Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, to track performance and reliability statistics per virtual upstream and downstream port, thereby allowing a system and network management to be performed at finer granularity than what is possible using conventional physical port statistics, is provided. Particularly, a mechanism of managing per-virtual port performance metrics in a logically partitioned data processing system including allocating a subset of resources of a physical adapter to a virtual adapter of a plurality of virtual adapters is provided. The subset of resources includes a virtual port having an identifier assigned thereto. The identifier of the virtual port is associated with an address of a physical port. A metric table is associated with the virtual port, wherein the metric table includes metrics of operations that target the virtual port.

Abstract: A system includes a first and a second network component, and a bridge. The bridge, which resides a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of a host, includes a bridge component, a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) and a second VNIC, wherein the first VNIC is associated with the first network component and the second VNIC is associated with the second network component. Further, the bridge component is configured to send packets received from the first network component to the second network component and to send packets received from the second network component to the first network component.

Abstract: A communication port of a communications interface of an information handling system comprises a plurality of virtual ports. A first command is issued to obtain information indicating a number of images of virtual ports supportable by the communications interface. A second command is then issued requesting the communications interface to virtualize the communication port. In response to the second command, one or more virtual switches are then configured to connect to the communication port, each virtual switch including a plurality of virtual ports, such that the one or more virtual switches are configured in a manner sufficient to support the number of images of virtual ports indicated by the obtained information. Thereafter, upon request via issuance of a third command, a logical link is established between one of the virtual ports of one of the virtual switches and a communicating element of the information handling system.

Abstract: To reduce product development cost, a virtual interfacing device for virtualization of a hardware device of an electronic product operating in an operating system providing a driving unit corresponding to the hardware device is provided. The virtual interfacing device relays communication between the hardware device and a Java application and includes a virtual unit and an event unit. The virtual unit includes virtual data corresponding to the hardware device, and modifies the virtual data or provides the virtual data for the Java application according to access information generated by the Java application. The event unit generates Java event information for the driving unit according to the virtual data or modifies the virtual data according to device event information generated by the driving unit.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for utilizing service information (SI) in digital video broadcasting (DVB), such as for Internet related actions.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter is provided. A mechanism is provided for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter.

Abstract: Described is a technology including a mechanism that when activated, detects a call to a device independent bitmap. An appropriate mirror driver, such as one or more registered as an accessibility driver, may then be notified of the call. The mechanism may be activated upon creation or selection of the device independent bitmap, and may comprise a wrapper/driver that, from the perspective of the mirror driver, simulates a call to a device dependent bitmap. The notification may be performed by having the driver communicate a function call that emulates a drawing primitive to the mirror driver.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for embodiments of the present invention to describe a technique that provides an operation region and associated operation region handler to define a virtual device for extending the functionality of an existing operating system.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to bimodal virtual device approaches (that is, “bimodal devices”). In certain embodiments, the bimodal device is a virtual device that is primarily based on a real piece of hardware to provide a broad degree of compatibility with software running in the guest environment (similar to the hardware device virtualization approach). However, to overcome the problem of poor performance that plague hardware virtual devices, these embodiments also provide an idealized “high-performance mode” that is not found in the original hardware-based device. Software drivers (and other software) developed for interacting with the original hardware device and which are unaware of (and unable to use) the high-performance mode will continue to use the “legacy mode” (hardware virtualization), while enhanced versions of guest software will be able to recognize and utilize the high-performance mode (idealized virtualization).

Abstract: A system for virtualization of a local device includes a proxy configured to report, to a remote system, a status of a local Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) device of the system, and to receive a transaction request designated for the local device from the remote system. The system further includes a generic device driver configured to receive the transaction request for the local device, and to provide a result of the transaction request. The proxy is further configured to provide the result of the transaction request to the remote system. The local device is remote to the remote system, which is configured to include a device-specific driver for the local device. A system for utilizing a local device of a remote system is also provided. The system may include an agent and a virtual bus driver. Methods and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: A method for directly destroying one or more virtual resources that reside within a physical adapter and that are associated with a virtual host. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a mechanism for sharing conventional Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) I/O adapters, PCI-X I/O adapters, PCI-Express I/O adapters, and, in general, any I/O adapter that uses a memory mapped I/O interface for host to adapter communications.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments a logical virtual device may provide the desired functionality using either a virtual device or a physical device connected to a virtual machine. When the physical device is available, a guest operating system executing on a virtual machine (VM) can be instructed to utilize the physical device. When the VM is migrated between hosts of different underlying hardware, or when the physical device becomes unavailable, e.g., through dynamic reconfiguration or reallocation of physical resources, the guest operating system can be instructed to utilize the virtual device instead.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for enabling a computer system to run multiple multipathing software modules which includes: (a) scanning for physical devices; (b) scanning for paths to each of the physical devices; (c) presenting the paths to one or more multipathing software modules of a plurality of multipathing software modules operating within the computer system; (d) the multipathing software modules claiming or rejecting one or more of the one or more paths; and (e) creating and exposing one or more logical devices, wherein each logical device is associated with a multipathing software module.

