Systems and methods for development of emulated devices in a virtual machine environment
The present invention discloses dynamically adding virtual devices to a virtual computing environment. The system described in the invention includes a virtualized computing system with a manifest, which further includes device lists and an external device directory, which provides users of the virtualized computing system with a directory for adding software plug-ins that contain specifications needed to add virtual devices to the virtual computing environment. Certain embodiments are specifically directed to providing a method of adding and configuring virtual devices. Certain embodiments are specifically directed to providing a method of operating a virtualized computing system wherein the host operating system and the virtual devices progress through a series of states, such as: initializing, powering up, loading a stored state, operating in normal state, saving state for future restoration, powering down, and tearing down and turning off.
1. A method for a virtual computing environment to dynamically add virtual hardware devices, said method comprising:
scanning, by a computer system, an external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties;
receiving, by the computer system, input selecting at least one new virtual hardware device and input selecting a specific set of properties from the plurality of properties, the specific set of properties defining operational characteristics of the virtual hardware device;
acquiring, by the computer system, said selected specific set of properties from the external service directory for the at least one new virtual hardware device;
storing, by the computer system, the specific set of properties for the virtual hardware device in the device listing;
presenting, by the computer system, said selected specific set of properties to a virtual machine operating in said virtual computing environment; and
utilizing, by the computer system, said specific set of selected properties to instantiate a new virtual hardware device having the specific set of properties.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining said device list in an emulation program.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
executing, by the computer system, a virtual machine monitor, the virtual machine monitor having access to a first virtual machine device list, a second virtual machine device list, and the external device directory;
executing, by the computer system, the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the first virtual machine device list, the first virtual machine effectuating a first guest operating system; and
executing, by the computer system, the second virtual machine, the second virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the second virtual machine device list, the second virtual machine effectuating a second guest operating system.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein scanning, by the computer system, the external service directory further comprises:
scanning, by the virtual machine monitor, the external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and second device lists are maintained by an emulation program.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new virtual hardware device includes a virtual hardware device based on a design for a physical hardware device.
7. A computer system configured to add a virtual hardware device to a virtual machine, the computer system comprising:
a processor;
a computer readable storage medium operatively coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium including encoded instructions that are executable by the processor, the computer readable storage medium comprising:
instructions for scanning an external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties;
instructions for receiving input selecting at least one new virtual hardware device and input selecting a specific set of properties from the plurality of properties, the specific set of properties defining operational characteristics of the virtual hardware device;
instructions for acquiring said selected specific set of properties from the external service directory for the at least one new virtual hardware device;
instructions for storing the specific set of properties for the virtual hardware device in the device listing;
instructions for presenting said selected specific set of properties to a virtual machine operating in said virtual computing environment; and
instructions for utilizing said specific set of selected properties to instantiate a new virtual hardware device having the specific set of properties.
8. The computer system of claim 7 , further comprising:
instructions for executing a virtual machine monitor, the virtual machine monitor having access to a first virtual machine device list, a second virtual machine device list, and the external device directory;
instructions for executing the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the first virtual machine device list, the first virtual machine effectuating a first guest operating system; and
instructions for executing the second virtual machine, the second virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the second virtual machine device list, the second virtual machine effectuating a second guest operating system.
9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein scanning the external service directory further comprises:
instructions for scanning, by the virtual machine monitor, the external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties.
10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second device lists are maintained by an emulation program.
11. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the new virtual hardware device includes a virtual hardware device based on a design for a physical hardware device.
12. A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions for adding a virtual hardware device to a virtual machine, the instructions that when executed, perform the following method:
scanning an external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties;
receiving input selecting at least one new virtual hardware device and input selecting a specific set of properties from the plurality of properties, the specific set of properties defining operational characteristics of the virtual hardware device;
acquiring said selected specific set of properties from the external service directory for the at least one new virtual hardware device;
storing the specific set of properties for the virtual hardware device in the device listing;
presenting said selected specific set of properties to a virtual machine operating in said virtual computing environment; and
utilizing said specific set of selected properties to instantiate a new virtual hardware device having the specific set of properties.
13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising:
executing a virtual machine monitor, the virtual machine monitor having access to a first virtual machine device list, a second virtual machine device list, and the external device directory;
executing a first virtual machine, the first virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the first virtual machine device list, the first virtual machine effectuating a first guest operating system; and
executing a second virtual machine, the second virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the second virtual machine device list, the second virtual machine effectuating a second guest operating system.
14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein scanning the external service directory further comprises:
scanning, by the virtual machine monitor, the external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties.
15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the first and second device lists are maintained by an emulation program.
16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the new virtual hardware device includes a virtual hardware device based on a design for a physical hardware device.
17. A hardware control device for adding a virtual hardware device to a virtual machine, the hardware control device comprising:
processor means for scanning an external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties;
processor means for receiving input selecting at least one new virtual hardware device and input selecting a specific set of properties from the plurality of properties, the specific set of properties defining operational characteristics of the virtual hardware device;
processor means for acquiring said selected specific set of properties from the external service directory for the at least one new virtual hardware device;
processor means for storing the specific set of properties for the virtual hardware device in the device listing;
processor means for presenting said selected specific set of properties to a virtual machine operating in said virtual computing environment; and
processor means for utilizing said specific set of selected properties to instantiate a new virtual hardware device having the specific set of properties.
18. The hardware control device of claim 17 , further comprising:
processor means for executing a virtual machine monitor, the virtual machine monitor having access to a first virtual machine device list, a second virtual machine device list, and the external device directory;
processor means for executing the first virtual machine, the first virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the first virtual machine device list, the first virtual machine effectuating a first guest operating system; and
processor means for executing the second virtual machine, the second virtual machine having virtual devices listed in the second virtual machine device list, the second virtual machine effectuating a second guest operating system.
19. The hardware control device of claim 17 , wherein scanning the external service directory further comprises:
processor means for scanning, by the virtual machine monitor, the external service directory having a plurality of virtual hardware devices, each virtual hardware device having a plurality of properties.
20. The hardware control device of claim 19 , wherein the first and second device lists are maintained by an emulation program.
21. The hardware control device of claim 17 , wherein the new virtual hardware device includes a virtual hardware device based on a design for a physical hardware device.