Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing live device driver updates are disclosed. When a processor loads a given version of a device driver, the given version registers with a proxy module rather than registering with the operating system. If a previous version of the device driver is already running, the proxy module provides the given version with a pointer to the previous version. The given version uses the pointer to retrieve static data from the previous version. After the previous version is quiesced, the given version retrieves transient data from the previous version and then takes over as the running version of the device driver. Subsequent versions of the device driver are able to replace previous versions in a similar manner. Also, previous versions of the device driver are able to replace subsequent versions in a similar manner in the case of downgrading.

Abstract: A register protection mechanism for a virtualized accelerated processing device (“APD”) is disclosed. The mechanism protects registers of the accelerated processing device designated as physical-function-or-virtual-function registers (“PF-or-VF* registers”), which are single architectural instance registers that are shared among different functions that share the APD in a virtualization scheme whereby each function can maintain a different value in these registers. The protection mechanism for these registers comprises comparing the function associated with the memory address specified by a particular register access request to the “currently active” function for the APD and disallowing the register access request if a match does not occur.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing live device driver updates are disclosed. When a processor loads a given version of a device driver, the given version registers with a proxy module rather than registering with the operating system. If a previous version of the device driver is already running, the proxy module provides the given version with a pointer to the previous version. The given version uses the pointer to retrieve static data from the previous version. After the previous version is quiesced, the given version retrieves transient data from the previous version and then takes over as the running version of the device driver. Subsequent versions of the device driver are able to replace previous versions in a similar manner. Also, previous versions of the device driver are able to replace subsequent versions in a similar manner in the case of downgrading.

Abstract: A request is sent from a new virtual function (VF) to a physical function for requesting the initialization of the new VF. The controlling physical function and the new VF establish a two-way communication channel that to start and end the VF's exclusive accesses to registers in a configuration space. The physical function uses a timing control to monitor that exclusive register access by the new VF is completed within a predetermined time period. The new VF is only granted a predetermined time period of exclusive access to complete its initialization process. If the exclusive access period is timed out, the controlling physical function can terminate the VF to prevent GPU stalls.

Abstract: A register protection mechanism for a virtualized accelerated processing device (“APD”) is disclosed. The mechanism protects registers of the accelerated processing device designated as physical-function-or-virtual-function registers (“PF-or-VF* registers”), which are single architectural instance registers that are shared among different functions that share the APD in a virtualization scheme whereby each function can maintain a different value in these registers. The protection mechanism for these registers comprises comparing the function associated with the memory address specified by a particular register access request to the “currently active” function for the APD and disallowing the register access request if a match does not occur.

Abstract: A request is sent from a new virtual function (VF) to a physical function for requesting the initialization of the new VF. The controlling physical function and the new VF establish a two-way communication channel that to start and end the VF's exclusive accesses to registers in a configuration space. The physical function uses a timing control to monitor that exclusive register access by the new VF is completed within a predetermined time period. The new VF is only granted a predetermined time period of exclusive access to complete its initialization process. If the exclusive access period is timed out, the controlling physical function can terminate the VF to prevent GPU stalls.