Abstract: At least one input/output (I/O) firmware partition is provided in a partitioned environment to facilitate access to I/O resources owned by the at least one I/O firmware partition. The I/O resources of an I/O firmware partition are shared by one or more other partitions of the environment, referred to as consumer partitions. The consumer partitions use the I/O firmware partition to access the I/O resources. Since the I/O firmware partitions are responsible for providing access to the I/O resources owned by those partitions, the consumer partitions are relieved of this task, reducing complexity and costs in the consumer partitions.

Abstract: One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of automated registry clean-up for an operating system of a computer system. Interfaces on which each module depends is determined, and a module is marked as obsolete if the module depends on an interface that is non-existent in the operating system. Configuration data is removed from a system registry for modules marked as obsolete. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for passing data between a first device driver and a second device driver. Data to be provided to the second device driver is identified in the first device driver. A data exchange interface within a kernel space is invoked by the first device driver. The data exchange interface initializes a physical to Direct Memory Access (DMA) address translation table for the child device based on an identifier of a direct memory access window. The data is provided to the data exchange interface. The data exchange interface, in the kernel space, writes the data to a data structure maintained and used by the second device driver.

Abstract: A system and method described herein allows a virtual tape library (VTL) to perform multiple simultaneous or parallel read/write or access sessions with disk drives or other storage media, particularly when subject to a sequential SCSI-compliant layer or traditional limitations of VTLs. In one embodiment, a virtualizing or transaction layer can establish multiple sessions with one or more clients to concurrently satisfy the read/write requests of those clients for physical storage resources. A table or other data structure tracks or maps the sessions associated with each client and the location of data on the physical storage devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for automating testing tasks which would otherwise have to be done manually using actual hardware by providing the capability to dynamically create many types of storage devices with different storage media, thus eliminating the need to have test machines with the actual hardware. In one embodiment a virtual storage device driver can be implemented that can be used to simulate various storage devices such as CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, removable disk drives and fixed disk drives. Manual testing tasks such as testing autoplay functionality when a CD is inserted, testing CD burning, and testing CD audio playback can then be automated.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, to track performance and reliability statistics per virtual upstream and downstream port, thereby allowing a system and network management to be performed at finer granularity than what is possible using conventional physical port statistics, is provided. Particularly, a mechanism of managing per-virtual port performance metrics in a logically partitioned data processing system including allocating a subset of resources of a physical adapter to a virtual adapter of a plurality of virtual adapters is provided. The subset of resources includes a virtual port having an identifier assigned thereto. The identifier of the virtual port is associated with an address of a physical port. A metric table is associated with the virtual port, wherein the metric table includes metrics of operations that target the virtual port.

Abstract: A method for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter is provided. A mechanism is provided for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter.

Abstract: An interface for a communications channel, in which blocks of data are divided into multiple sub-blocks for conveyance, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, is virtualized. One or more host drivers may provide an interface with a physical device that supports the communications channel. Virtualization software emulates a virtual device that appears to support the communications channel, and one or more guest drivers may provide an interface with the virtual device, so that the guest drivers receive one or more guest data block buffers for use in conveying data over the communications channel and generate multiple corresponding guest data sub-block buffers for each guest data block buffer, and the virtualization software obtains access to the guest data sub-block buffers. The guest data sub-block buffers are scanned for an indication of a boundary between multiple guest data block buffers, such as an IOC (Interrupt on Complete) flag being set.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which a human interface device (e.g., a keyboard or mouse) physically coupled to a first computing machine controls a second computing machine in an aggregated computer system. When the first computing machine enters a device producer state with respect to the human interface device, the first machine routes the human interface device data to the second computing machine. The second computing machine receives the human interface device data, and simulates a physical connection of the human interface device to the second computing machine by providing the human interface device data to a virtual device driver loaded on the second computing machine. The virtual device driver may be registered with a virtual bus driver to receive the data.

