Abstract: A method for communication between an initiator system and a block storage cluster may include receiving a first command at a first storage system included in a plurality of storage systems of the block storage cluster. The method may also include transmitting a referral response from the first storage system to the initiator system when at least a portion of the data associated in the first command is stored by a second storage system. The method may further include obtaining a segment start value and a corresponding port identifier based on the referral response, and directing a second command to at least a second storage system included in the plurality of storage systems of the block cluster.

Abstract: Since only one golden image (GI) of a snapshot can exist and is shared among a plurality of storage apparatuses, there was a problem that migration or copy thereof deteriorates the capacity efficiency and increases the cost for managing consistency. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by either (1) a direct sharing method of generating a parent-child relationship of snapshots among different storage apparatuses at the time of creating differential LUs from the GI or (2) a virtual sharing method of creating virtual LUs of the GI in the respective storage apparatuses and creating differential LUs of the snapshots from the created virtual LUs, using a storage virtualization function among a plurality of storage apparatuses.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to receiving a request from a first instance of an operating system (e.g., a virtual operating system) to load a kernel extension that extends functionality of a kernel, where the kernel and the first instance of the operating system are managed by a second instance of the operating system (e.g., a global operating system), and where the first and second instances of the operating system share the kernel. Some embodiments are further directed to recording an indicator that indicates that the first of the plurality of the instances of the operating system requested to load the kernel extension, where the indicator is accessible only to the second instance of the operating system. In some embodiments, the method is further directed to loading the kernel extension, where loading the kernel extension extends functionality of the kernel.

Abstract: Methods and systems for direct device access are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include a plurality of GOSs directly accessing a first network interface device, where the first network interface device may provide access to a network. One or more of the GOSs may be migrated to directly access a second network interface device, based on state information for each of the GOSs, where the state information may be maintained by the host. The GOSs may communicate data to a device coupled to the network by direct accessing the first and/or second network interface device. Similarly, the first and/or second network interface device may communicate data received from a device coupled to the network to one or more of the plurality of GOSs via direct access of the first and/or second network interface device.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes switching between a first address space and a second address space, determining if the second address space exists in a list of address spaces; and maintaining entries of the first address space in a translation buffer after the switching. In such manner, overhead associated with such a context switch may be reduced.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a technique to invalidate entries in a translation lookaside buffer (TLB). A TLB in a processor has a plurality of TLB entries. Each TLB entry is associated with a virtual machine extension (VMX) tag word indicating if the associated TLB entry is invalidated according to a processor mode when an invalidation operation is performed. The processor mode is one of execution in a virtual machine (VM) and execution not in a virtual machine.

Abstract: The prioritization of large memory page mapping is a function of the access bits in the L1 page table. In a first phase of operation, the number of set access bits in each of the L1 page tables is counted periodically and a current count value is calculated therefrom. During the first phase, no pages are mapped large even if identified as such. After the first phase, the current count value is used to prioritize among potential large memory pages to determine which pages to map large. The system continues to calculate the current count value even after the first phase ends. When using hardware assist, the access bits in the nested page tables are used and when using software MMU, the access bits in the shadow page tables are used for large page prioritization.

Abstract: A method to translate virtual storage device addresses to physical storage device addresses without the cooperation of the proprietary virtualization hypervisor is disclosed herein. The method of the present invention allows additional functionality to be added to the I/O processing of a closed/proprietary virtualization hypervisor by third party software or physical storage devices on the basis of individual virtual storage devices.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling data backup operations are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for data backup. The method may include receiving a minimum write speed for a plurality of tape drives. The method may further include controlling data writes for the plurality of tape drives such that data may be attempted to be written to each tape drive at or above the minimum write speed for each tape drive.

Abstract: Apparatuses, articles, methods, and systems for secure platform voucher service for software within an execution environment. An embodiment includes the ability for a Virtual Machine Monitor, Operating System Monitor, or other underlying platform capability to restrict memory regions for access only by authenticated, authorized and verified software components. A provisioning remote entity or gateway only needs to know a platform's public key or certificate hierarchy to receive verification for any component. The verification or voucher helps assure to the remote entity that no malware running in the platform or on the network will have access to provisioned material. The underlying platform to lock and unlock secrets on behalf of the authenticated/authorized/verified software component provided in protected memory regions only accessible to the software component.

