization of the queue from the first core to a second core having a utilization level lower than the threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments of network traffic management in a computing device are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a main processor, a request from a network interface controller to perform network processing operations for packets assigned by the network interface controller to a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller. The method also includes, in response to receiving the request, causing one of multiple cores of the main processor with which the queue of the virtual port is affinitized to perform the network processing operations to effect processing and transmission of the packets to an application executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of hybrid network processing load distribution in a computing device are disclosed therein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a main processor, an indication from the network interface controller to perform network processing operations for first and second packets in a queue of a virtual port of the network interface controller, and in response to receiving the request, assigning first and second cores for performing the network processing operations for the first and second packets, respectively. The method also includes performing the network processing operations at the first and second cores to effect processing and transmission of the first and second packets to first and second applications, respectively, both the first and second applications executing in a virtual machine hosted on the computing device.