公开(公告)号：US09535772B2

公开(公告)日：2017-01-03

申请号：US14572516

申请日：2014-12-16

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch

IPC: G06F9/00 ,  G06F9/54 ,  G06F9/455

CPC classification number: G06F9/544 ,  G06F9/45558 ,  G06F2009/45587 ,  G06F2009/45591

Abstract: In a computer system operable at multiple hierarchical privilege levels, a “wait-for-event” (WFE) communication channel between components operating at different privilege levels is established. Initially, a central processing unit (CPU) is configured to to “trap” WFE instructions issued by a client, such as an operating system, operating at one privilege level to an agent, such as a hypervisor, operating at a more privileged level. After storing a predefined special sequence in a storage component (e.g., a register), the client executes a WFE instruction. As part of trapping the WFE instruction, the agent reads and interprets the special sequence from the storage component and may respond to the special sequence by storing another special sequence in a storage component that is accessible to the client. Advantageously, the client may leverage this WFE communication channel to establish low-overhead watchdog functionality for the client.

Abstract translation: 在可操作于多个分级特权级别的计算机系统中，建立以不同权限级别操作的组件之间的“等待事件”（WFE）通信信道。 最初，中央处理单元（CPU）被配置为“以特殊级别操作的代理（例如虚拟机管理程序）”捕获由诸如操作系统的客户端发出的WFE指令。 在将预定义的特殊序列存储在存储组件（例如，寄存器）中之后，客户机执行WFE指令。 作为捕获WFE指令的一部分，代理从存储组件读取和解释特殊序列，并且可以通过将另一个特殊序列存储在客户端可访问的存储组件中来响应特殊序列。 有利地，客户端可以利用该WFE通信信道为客户端建立低开销看门狗功能。

公开(公告)号：US12190122B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17403399

申请日：2021-08-16

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch ,  William Lam

IPC: G06F9/4401 ,  G06F8/61 ,  G06F9/455

Abstract: Examples provide for automatically provisioning hosts in a cloud environment. A cloud daemon generates a cloud host-state configuration, for a given cloud instance of a host, stored on a cloud metadata service prior to first boot of the given cloud instance of the host. A first boot of a plurality of cloud instances of hosts is performed using a stateless, master boot image lacking host-specific configuration data. On completion of the first boot of a given cloud instance of a host, the cloud host-state configuration is installed on the master boot image to generate a self-configured boot image including host-specific configuration data for the given cloud instance of the host. A second boot is performed on the given cloud instance of the host by executing the self-configured boot image to automatically provision the given cloud instance of the host in the cloud environment.

公开(公告)号：US10795813B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-06

申请号：US16420549

申请日：2019-05-23

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Cyprien Laplace ,  Harvey Tuch ,  Andrei Warkentin ,  Adrian Drzewiecki

IPC: G06F12/02 ,  G06F12/04 ,  G06F12/06 ,  G06F9/455

Abstract: A computer system provides a mechanism for assuring a safe, non-preemptible access to a private data area (PRDA) belonging to a CPU. PRDA accesses generally include obtaining an address of a PRDA and performing operations on the PRDA using the obtained address. Safe, non-preemptible access to a PRDA generally ensures that a context accesses the PRDA of the CPU on which the context is executing, but not the PRDA of another CPU. While a context executes on a first CPU, the context obtains the address of the PRDA. After the context is migrated to a second CPU, the context performs one or more operations on the PRDA belonging to the second CPU using the address obtained while the context executed on the first CPU. In another embodiment, preemption and possible migration of a context from one CPU to another CPU is delayed while a context executes non-preemptible code.

公开(公告)号：US10564983B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US15183192

申请日：2016-06-15

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch ,  Cyprien Laplace ,  Alexander Fainkichen

IPC: G06F9/4401 ,  G01D11/30 ,  G06F12/0842 ,  H04N5/225

Abstract: An example method of initializing a plurality of processors in a hardware platform of computing device for use by system software executing on the hardware platform includes: parsing a descriptor table that has been loaded into memory from firmware to identify an original boot protocol for initializing at least one secondary processor of the plurality of processors; creating at least one mailbox structure in the memory associated with the at least one secondary processor; causing the at least one secondary processor to execute secondary processor initialization code stored in the memory, the secondary processor initialization code implementing a mailbox-based boot protocol that uses the at least one mailbox structure to initialize the at least one secondary processor; and modifying the descriptor table to identify the mailbox-based boot protocol for initializing the at least one secondary processor in place of the original boot protocol.

公开(公告)号：US20190179646A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US16149971

申请日：2018-10-02

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch ,  William Lam

IPC: G06F9/4401 ,  G06F8/61 ,  G06F9/455

Abstract: Examples provide for automatically provisioning hosts in a cloud environment. A cloud daemon generates a cloud host-state configuration, for a given cloud instance of a host, stored on a cloud metadata service prior to first boot of the given cloud instance of the host. A first boot of a plurality of cloud instances of hosts is performed using a stateless, master boot image lacking host-specific configuration data. On completion of the first boot of a given cloud instance of a host, the cloud host-state configuration is installed on the master boot image to generate a self-configured boot image including host-specific configuration data for the given cloud instance of the host. A second boot is performed on the given cloud instance of the host by executing the self-configured boot image to automatically provision the given cloud instance of the host in the cloud environment.