Abstract: A method for writing and reading data in memory cells, comprises the steps of: defining a virtual memory, defining write commands and read commands of data (DT) in the virtual memory, providing a first nonvolatile physical memory zone (A1), providing a second nonvolatile physical memory zone (A2), and, in response to a write command of an initial data, searching for a first erased location in the first memory zone, writing the initial data (DT1a) in the first location (PB1(DPP0)), and writing, in the metadata (DSC0) an information (DS(PB1)) allowing the first location to be found and an information (LPA, DS(PB1)) forming a link between the first location and the location of the data in the virtual memory.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein including systems and methods for improving allocation of computing resources in a virtual machine (VM) environment. Embodiments maintain data relating to how VM image data is stored in storage devices and loaded into volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM). The data is then used to identify common content in the volatile memory that can be shared across VM instances. In some embodiments, multiple VM instances can share at least a portion of a single common VM image loaded into a shared volatile memory.

Abstract: Embodiments of techniques and systems for increasing efficiencies in computing systems using virtual memory are described. In embodiments, instructions which are located in two memory pages in a virtual memory system, such that one of the pages does not permit execution of the instructions located therein, are identified and then executed under temporary permissions that permit execution of the identified instructions. In various embodiments, the temporary permissions may come from modified virtual memory page tables, temporary virtual memory page tables which allow for execution, and/or emulators which have root access. In embodiments, per-core virtual memory page tables may be provided to allow two cores of a computer processor to operate in accordance with different memory access permissions. in embodiments, a physical page permission table may be utilized to provide for maintenance and tracking of per-physical-page memory access permissions. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Abstract: Optimizations are provided for frame management operations, including a clear operation and/or a set storage key operation, requested by pageable guests. The operations are performed, absent host intervention, on frames not resident in host memory. The operations may be specified in an instruction issued by the pageable guests.

Abstract: A system, method, and medium for implementing I/O fencing in a virtual machine cluster sharing virtual storage objects. A volume manager driver receives access requests from virtual machines directed to a virtual storage object such as a volume. The volume manager driver then translates the access request to point to a storage device underlying the volume. The access request includes keys and/or other group reservation data required to implement an I/O fencing method so as to prevent access to shared data by malfunctioning or non-responsive virtual machines.

Abstract: In response to detecting a PCI host bridge (PHB), a first address translation table may be allocated in a first portion of a memory. The first address translation table may be associated with the PHB. If an input/output adapter accessible to the PHB is configured as a virtualized adapter, a first table manager may be assigned to manage the first address translation table. The first address translation table may be configured for an initial number of virtual functions. If a requested number of virtual functions is greater than the initial number of virtual functions, additional virtual functions may be configured. A second address translation table may be allocated in a second portion of the memory. The second portion of the memory may be non-contiguous with reference to the first portion of the memory. Entries may be created in the second address translation table for the additional virtual functions.

Abstract: A method used by a virtual machine in communication with an external machine includes providing a single sharing page that is shared between a plurality of virtual machines and a particular virtual machine, wherein the particular virtual machine and the plurality of virtual machines run on a same physical machine; writing into the single sharing page a data packet to be sent by the virtual machine to the external machine; scheduling a page swap between the single sharing page and a blank memory page of the particular virtual machine; and sending, to the external machine, the data packet in the memory page of the particular virtual machine subsequent to the page swap.

Abstract: A method for deploying one or more virtual machines on a host computing system is provided. The method comprises receiving mapping information from a data storage system. The mapping information associates a first data chunk stored in the data storage system with a unique identifier to support deployment of a first virtual machine on a host computing system. Once the mapping information is received, the mapping information is utilized to determine whether any copies of the first data chunk have already been loaded into a memory of the host computing system in association with deployment of the first virtual machine or a second virtual machine on the host computing system. If no copies of the first data chunk have already been loaded into the memory, the first data chunk is retrieved from the data storage system, loaded into the memory, and utilized to deploy the first virtual machine on the host computing system.

