Abstract: A hybrid scheme is provided for performing translation lookaside buffer (TLB) shootdowns in a computer system whose processing cores support both inter-processor interrupt (IPI) and broadcast TLB invalidate (TLBI) shootdown mechanisms. In one set of embodiments, this hybrid scheme dynamically determines, for each instance where a TLB shootdown is needed, whether to use the IPI mechanism or the broadcast TLBI mechanism to optimize shootdown performance (or otherwise make the TLB shootdown operation functional/practical).

Abstract: Disclosed are various examples of provisioning a data processing unit (DPU) management operating system using a capsule. A management hypervisor installer executed on a host device receives a listing DPU device from a baseboard management controller (BMC). A preinstalled DPU management operating system image is identified for a DPU device from the listing, and is wrapped with a capsule that specifies the capsule as a DPU management operating system image capsule. A server component provides the DPU management operating system image capsule at a particular URI, and the URI is transmitted to the BMC.

Abstract: Disclosed are various examples of signaling host kernel crashes to a data processing unit (DPU) management operating system (OS). A host kernel crash handler is installed to a host device. A crash of a host kernel of the host device is detected. This triggers the host kernel crash handler to provide the signal to the DPU device, which executes a DPU side crash handling process based on the signal.

Abstract: Techniques for enabling live migration of a VM across host systems that use different CPU platforms of the same ISA (e.g., ARM, RISC-V, etc.) via improved CPU errata handling are provided. In one set of embodiments, these techniques involve paravirtualizing the VM's guest OS to determine the CPU platforms and corresponding microarchitectures of all possible live migration targets (i.e., destination host systems) for the VM. This allows the guest OS to apply/enable appropriate software workarounds for addressing the errata of those various platforms and microarchitectures, which in turn allows the VM to be correctly live migrated to any of the targets.

Abstract: A hybrid scheme is provided for performing translation lookaside buffer (TLB) shootdowns in a computer system whose processing cores support both inter-processor interrupt (IPI) and broadcast TLB invalidate (TLBI) shootdown mechanisms. In one set of embodiments, this hybrid scheme dynamically determines, for each instance where a TLB shootdown is needed, whether to use the IPI mechanism or the broadcast TLBI mechanism to optimize shootdown performance (or otherwise make the TLB shootdown operation functional/practical).

Abstract: A combined data processing unit (DPU) and server solution with DPU operating system (OS) integration is described. A DPU OS is executed on a DPU or other computing device, where the DPU OS exercises secure calls provided by a DPU's trusted firmware component, that may be invoked by DPU OS components to abstract DPU vendor-specific and server vendor-specific integration details. An invocation of one of the secure calls made on the DPU to communicate with its associated server computing device is identified. In an instance in which the one of the secure calls is invoked, the secure call invoked is translated into a call or request specific to an architecture of the server computing device and the call is performed, which may include sending a signal to the server computing device in a format interpretable by the server computing device.

Abstract: Boot failure protection on smartNICs and other computing devices is described. During a power-on stage of a booting process for a computing device, a boot loading environment is directed to install an application programming interface (API) able to be invoked to control operation of a hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system loading stage of the booting process, the application programming interface is invoked to enable the hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system hand-off stage of the booting process, a last watchdog refresh of the hardware-implemented watchdog is performed, and execution of the boot loading environment is handed off to a kernel boot loader of an operating system. The application programming interface may not be accessible after the hand off to the kernel boot loader.

Abstract: A hardware-assisted paravirtualized hardware watchdog is described that is used to detect and recover from computer malfunctions. A computing device determines that a hardware-implemented watchdog of the computing device does not comply with predetermined watchdog criteria, where the hardware-implemented watchdog is configured to send a reset signal when a first predetermined amount of time elapses without receipt of a first refresh signal. If the hardware-implemented watchdog does not comply with the predetermined watchdog criteria, a runtime watchdog service is initialized using a second predetermined amount of time. The runtime watchdog service is directed to periodically send the refresh signal to the hardware-implemented watchdog before an expiration of the first predetermined amount of time that causes the hardware-implemented watchdog to expire.

Abstract: A combined data processing unit (DPU) and server solution with DPU operating system (OS) integration is described. A DPU OS is executed on a DPU or other computing device, where the DPU OS exercises secure calls provided by a DPU's trusted firmware component, that may be invoked by DPU OS components to abstract DPU vendor-specific and server vendor-specific integration details. An invocation of one of the secure calls made on the DPU to communicate with its associated server computing device is identified. In an instance in which the one of the secure calls is invoked, the secure call invoked is translated into a call or request specific to an architecture of the server computing device and the call is performed, which may include sending a signal to the server computing device in a format interpretable by the server computing device.

Abstract: Disclosed are various examples of provisioning a data processing unit (DPU) management operating system using a capsule. A management hypervisor installer executed on a host device receives a listing DPU device from a baseboard management controller (BMC). A preinstalled DPU management operating system image is identified for a DPU device from the listing, and is wrapped with a capsule that specifies the capsule as a DPU management operating system image capsule. A server component provides the DPU management operating system image capsule at a particular URI, and the URI is transmitted to the BMC.

Abstract: Boot failure protection on smartNICs and other computing devices is described. During a power-on stage of a booting process for a computing device, a boot loading environment is directed to install an application programming interface (API) able to be invoked to control operation of a hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system loading stage of the booting process, the application programming interface is invoked to enable the hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system hand-off stage of the booting process, a last watchdog refresh of the hardware-implemented watchdog is performed, and execution of the boot loading environment is handed off to a kernel boot loader of an operating system. The application programming interface may not be accessible after the hand off to the kernel boot loader.

Abstract: A hardware-assisted paravirtualized hardware watchdog is described that is used to detect and recover from computer malfunctions. A computing device determines that a hardware-implemented watchdog of the computing device does not comply with predetermined watchdog criteria, where the hardware-implemented watchdog is configured to send a reset signal when a first predetermined amount of time elapses without receipt of a first refresh signal. If the hardware-implemented watchdog does not comply with the predetermined watchdog criteria, a runtime watchdog service is initialized using a second predetermined amount of time. The runtime watchdog service is directed to periodically send the refresh signal to the hardware-implemented watchdog before an expiration of the first predetermined amount of time that causes the hardware-implemented watchdog to expire.

Abstract: A method for controlling an infrared radiation (“IR”) based consumer electronics (“CE”) device with a wireless Internet Protocol (“IP”) based remote control unit, the method comprising: receiving an IP message from the remote control unit through an IP receiver of an IP remote control extender system, the IP message for controlling a function of the CE device, the IP receiver for receiving IP messages over a wireless IP network; determining from the IP message a respective IR message for controlling the function; and, sending the respective IR message to the CE device through an IR transmitter of the IP remote control extender system, the IR transmitter for sending IR messages over a wireless IR link, whereby a user of the remote control unit may control the function of the CE device.