公开(公告)号：US10114659B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-30

申请号：US15282893

申请日：2016-09-30

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch ,  William Lam

IPC: G06F9/44 ,  G06F9/4401 ,  G06F9/455

Abstract: Examples provide for automatically provisioning hosts in a cloud environment. A cloud daemon generates a cloud host-state configuration, for a given cloud instance of a host, stored on a cloud metadata service prior to first boot of the given cloud instance of the host. A first boot of a plurality of cloud instances of hosts is performed using a stateless, master boot image lacking host-specific configuration data. On completion of the first boot of a given cloud instance of a host, the cloud host-state configuration is installed on the master boot image to generate a self-configured boot image including host-specific configuration data for the given cloud instance of the host. A second boot is performed on the given cloud instance of the host by executing the self-configured boot image to automatically provision the given cloud instance of the host in the cloud environment.

公开(公告)号：US09952990B2

公开(公告)日：2018-04-24

申请号：US14876845

申请日：2015-10-07

Applicant: VMWARE, INC.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Irfan Ulla Khan ,  Cyprien Laplace ,  Harvey Tuch ,  Alexander Fainkichen

IPC: G06F13/24 ,  G06F13/00 ,  G06F13/26

CPC classification number: G06F13/26

Abstract: A method is provided for handling interrupts in a processor, the interrupts including regular interrupts having a range of priorities and a pseudo non-maskable interrupt (PNMI) that is of a higher priority than any of the regular interrupts. The method includes obtaining an interrupt vector corresponding to a received interrupt, and if the received interrupt is a PNMI, executing a PNMI interrupt handler. If the received interrupt is a regular interrupt, the method further comprises reading a mask flag that indicates whether regular interrupts are enabled in an interrupt controller and further: if the mask flag indicates that regular interrupts are enabled, enabling interrupts in the processor so that a PNMI can be received while handling the regular interrupt, executing, a regular interrupt handler, and disabling interrupts in the processor; and if the mask flag indicates that regular interrupts are disabled, saving the interrupt vector for subsequent handling.

公开(公告)号：US09864708B2

公开(公告)日：2018-01-09

申请号：US14572511

申请日：2014-12-16

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Andrei Warkentin ,  Harvey Tuch

IPC: G06F12/00 ,  G11C7/00 ,  G06F13/24 ,  G06F9/455

CPC classification number: G06F13/24 ,  G06F9/45558 ,  G06F2009/45579 ,  G06F2009/45583 ,  G06F2009/45587

Abstract: In a computer system operable at multiple hierarchical privilege levels, a “wait-for-event” (WFE) communication channel between components operating at different privilege levels is established. Initially, a central processing unit (CPU) is configured to “trap” WFE instructions issued by a client, such as an operating system, operating at one privilege level to an agent, such as a hypervisor, operating at a more privileged level. After storing a predefined special sequence in a storage component (e.g., a register), the client executes a WFE instruction. As part of trapping the WFE instruction, the agent reads and interprets the special sequence from the storage component and may respond to the special sequence by storing another special sequence in a storage component that is accessible to the client. Advantageously, a client may leverage this WFE communication channel to safely and reliably detect whether an agent is present.

公开(公告)号：US09251102B2

公开(公告)日：2016-02-02

申请号：US14462364

申请日：2014-08-18

Applicant: VMware, Inc.

Inventor： Harvey Tuch ,  Prashanth P. Bungale ,  Scott W. Devine ,  Lawrence S. Rogel

IPC: G06F12/00 ,  G06F12/14 ,  G06F12/10

CPC classification number: G06F12/1483 ,  G06F12/1009 ,  G06F12/145 ,  G06F2212/151

Abstract: A computing system includes a guest domain access control register (DACR), and guest first and second level page tables, the page tables containing domain identifiers used to obtain domain access information and access permission information, and the domain access information and the access permission information providing an effective guest access permission. The computing system provides a shadow page table, in which domain identifiers are used to identify domain access information in a processor DACR that are mapped from domain access information in the guest DACR, and in which access permissions are mapped from effective access permission information in the guest page tables and guest DACR. A memory management unit in the processor traverses the shadow page table, accesses the processor DACR, and combines the mapped domain access information in the processor with the mapped access permission in the shadow page table to reflect the guest intended effective access permissions.

Abstract translation: 计算系统包括访客域访问控制寄存器（DACR）和访客第一和第二级页表，包含用于获取域访问信息和访问许可信息的域标识符的页表，以及域访问信息和访问许可信息 提供有效的访客权限。 计算系统提供了一个影子页表，其中使用域标识符来识别处理器DACR中的域访问信息，该处理器DACR是从客户机DACR中的域访问信息映射的，并且访问权限被映射到 访客页表和客人DACR。 处理器中的存储器管理单元遍历影子页表，访问处理器DACR，并将处理器中映射的域访问信息与影子页表中的映射的访问权限组合，以反映客户预期的有效访问权限。