Abstract: Data communications through a host Fibre Channel adapter (‘HFCA’) implemented with a computer that includes two or more logical partitions, each logical partition including a separate instance of an operating system, each instance of an operating system including an instance of a low-level, switched fabric input/output (‘I/O’) library, including establishing, in the HFCA by instances of the I/O library in two or more logical partitions and by the hypervisor, separate logical Fibre Channel adapters (‘LFCAs’) for at least two of the logical partitions, each LFCA including an association of an LFCA identifier with at least one range of I/O memory addresses in the address space of a logical partition and transferring, at the behest of application programs in the two or more logical partitions, data between the RAM of the logical partitions and the data storage devices through the LFCAs, the HFCA, and the Fibre Channel fabric.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a memory that memorizes a storage area storing document data; a receiving unit that receives an instruction for creating a second storage area corresponding to a first storage area created by another image forming apparatus; and a creating unit that creates the second storage area associated with information for identifying another image forming apparatus in the memory when the receiving unit receives the instruction to create the second storage area.

Abstract: Methods for providing shadow page tables that virtualize processor memory protection. In one embodiment, virtualization software maintains the following: (a) a mapping ? from guest domain identifier to a set of shadow L2 page tables that back guest L1 sections marked with a domain identifier; and (b) with each such shadow L2 page table, a set ? of back-pointers to “potentially referencing” shadow L1 descriptors.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and apparatus for hardware resource arbitration in a data processing environment having a plurality of logical partitions. A hypervisor receives a request for a hardware resource from a first logical partition, wherein the request corresponds to an operation. The hypervisor determines the hardware resource is free from contention by a second logical partition. The hypervisor writes the hardware resource to a hardware resource pool data structure, as associated with the first logical partition, in response to a determination the hardware resource is free. The hypervisor presents the hardware resource to the first logical partition. The hypervisor determines that the operation is complete. The hypervisor release the hardware resource from a hardware resource pool, responsive to the determination that the operation is complete.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting virtual tape products to a client are disclosed. An exemplary method may include allocating a plurality of disks connected to a host bus adapter (HBA) as both virtual tape storage and virtual disk storage. The method may also include translating at the HBA an input/output (I/O) communication between the client and the plurality of disks to access at least a portion of the plurality of disks allocated as virtual tape storage. The method may also include handling all other I/O communication between the client and the plurality of disks for access to the plurality of disks allocated as virtual disk storage.

Abstract: A method is provided to migrate a virtual machine from a source computing machine to a destination computing machine comprising: suspending transmission of requests from a request queue disposed in source computing machine memory associated with the VM from the request queue to a VF; while suspending the transmission of requests, determining when no more outstanding responses to prior requests remain to be received; in response to a determination that no more outstanding responses to prior requests remain to be received, transferring state information that is indicative of locations of requests inserted to the request queue from the VF to a PF and from the PF to a memory region associated with a virtualization intermediary of the source computing machine.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing memory within a virtualized system that includes a memory compression cache. Generally, the virtualized system may include a hypervisor configured to use a compression cache to temporarily store memory pages that have been compressed to conserve memory space. A “first-in touch-out” (FITO) list may be used to manage the size of the compression cache by monitoring the compressed memory pages in the compression cache. Each element in the FITO list corresponds to a compressed page in the compression cache. Each element in the FITO list records a time at which the corresponding compressed page was stored in the compression cache (i.e. an age). A size of the compression cache may be adjusted based on the ages of the pages in the compression cache.

Abstract: A method, information processing system, and computer program product manage server placement of virtual machines in an operating environment. A mapping of each virtual machine in a plurality of virtual machines to at least one server in a set of servers is determined. The mapping substantially satisfies a set of primary constraints associated with the set of servers. A plurality of virtual machine clusters is created. Each virtual machine cluster includes a set of virtual machines from the plurality of virtual machines. A server placement of one virtual machine in a cluster is interchangeable with a server placement of another virtual machine in the same cluster while satisfying the set of primary constraints. A server placement of the set of virtual machines within each virtual machine on at least one mapped server is generated for each cluster. The server placement substantially satisfies a set of secondary constraints.