Abstract: Described is an aggregate computer system that operates by sharing devices of networked computing machines. A consumer machine uses a real device of a producer machine as a virtual device, by coupling the real driver of the real device over the network to a virtual driver of the consumer machine. Each machine may include an aggregate device manager that manages the virtual devices, and/or an aggregate connection manager that processes communications received over at least two different types of networks. Each machine may include a virtual bus and virtual bus driver that simulates a physical connection of a remote device to that machine via a bus. Upon receiving a request to plug-in a virtual device, the consumer machines queries for information of the device, and loads a virtual driver based on the device information when received. The consumer machine may query by sending plug-and-play events to the virtual bus.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing tray devices. A tray slot module creates a tray slot object of a tray slot class that extends a SMI-S CIM CIM_Slot class. The tray slot object describes a tray slot. A tray physical package module creates a tray physical package object of a tray physical package class that extends a SIM-S CIM CIM_PhysicalPackage class. The tray physical package object describes a tray device, references the tray slot object, and comprises a universal unique identifier. A tray object module creates a tray object of a tray class that extends SMI-S CIM CIM_LogicalDevice class. The tray object describes a tray, is referenced by a SMI-S CIM CIM_ComputerSystem object, references the tray physical package object, and comprises a device identifier. A management module manages the tray device using the tray slot object, tray physical package object, and tray object.

Abstract: A system and method that facilitates control of the power states of a mobile device's wireless radios. Radios can be collectively turned off in a straightforward, intuitive operation, and can be restored to a powered-on state in a similar manner. In addition to collective powering down and restoring, the power states of individual radios can be controlled in a selective manner. When any radio is on, a connectivity dialog provides a link for collectively turning wireless devices off. When no radios are on, the connectivity dialog provides a corresponding link to turn wireless radios on, which may be only those that were on prior to the collective shutdown. A settings user interface, such as accessible via a link on the connectivity dialog, provides on/off radio buttons and checkboxes that enable the selective control of radio power state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing driver configuration operations without a system reboot is disclosed. In one embodiment, a network server's adapter driver receives a request to change a configuration of a selected instance of a plurality of instances. In response, the adapter driver may then determine if there is data flow through the selected instance. If there is no data flow through the selected instance, the method includes blocking subsequent data flow and subsequent information requests issued to the adapter driver. The selected instance may then be reinitializing without rebooting the server.

Abstract: An electronic Input/Output Interface and device abstraction system used in gaming machines includes: a game central processing unit (game “CPU”); an intelligent input/output controller board (“IOCB”); an Industry Standard Architecture PC bus (“ISA” bus); and a framed message transport protocol. The IOCB facilitates communications between the game CPU and virtual device services, which are peripheral devices associated with the gaming system. The game CPU communicates to gaming peripherals by sending virtual device messages across the ISA bus to the IOCB. The IOCB routes virtual device messages to appropriate virtual device services. Virtual device services are responsible for handling specific hardware, and include virtual device drivers on the game CPU that communicate with virtual devices on the IOCB. Use of the IOCB and the high speed interface enables the game CPU to use more of its available functions for controlling gaming functions rather than one operation of its associated peripheral devices.

Abstract: By loading deprivileged drivers, such as third party supplied drivers, into a virtual machine under control of a virtual machine monitor, a kernel may be protected from faults that arise on those drivers. When a fault is detected, the system may transition from a guest mode, wherein the third party drivers operate through the virtual machine monitor, to a monitor mode, wherein the monitor takes control and provides appropriate correction if possible. In some cases, the virtual machine monitor may simply destroy and restart the virtual machine. In such cases, it may be possible to overcome the faults without crashing the entire operating system.

Abstract: Embodiments described are generally directed to a system and method for providing virtualized hardware resources within a virtual execution environment. In one embodiment, it is determined whether an operating system (OS) is a guest OS running within a virtual execution environment of a host platform. If an OS is determined to be a guest OS within a virtual execution environment, a virtual driver is provided for the virtual execution to fetch host hardware initiator information from a host server via a virtualization layer. In one embodiment, no corresponding guest driver is available to the virtual execution environment. In one embodiment, the virtualization layer provides virtualized hardware resources, including the virtual driver, for a virtual execution environment. Using the host hardware initiator information, in one embodiment, one or more virtual storage devices may be created within the host attached storage of the host platform. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A communication path is established that allows for communication between a filter graph space and a network driver space in a system. The communication path allows bidirectional communication between a filter graph driver in the filter graph space and a network driver in the network driver space. Addresses of data can be passed from the network driver to the filter graph driver, which allows the filter graph driver to communicate with a filter graph manager as necessary to configure the filter graph space to obtain data from the requested address. The data obtained from the address is then passed from the filter graph driver to the network driver.

