Techniques for virtualizing PF-VF mailbox communication in SR-IOV devices

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 11586567
APP PUB NO 20210209040A1
SERIAL NO

16817653

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)

Importance

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Abstract

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A virtual machine (VM) has direct access to an I/O device having physical and virtual functions and a mailbox register, and includes a guest driver for controlling the virtual functions. The VM runs on system software that includes a physical driver for controlling the physical function (PF) and maintains VM page tables, which include an entry that references a memory space into which the mailbox register is mapped. The system software registers a callback function with the physical driver, which the physical driver invokes upon receiving a trigger for communication with the guest driver. In response, the system software alters the page tables so that access to the mailbox register causes a PF intercept, and the callback function handles the communication with the guest driver. After completion of the communication, the system software alters the page tables so that access to the mailbox register does not cause a PF intercept.

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Patent Owner(s)

  • VMWARE, INC.

International Classification(s)

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Mohan, Thampi Vivek Bangalore, IN 4 2
Rugina, Radu Palo Alto, US 11 72

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