Abstract: In one aspect, an executable computer file is partitioned into basic blocks of code. At least some basic blocks are translated into translated basic blocks. At least some translated basic blocks are linked in memory of a computer. At least some translated basic blocks on the computer are executed so as to enable the file to be unpacked or decrypted. In this way, the file can be analyzed to determine whether the file is or should be classed as malware. In another aspect, at least a read page of cache memory is created for at least some basic blocks and at least a write page of cache memory is created for at least some basic blocks. During the execution of a basic block, at least one of the read page and the write page is checked for a cached real address corresponding to the virtual address that is being accessed for said basic block.

Abstract: A method and software is described for recreating on a target datastore a set of hierarchical files that are present on a source datastore. A content identifier (ID) is maintained for each component of the set of hierarchical files. The content ID of a component is updated when its contents are modified. The child component is copied from the source datastore to the target datastore. The content ID corresponding to the parent component on the source datastore is compared with content IDs corresponding to files present on the target datastore. When a matching content ID is discovered, it infers a copy of the parent component. The matching file on the target datastore is associated with the copied child component so that the matching file becomes a new parent component to the copied child component, thereby recreating the set of hierarchical files on the target.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises obtaining a cache hit ratio for each of a plurality of virtual machines, and identifying, from among the plurality of virtual machines, a first virtual machine having a cache hit ratio that is less than a threshold ratio. The identified first virtual machine is then migrated from the first physical server having a first cache size to a second physical server having a second cache size that is greater than the first cache size. Optionally, a virtual machine having a cache hit ratio that is less than a threshold ratio is identified on a class-specific basis, such as for L1 cache, L2 cache and L3 cache.

Abstract: Allocation of virtual disk volumes of a size designated by the computer manager to a virtual computer and accessiblity from the virtual computer to the virtual disk voumes without requiring intervention by a hypervisor are to be achieved. In a computer, at least one virtual computer to be in execution on the computer, and a computer system in which the virtual computer has volumes for holding data, a virtualization mechanism has a virtual volume allocating unit and a virtual volume information supplying unit, and the virtual computer has a virtual volume driver for converting positional information on virtual volumes. Additionally, the virtualization mechanism holds the virtual volume information together with defining information for the virtual computer to which the virtual volumes have been allocated.

Abstract: Techniques for memory de-duplication in a virtual system are described. An apparatus may comprise a first processor circuit coupled to a second processor circuit. A memory unit may be coupled to the first processor circuit and the second processor circuit, the memory unit to store private memory pages and shared memory pages for multiple virtual machines. A memory management application may be operative on the first processor circuit and the second processor circuit in a shared manner to perform memory de-duplication operations on the private memory pages stored in the memory unit to form shared memory pages. The memory management application may perform sequential memory de-duplication operations on the first processor circuit, and parallel memory de-duplication operations on the second processor circuit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method, data processing system and computer program product enables efficient transfer of a virtual machine from a first data processing system (DPS) to a second DPS using a combination of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Uniform Data Protocol (UDP). A virtual machine migration (VMM) utility identifies all memory pages of the first virtual machine. The VMM utility notifies the second DPS via TCP of the scheduled transfer of the virtual machine. The VMM utility copies and transfers the memory pages of the virtual machine to the second DPS via UDP. When all expected components of the virtual machine are not received by the second DPS and/or memory data is modified within the memory pages during the migration, the VMM utility combines the missing data and the modified data and transfers the final components of the virtual machine using TCP. Execution of the virtual machine resumes on the second DPS.

Abstract: A method of dynamically reallocating memory affinity in a virtual machine after migrating the virtual machine from a source computer system to a destination computer system migrates processor states and resources used by the virtual machine from the source computer system to the destination computer system. The method maps memory of the virtual machine to processor nodes of the destination computer system. The method deletes memory mappings in processor hardware, such as translation lookaside buffers and effective-to-real address tables, for the virtual machine on the destination computer system. The method starts the virtual machine on the destination computer system in virtual real memory mode. A hypervisor running on the destination computer system receives a page fault and virtual address of a page for said virtual machine from a processor of the destination computer system and determines if the page is in local memory of the processor.