Abstract: A communication path is established that allows for communication between a filter graph space and a network driver space in a system. The communication path allows bi-directional communication between a filter graph driver in the filter graph space and a network driver in the network driver space. Addresses of data can be passed from the network driver to the filter graph driver, which allows the filter graph driver to communicate with a filter graph manager as necessary to configure the filter graph space to obtain data from the requested address. The data obtained from the address is then passed from the filter graph driver to the network driver.

Abstract: A data communication system is configured to communicatively link a host device and a client device with a point-to-point data communication link, where the point-to-point data communication link is configured with multipoint network data communication components designed for data communication over a distributed network. A data communication interface at the host device is communicatively linked with a data communication interface driver via the point-to-point data communication link between the host device and the client device. The data communication interface driver communicates with a virtual driver component for the client device via a virtual network at the client device.

Abstract: A device for secure access to digital media contents, the device comprising an access means for accessing digital media contents from a data source and a reader for authenticating a user, the authentication being performed by checking some authentication data. An internal communication path between the access means and the reader is not directly accessible from outside the device.

Abstract: An I/O adapter sharing mechanism in a logically partitioned computer system allows sharing a network I/O adapter between logical partitions in an efficient manner. A first logical partition owns (or controls) the I/O adapter, and a second logical partition desires to use (or share) the I/O adapter. An I/O adapter device driver that includes a hardware interface is provided in the first logical partition. A virtual device driver is provided in the second logical partition that provides a set of functions that is at least partially defined by querying the I/O adapter device driver in the first logical partition. The I/O adapter sharing mechanism includes a transfer mechanism that allows data to be transferred directly from the virtual device driver in the second logical partition to the I/O adapter without passing through the I/O adapter device driver in the first logical partition.

Abstract: A system and method for migration of single root stateless virtual functions are provided. A Single-Root PCI Configuration Manager (SR-PCIM) provides a system image (SI) with possible virtual function (VF) migration scenarios supported by the endpoint (EP). The SR-PCIM may be instructed that a stateless migration of a VF and its associated application(s) from one SI to another is required. Outstanding requests to the VF are completed and any applications associated with the VF are removed from the SI and the VF is detached from its associated physical function (PF). The SWI may then attach the VF to a target PF which may be in the same or a different EP. The SWI makes the VF available to the SI with which the VF is now associated and the SI configures the VF thereby making it available for use by associated applications.

Abstract: An I/O adapter sharing mechanism in a logically partitioned computer system allows sharing a network I/O adapter between logical partitions in an efficient manner. A first logical partition owns (or controls) the I/O adapter, and a second logical partition desires to use (or share) the I/O adapter. An I/O adapter device driver that includes a hardware interface is provided in the first logical partition. A virtual device driver is provided in the second logical partition that provides a set of functions that is at least partially defined by querying the I/O adapter device driver in the first logical partition. The I/O adapter sharing mechanism includes a transfer mechanism that allows data to be transferred directly from the virtual device driver in the second logical partition to the I/O adapter without passing through the I/O adapter device driver in the first logical partition.

Abstract: A virtual driver is enabled and a class driver is bypassed to provide at least one functionality different than that of the bypassed class driver. A filter driver is initialized in the stack of a class driver in order to bypass the class driver. The filter driver receives inputs associated with the input device and/or application emulating an input device and passes the input data to a virtual driver. The virtual driver provides data to an operating system for functionality that is at least partially different than that of the bypassed class driver.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing requests for data by processes in a data processing system. Requests for data from the processes in slave mode are tracked. Data received by a device driver is stored, wherein the data may originate from multiple masters. The data is sent to the processes, wherein the device driver is not required to handle requests for the processes in slave mode.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transferring data from a master to a set of applications executing on a slave. Data is received from a master at a device driver in the slave. The data is parsed for an identifier by a virtual hub in the slave, wherein the identifier is associated with the data by the master. The data is sent to an application within the set of applications based on the identifier.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, to track performance and reliability statistics per virtual upstream and downstream port, thereby allowing a system and network management to be performed at finer granularity than what is possible using conventional physical port statistics, is provided. Particularly, a mechanism of managing per-virtual port performance metrics in a logically partitioned data processing system including allocating a subset of resources of a physical adapter to a virtual adapter of a plurality of virtual adapters is provided. The subset of resources includes a virtual port having an identifier assigned thereto. The identifier of the virtual port is associated with an address of a physical port. A metric table is associated with the virtual port, wherein the metric table includes metrics of operations that target the virtual port.

