IP Library Granted Patent US 11,016,795
Granted Patent B2
US 11,016,795 · App. 16/263,121 · Granted May 25, 2021

System and method for virtualizing hot-swappable PCIe devices for virtual machines

Inventors: Bradley K. Goodman (Nashua, NH); Thomas N. Dibb (Rutland, MA)
Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company, LLC
G06F9/45558G06F13/4022G06F13/4081G06F2009/45595G06F2213/0026G06F2213/0058G06F2213/3808
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,016,795
App. No.
16/263,121
Granted
May 25, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, computer program product, and computing system for establishing a connection between a virtualization device and a virtual machine infrastructure. The virtualization device may be configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more PCIe devices. A virtual machine may be executed on the virtual machine infrastructure. Control of the virtualization device may be passed through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine.

Claims (30)

1. A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising:

establishing, via the computing device, a connection between a virtualization device and a virtual machine infrastructure, wherein the virtualization device is configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more PCIe devices that are configured to be one or more of hidden and abstracted behind the virtualization device;

executing a virtual machine on the virtual machine infrastructure; and

passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine, wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine is configured to render the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device inaccessible to the virtual machine infrastructure.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine includes enabling the virtual machine to access the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine is configured to operate when no PCIe devices are communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine includes adding at least one PCIe device during runtime of the virtual machine.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine includes removing at least one PCIe device during runtime of the virtual machine.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine includes preventing an error from the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device from being received by the virtual machine infrastructure.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a number of PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device is greater than a virtual machine infrastructure-imposed limit on a number of pass through devices associated with the virtual machine infrastructure.

9. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing, via the computing device, a connection between a virtualization device and a virtual machine infrastructure, wherein the virtualization device is configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more PCIe devices that are configured to be one or more of hidden and abstracted behind the virtualization device;

executing a virtual machine on the virtual machine infrastructure; and

passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine, wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine is configured to render the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device inaccessible to the virtual machine infrastructure.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine includes enabling the virtual machine to access the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the virtual machine is configured to operate when no PCIe devices are communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine includes adding at least one PCIe device during runtime of the virtual machine.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein modifying the configuration of the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device during runtime of the virtual machine includes removing at least one PCIe device during runtime of the virtual machine.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine includes preventing an error from the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device from being received by the virtual machine infrastructure.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein a number of PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device is greater than a virtual machine infrastructure-imposed limit on a number of pass through devices associated with the virtual machine infrastructure.

17. A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising:

establishing, via the computing device, a connection between a virtualization device and a virtual machine infrastructure, wherein the virtualization device is configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more PCIe devices that are configured to be one or more of hidden and abstracted behind the virtualization device;

executing a virtual machine on the virtual machine infrastructure; and

passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine, wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine is configured to render the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device inaccessible to the virtual machine infrastructure.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein passing control of the virtualization device through the virtual machine infrastructure to the virtual machine includes enabling the virtual machine to access the one or more PCIe devices communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

19. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the virtual machine is configured to operate when no PCIe devices are communicatively coupled to the virtualization device.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2019
From: GOODMAN, BRADLEY K.; DIBB, THOMAS N.
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 048201/0441 →