Invention Grant
US07644407B2 Method, apparatus and system for seamlessly sharing a graphics device amongst virtual machines
有权
用于在虚拟机之间无缝共享图形设备的方法,装置和系统
- Patent Title: Method, apparatus and system for seamlessly sharing a graphics device amongst virtual machines
- Patent Title (中): 用于在虚拟机之间无缝共享图形设备的方法,装置和系统
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Application No.: US10794914Application Date: 2004-03-05
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Publication No.: US07644407B2Publication Date: 2010-01-05
- Inventor: David J. Cowperthwaite , Michael A. Goldsmith , Kiran S. Panesar
- Applicant: David J. Cowperthwaite , Michael A. Goldsmith , Kiran S. Panesar
- Applicant Address: US CA Santa Clara
- Assignee: Intel Corporation
- Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Santa Clara
- Agent Joni D. Stutman
- Main IPC: G06F9/46
- IPC: G06F9/46 ; G06F9/26 ; G06F3/00

Abstract:
A method, apparatus and system are described for seamlessly and concurrently sharing a graphics device amongst multiple virtual machines (“VMs”) on a host computer. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, a graphics device may be shared by multiple VMs such that only the output of one VM (i.e., the “focus VM”) is displayed on a display device coupled to the host computer. The focus VM may be identified according to a variety of ways. The focus VM may render its output into a frame-buffer and/or an overlay buffer, and the page table entries (“PTEs) that point to the frame-buffer may then be copied to a display buffer in an unused memory location associated with the focus VM. The PTEs may additionally be copied to display buffers in unused memory locations associated with the non-focus VMs on the host. The display buffer may then output its display (via the pointers to the frame buffers) to the display device. This output remains that of the focus VM until a different VM is selected as the new focus VM. The process may then repeat itself.
Public/Granted literature
- US20050210158A1 Method, apparatus and system for seamlessly sharing a graphics device amongst virtual machines Public/Granted day:2005-09-22
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