Abstract: A data communication system is configured to communicatively link a host device and a client device with a point-to-point data communication link, where the point-to-point data communication link is configured with multipoint network data communication components designed for data communication over a distributed network. A data communication interface at the host device is communicatively linked with a data communication interface driver via the point-to-point data communication link between the host device and the client device. The data communication interface driver communicates with a virtual driver component for the client device via a virtual network at the client device.

Abstract: A method and system for printing from a guest operating system that executes in a virtual PC. In the guest operating system, a special printer driver (or extension to an existing printer driver) is installed. The printer driver receives print data from the guest operating system and applications that execute therein. The printer driver or an extension thereof forwards the print data or data derived therefrom to a host component that executes in a host operating system. The host component forwards the print data or data derived therefrom to the normal print mechanisms within the host operating system.

Abstract: A multiple logical node apparatus includes: an OS operated in the multiple logical node apparatus; an application operated under the OS; a physical network device for performing communication with a network medium, which is mounted on the multiple logical node apparatus; a virtual network device implemented by software; a first device driver for controlling the physical network device, being incorporated in the OS; and a second device driver for controlling the virtual network device, being incorporated in the OS.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides for handling communications between an application and a device through a device driver. Calls or commands are used by the device driver to access the hardware that are common to a number of different types of devices that are to be handled by the device driver. These calls or commands are used to store or save away information in the device when an application accessing the device shifts into a background state from a foreground state. These commands are used to restore information to the device when the application shifts back into the foreground state from the background state. In addition, a range of I/O ports used to access the devices are identified and predicted. For example, with video adapters, port address ranges are trapped for addresses identified through both PCI and VESA BIOSES.

Abstract: Accessing some storage-area networks (SANs) requires a client computer to include a special electronic component, known as a host bus adapter (HBA). However, the present inventor recognized that conventional host bus adapters add considerable expense to the cost of accessing the storage-area network. Accordingly, the present inventor devised a host bus adapter that is implemented in software and thus referred to as a “virtual” host bus adapter. One exemplary embodiment of the virtual host bus adapter includes a hardware-emulation module that makes the virtual host bus adapter appear to operating system environments as a conventional host bust adapter with dedicated hardware.

Abstract: A data communication system is configured to communicatively link a host device and a client device with a point-to-point data communication link, where the point-to-point data communication link is configured with multipoint network data communication components designed for data communication over a distributed network. A data communication interface at the host device is communicatively linked with a data communication interface driver via the point-to-point data communication link between the host device and the client device. The data communication interface driver communicates with a virtual driver component for the client device via a virtual network at the client device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor comprises one or more registers and a control unit. The registers are configured to store interrupt state describing a virtual interrupt. The control unit is configured to initiate the virtual interrupt responsive to the interrupt state. In another embodiment, a method comprises storing an interrupt state describing a virtual interrupt in a storage area allocated to a guest. A processor initiates the virtual interrupt subsequent to initiating execution of the guest, responsive to the interrupt state. In still another embodiment, a computer accessible medium stores a plurality of instructions comprising instructions which, when executed on a processor in response to a physical interrupt: determine a guest into which a virtual interrupt corresponding to the physical interrupt is to be injected; and store an interrupt state describing the virtual interrupt in a storage area allocated to the guest.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an extensibility model to create device simulators. The system and method provide a generalized framework for the simulation of hardware devices controlled by software drivers with user and kernel mode programmability. The present invention also provides a framework that facilitates communication between applications operating user address space of an operating system and device drivers and device simulators operating in kernel mode address space of the operating system. In one embodiment, a framework provides a bi-directional communication channel that allows a test application in user address space of an operating system to communicate with a computer component operating in kernel address space of the operating system.

Abstract: A system for providing access to a data stream by a plurality of users at a same time. A data stream splitter manager listens for new client device connections. When a new client device connection is identified, the data stream splitter manager generates a pseudo-terminal for the client device and adds the client device and pseudo-terminal information to a data stream splitter table. In addition, a data stream splitter is generated to handle the data transfer. The data stream splitter searches the data stream splitter table for client devices participating in a system resource sharing session. The data stream splitter sends a data stream associated with the shared system resource to the associated client device pseudo-terminals. Also, the data stream splitter sends data from the client devices to the pseudo-terminals and then to the data stream. Consequently, client devices involved in the session has shared system resource access.

Abstract: A power management mechanism for use in a computer system having a bus, a memory for storing data and instructions, and a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU runs an operating system having a power management virtual device driver (PMV×D) responsible for performing idle detection for devices. The PMV×D performs idle detection using event timers that provide an indicator as to the activity level. The PMV×D places idle local devices in a reduced power consumption state when no activity has occurred for a predetermined period of time.