Dynamic provisioning of virtual video memory based on virtual video controller configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9886312-B2
Application number	US-201113247116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2011
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

Memory is reserved in a virtualized computing environment for graphics processing of each child partition in the computing environment. A video memory controller can identify video settings for child partitions. The video memory controller can determine an amount of memory for graphics processing for a child partition based on the video settings for that child partition. The video memory can also request an amount of memory to be reserved for that child partition based on the calculated amount of memory. Reserving memory for graphics processing of child partitions in this way allows for a sufficient amount of memory to be reserved for a child partition without wasting memory resources by reserving significantly more memory than is needed for the child partition.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of dynamically provisioning memory for graphics processing in a virtual computing environment, the virtual computing environment comprising a video memory controller and being capable of hosting a plurality of child partitions, the method comprising:
receiving, by the video memory controller in the virtual computing environment, a first input comprising an indication of at least one video setting of one or more displays to be associated with a first child partition;
determining, by the video memory controller, a first amount of memory for graphics processing for the first child partition based on the at least one video setting indicated by the first input;
negotiating and authorizing, by the video memory controller, a negotiated amount of memory for the first child partition different from a video setting stored in the virtual computing environment prior to the child partition being provisioned;
requesting, by the video memory controller, that a first requested amount of memory in the virtual computing environment be reserved for the graphics processing for the first child partition, wherein the first requested amount of memory is based on at least one of the first amount of memory or the negotiated amount of memory; and
provisioning the virtual computing environment with the first child partition after receiving the first input, after determining the first amount of memory, and after requesting that the first requested amount of memory in the virtual computing environment be reserved.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the video memory controller in the virtual computing environment, a second input comprising an indication of at least one video setting of one or more displays to be associated with a second child partition;
determining, by the video memory controller, the second amount of memory based on the at least one video setting indicated by the second input;
requesting, by the video memory controller, that a second requested amount of memory in the virtual computing environment be reserved for graphics processing for the second child partition, wherein the second requested amount of memory is based on the second amount of memory; and
provisioning the second child partition in the virtual computing environment after receiving the second input, after determining the second amount of memory, and after requesting that the second requested amount of memory in the virtual computing environment be reserved.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a value of the at least one video setting for the first child partition is different from a value of a corresponding at least one video setting for the second child partition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first requested amount of memory is different from the second requested amount of memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one video setting for the first child partition comprises one or more of the group consisting of: an indication of a height, an indication of a width, an indication of a color depth, an indication of a number of buffer display images, and an indication of a number of displays.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one video setting for the first child partition comprises one or more of the group consisting of: an indication of a number of displays, and an indication of an amount of memory for a display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored video setting has been stored in a parent partition of the virtual computing environment prior to the child partition being provisioned.

8. A computing system, comprising:
a plurality of child partitions; and
a video memory controller configured to:
receive a first input comprising an indication of at least one video setting of one or more displays to be associated with a first child partition;
determine, based on the at least one video setting indicated by the first input, a first amount of memory for graphics processing for the first child partition;
negotiate and authorize, by the video memory controller, a negotiated amount of memory for the first child partition different from a video setting stored in the virtual computing environment prior to the child partition being provisioned; and
request that a first requested amount of memory in the computing system be reserved for the graphics processing for the first child partition, wherein the first requested amount of memory is based on at least one of the first amount of memory or the negotiated amount of memory;
the computing system being provisioned with the first child partition as one of the plurality of child partitions after the video memory controller receives the first input, after the video memory controller determines the first amount of memory, and after the video memory controller requests that the first requested amount of memory in the computing system be reserved.

9. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the video memory controller is further configured to:
receive a second input comprising an indication of at least one video setting of one or more displays to be associated with a second child partition;
determine, based on the at least one video setting indicated by the second input, a second amount of memory for graphics processing for the second child partition; and
request that a second requested amount of memory in the computing system be reserved for the graphics processing for the second child partition, wherein the second requested amount of memory is based on the second amount of memory;
the computing system being configured to provision the second child partition as one of the plurality of child partitions in the computing system after the video memory controller receives the second input, after the video memory controller determines the second amount of memory, and after the video memory controller requests that the second requested amount of memory in the computing system be reserved.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein a value of the at least one video setting for the first child partition is different from a value of a corresponding at least one video setting for the second child partition.

11. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the first requested amount of memory is different from the second requested amount of memory.

12. The computing system of claim 8 , the system further comprising:
a parent partition comprising the video memory controller.

13. The computing system of claim 8 , the system further comprising:
a hypervisor comprising the video memory controller.

14. A computer readable disk or device having instructions embodied thereon for dynamically provisioning memory for graphics processing in a virtual computing environment, the virtual computing environment comprising a video memory controller and being capable of hosting a plurality of child partitions, the instructions comprising:
instructions to receive, by the video memory controller in the virtual computing environment, a first input comprising an indication of at least one video setting of one or more displays to be associated with a first child partition;
instructions to determine, by the video memory controller, a first amount of memory for graphics processing for the first child partition based on the at least one video setting indicated by the first input;
instructions to negotiate and authorize, by the video memory controller, a negotiated amount of memory for the first child partition different from a video setting stored in the virtual computing environment prior to the child partition being provisioned;
instructions to request, by the video memor

Assignees

• Chakraborty Parag
• Post Bradley
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Chakraborty Parag
• Post Bradley

Classifications

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2209/5014

  Reservation · CPC title

• G06T1/60

  Memory management · CPC title

• G06F2009/45583

  Memory management, e.g. access or allocation · CPC title

• G06F9/5016 Primary

  the resource being the memory · CPC title