Migration of graphics processing unit (GPU) states

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965823-B2
Application number	US-201514630830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The claimed subject matter includes techniques for live migration of a graphics processing unit (GPU) state. An example method includes receiving recorded GPU commands from a relay at a destination GPU. The method also includes replaying the recorded GPU commands at the destination GPU. The method also includes detecting a downtime for the GPU commands. The method further includes establishing a connection between the destination GPU and the client during the detected downtime.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for live migration of graphics processing unit (GPU) states, the method comprising:
receiving a snapshot of a GPU state of a source GPU;
restoring the snapshot of the source GPU at a destination GPU;
receiving a predicted downtime comprising a time that a number of additional recorded GPU commands to be received from the source GPU is predicted to be below a threshold level based on a predicted behavior of an application or a game, wherein the predicted behavior is based on a previous behavior of the application or the game;
receiving GPU commands recorded after the snapshot and up to and including the predicted downtime from a relay at the destination GPU;
replaying the received recorded GPU commands at the destination GPU up to the predicted downtime; and
switching the relay to connect the destination GPU to a client at the predicted downtime.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a map linking GPU resource identifiers to logical resource identifiers, each of the GPU commands comprising an object with a GPU resource identifier that is to be mapped to a particular logical resource identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising utilizing the map to order GPU commands in a thread for execution, each thread containing one or more logical resource identifiers.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein GPU commands with logical resource identifiers that are lower are given higher priority over GPU commands with logical resource identifiers that are higher in value.

5. The method of claim 1 , the destination GPU located in a machine that is closer in proximity to the client than the source GPU.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing GPU commands from a plurality of clients at the destination GPU.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising dynamically allocating resources by detecting an underutilized GPU and migrating the client to the underutilized GPU.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising dynamically allocating resources between a software renderer and a hardware renderer by migrating the client between the software renderer and the hardware renderer.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising dynamically allocating resources by processing GPU commands from a plurality of clients at the destination GPU.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Ha Kiryong
• Bahl Paramvir
• Chu David Chiyuan
• Cuervo Eduardo
• Sivalingam Lenin Ravindranath
• Wolman Alastair

Classifications

• G06F9/4856

  resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration (G06F9/5088 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F9/48

  Program initiating; Program switching, e.g. by interrupt · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06T1/20 Primary

  Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining · CPC title