Abstract: A mechanism for the creation of a shared memory aperture between modes in a parent and child partition is described. The shared memory aperture can be created between any memory mode between the guest and any host. For example, a shared memory aperture can be created between the kernel mode on the child partition and the user mode on the parent partition.

Abstract: One or more embodiments provides a shadow page table used by a virtualization software wherein at least a portion of the shadow page table shares computer memory with a guest page table used by a guest operating system (OS) and wherein the virtualization software provides a mapping of guest OS physical pages to machine pages.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage apparatus that can suppress access performance degradation owing to processing of data deduplication. The storage apparatus according to the present invention acquires a sum of the access frequencies to each of redundantly allocated pieces of data, and performs the deduplication on the pieces of data having the sum of access frequencies less than a prescribed threshold.

Abstract: A method and controller device for supplying battery power to a virtualized storage environment having a storage controller with a virtual machine manager and a second virtual machine. In response to a battery engaged event, the first virtual machine manager enables the image of the second virtual machine to be shared with a new instance of the second virtual machine so that the image does not have to be loaded therein. The first virtual machine manager then creates the new virtual machine. The old virtual machine shuts down non-necessary hardware devices and sets necessary hardware devices to low power mode. During this time, the new virtual machine executes a backup specific start-of-day (SOD) initialization sequence. The method also synchronizes the new and old virtual machines. The method also initiates a cache memory backup operation upon synchronization of the new and old virtual machines and then shuts down the old virtual machine.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments of the invention, migration of a virtual machine includes identifying a hardware resource which is accessed directly by a device driver of the virtual machine and generating an emulation of the hardware resource to simulate the hardware resource as experiencing an error. The current state of the virtual machine can then be transmitted to the destination host computer, wherein the current state includes the emulation which simulates the hardware resource as experiencing an error. In at least one embodiment, generating the emulation includes defining the error as one that triggers a reset of the hardware resource after migration of the virtual machine from the source host computer to the destination host computer.

Abstract: Generally, the present disclosure provides a system and method configured to prevent unauthorized copying of video content in a mobile device. The method may use virtualization technology to prevent unauthorized copying of the premium video content. A user OS may operate in a virtual machine. A hypervisor may be configured to prevent an application and/or a corrupted OS from reading premium video content from video memory. The hypervisor may be configured to prevent direct memory access to the video content in the video memory.

Abstract: Machine memory fragmentation in a computer system having a host operating system and virtual machine running on a hypervisor hosted by the host operating system is reduced by having the hypervisor identify and release those machine memory pages that are more likely than others to reduce the fragmented state of the host machine memory.

Abstract: A storage system comprises a virtual volume configured of multiple virtual areas and a pool configured of multiple actual area groups of different performances. The controller of the storage system manages which actual areas are assigned to which virtual areas and the access load on the actual areas assigned to the virtual areas. The controller, if the access load of a first actual area assigned to a first virtual area is inappropriate for a first actual area group comprising the first actual area, migrates data to a second actual area in a second actual area group which is appropriate for the access load of the first actual area from the first actual area. The controller performs data migration between actual areas for achieving data allocation at a certain point of time based on history information which is the information related to a virtual area at a point of time in the past and an actual area assigned to the virtual area.

Abstract: Memory management methods and computing apparatus with memory management capabilities are disclosed. One exemplary method includes mapping an address from an address space of a physically-mapped device to a first address of a common address space so as to create a first common mapping instance, and encapsulating an existing processor mapping that maps an address from an address space of a processor to a second address of the common address space to create a second common mapping instance. In addition, a third common mapping instance between an address from an address space of a memory-management-unit (MMU) device and a third address of the common address space is created, wherein the first, second, and third addresses of the common address space may be the same address or different addresses, and the first, second, and third common mapping instances may be manipulated using the same function calls.

