SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BIMODAL DEVICE VIRTUALIZATION OF ACTUAL AND IDEALIZED HARDWARE-BASED DEVICES

• Main Author: ERIC TRAUT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 16.06.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to bimodal virtual device approaches (that is, "bimodal devices"). In certain embodiments, the bimodal device is a virtual device that is primarily based on a real piece of hardware to provide a broad degree of compatibility with software running in the guest environment (similar to the hardware device virtualization approach). However, to overcome the problem of poor performance that plague hardware virtual devices, these embodiments also provide an idealized "high-performance mode" that is not found in the original hardware-based device. Software drivers (and other software) developed for interacting with the original hardware device and which are unaware of (and unable to use) the high-performance mode will continue to use the "legacy mode" (hardware virtualization), while enhanced versions of guest software will be able to recognize and utilize the high-performance mode (idealized virtualization). Varias modalidades de la presente invencion esta dirigidas a aspectos del dispositivo virtual bimodal (es decir, "dispositivos bimodales"). En ciertas modalidades, el dispositivo bimodal es un dispositivo virtual que esta principalmente basado en una parte real de hardware para proveer un amplio grado de compatibilidad con software que opera en el entorno invitado (similar al metodo de virtualizacion del dispositivo de hardware). Sin embargo, para superar el problema de pobre rendimiento que infecta los dispositivos virtuales de hardware, estas modalidades tambien proporcionan un "modo de alto rendimiento" idealizado que no se encuentra en el dispositivo basado en hardware original. Los controladores de software (y otro software) desarrollado para interactuar con el dispositivo de hardware original y el cual desconoce (y es incapaz de utilizar) el modo de alto rendimiento continuara utilizando el "modo de legado" (virtualizacion de hardware), mientas las versiones mejoradas del software invitado seran capaces de reconocer y utilizar el modo de alto rendimiento (virtualizacion idealizada).