Abstract: A method and device for upgrading a guest operating system (OS) of an active Virtual Machine (VM). The method includes: replicating the active VM to generate a backup VM; upgrading a guest OS of the backup VM; merging changes to be made to a virtual disk image file during running of the active VM and changes to be made to the virtual disk image file during the upgrading; pausing the backup VM; migrating an active process of a Java application program running in the active VM into the backup VM to generate a backup process; migrating resources occupied by the active process of the Java application program into the backup VM such that the backup process occupies the same resources; and resuming running of the backup VM. The device includes: a replicating unit; an upgrading unit; a merging unit; a migrating unit; and a control unit.

Abstract: A mechanism for on-demand hypervisor memory mapping is disclosed. A method of the invention includes trapping an access instruction to a memory location from a virtual machine (VM) managed by a hypervisor of a host machine, determining whether a number of accesses to the memory location by the VM exceeds a threshold, if the number of accesses to the memory location by the VM does not exceed the threshold, then emulating the access instruction to the memory location on behalf of the VM, and if the number of accesses to the memory location by the VM exceeds the threshold, then allocating guest physical memory for the VM associated with the memory location.

Abstract: A system for identifying an exiting process and removing traces and shadow page table pages corresponding to the process' page table pages. An accessed minimum virtual address is maintained corresponding to an address space. In one embodiment, whenever a page table entry corresponding to the accessed minimum virtual address changes from present to not present, the process is determined to be exiting and removal of corresponding trace and shadow page table pages is begun. In a second embodiment, consecutive present to not-present PTE transitions are tracked for guest page tables on a per address space basis. When at least two guest page tables each has at least four consecutive present to not-present PTE transitions, a next present to not-present PTE transition event in the address space leads to the corresponding guest page table trace being dropped and the shadow page table page being removed.

Abstract: A physical host machine determines that a storage device from a network storage system is available to the host machine as a pass-through disk. Virtualization software running on the host machine assigns the pass-through disk to a temporary resource group on the host machine. The pass-through disk is logically attached to the virtual machine running on the host machine and made available to an operating system and application running on the virtual machine.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for allocating logical memory corresponding to a logical partition in a computing system; generating a S/W PFT data structure corresponding to a first page of the logical memory, wherein the S/W PFT data structure comprises a field indicating that the corresponding first page of logical memory is a klock page; transmitting a request for a page of physical memory and the corresponding S/W PFT data structure to a hypervisor; allocating physical memory corresponding to the request; and, in response to a pageout request, paging out available logical memory corresponding to the logical partition that does not indicate that the corresponding page is a klock page prior to paging out the first page.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and virtual machine for facilitating the communication between VMs. The method of facilitating the communication between a first VM and a second VM includes: allocating a shared memory segment from within the memory of the physical machine; mapping the requested memory space addresses to the shared memory segments in response to the memory space requests from the VMs; and providing the requested memory space addresses. A method of communication from a first VM to a second VM includes: requesting a memory space in response to a notification that a shared memory segment has been allocated; obtaining the requested memory space address, which has been mapped to the allocated shared memory segment; and accessing communication data in the shared memory segment according to the address. The apparatus and virtual machine executes the steps of the methods.

Abstract: Roughly described, a data processing system comprises a memory addressable by a range of physical memory addresses; a plurality of non-privileged software domains each having a virtual memory address space; a privileged software domain; a memory management unit operable to perform virtual address translation of a virtual memory address into a physical memory address; and an I/O device supporting virtualised interfaces each associated with a respective non-privileged software domain, the I/O device comprising an operation management unit operable to perform virtual address translation in one or more of the virtual memory address spaces; wherein, for I/O operations requested by a virtualised interface, the I/O device invokes the operation management unit to perform virtual address translation for those I/O operations meeting first criteria and to invoke the memory management unit to perform virtual address translation for those I/O operations which do not meet the first criteria.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved apparatus and method for the receipt of high-speed sequential data streams. It utilizes the concept of banked memories to reduce the required speed and size of the input buffers used to receive the data streams. This allows the device to employ large, relatively slow memory elements, thereby permitting large amounts of sequential data to be stored by the receiving device. Using control information that was written as the data was being stored in the memory banks, a reordering element is later able to retrieve the data elements from the plurality of memory banks, in an order that is different from that in which the stream was received, and to reassemble the data stream into the original sequence.