Bich Ngoc Le

US Patent:

6785886, Aug 31, 2004

Filed:

Aug 24, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/648394

Inventors:

Bich C. Le - San Jose CA
Edouard Bugnion - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

VMWare, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 9455

US Classification:

718 1, 711 6, 711202, 711203, 711206, 711208

Abstract:

One or more virtual machines (VMs) run via a virtual machine monitor (VMM) on a hardware platform that has a segmented memory architecture. Each VM has at least one VM descriptor table that has, as entries, VM segment descriptors. At least one VMM descriptor table is established, including at least one shadow descriptor table that stores shadow descriptors for certain of the VM segment descriptors, which are then shadowed descriptors. The VMM compares the shadow descriptors with their respective corresponding shadowed VM descriptors, detects any lack of correspondence between the shadow descriptor table and the corresponding VM descriptor table, and updates and thereby synchronizes each shadow descriptor with its respective shadowed VM descriptor no later than, and preferably only upon the first use of, the respective descriptor by the VM. Whenever the VMM detects any attempt by the VM to load an usynchronized shadowed descriptor, the VMM verifies that the VM is allowed to load it, and then establishes synchronization for the pair of descriptors. One detection mechanism is the tracing of entire memory pages in which VM descriptors are stored; another involves sensing and setting the state of a segment present bit for individual descriptors.

US Patent:

7082598, Jul 25, 2006

Filed:

Jul 17, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/197979

Inventors:

Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US
Matthew Eccleston - San Carlos CA, US

Assignee:

VMWARE, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 13/10

US Classification:

717127, 703 21

Abstract:

An agent loaded in a computer's operating system (OS) simulates disconnection and reconnection of a device, with no need to actually disconnect the device logically from a computer. During simulated reconnection, when the OS requests the hardware ID of the device, the agent returns a substitute ID, which causes the OS to load a substitute driver. Substitution of the ID also allows driver substitution for a not yet logically connected device; in this cases, no simulated disconnection or reconnection is needed. Driver substitution is dynamic and reversible, with no need to restart the system or reboot the OS and substitution of a driver for one device of a type does not disturb other devices of the same type. The invention may be implemented entirely in software, with no need for hardware modifications or device customization.

US Patent:

7111086, Sep 19, 2006

Filed:

Feb 22, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/080782

Inventors:

Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

VMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 13/00
G06F 13/14
G06F 9/455
G06F 9/46

US Classification:

710 33, 709232, 709238, 710 1, 718 1, 718100, 718101, 719232, 719238

Abstract:

An initiating subsystem transfers a data set either in or out in subsets such as packets. Packet transfer is sequential, and transfer of a packet is contingent upon successful transfer of a previous packet. Actual data transfer to or from a destination, over a channel, is handled by a host interface. When an intermediate subsystem, included as an interface between the initiating subsystem and host interface, senses that the initiating subsystem wants to transfer data, it receives a first packet from the initiating system. While continuing to indicate to the initiating system that transfer of the first packet is still pending, thereby causing the initiating system to suspend further packet submission, the intermediate subsystem sends to the host interface information concerning the entire data set to be transferred. When the entire data set is transferred, the intermediate subsystem emulates successful packet-wise transfer to the initiating subsystem. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the initiating subsystem is a virtual machine, the intermediate subsystem is a virtual machine monitor, and the packets are created according to the USB protocol.

US Patent:

7356679, Apr 8, 2008

Filed:

Oct 1, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/956691

Inventors:

Bich C. Le - San Jose CA, US
Dilip Khandekar - San Jose CA, US
Sirishkumar Raghuram - Maharashtra, IN

Assignee:

VMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/177

US Classification:

713 1, 717176

Abstract:

A source image of the hardware and software configuration of a source computer, including the state of at least one source disk, is automatically captured. The source computer may remain unprepared and requires no program for facilitating computer cloning and reconfiguration. The source image is automatically analyzed and the hardware configuration of a destination computer is determined. The source image is modified as needed for either compatibility with the destination computer, or for customization, and after possible modification the source image is deployed on the destination computer. Either or both of the source and destination computers may be virtual machines.

US Patent:

7577722, Aug 18, 2009

Filed:

Apr 5, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/117143

Inventors:

Dilip Khandekar - San Jose CA, US
Dragutin Petkovic - Saratoga CA, US
Pratap Subrahmanyam - Sunnyvale CA, US
Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

VMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/177
G06F 15/173
G06F 9/00
G06F 9/455

US Classification:

709220, 709221, 709222, 709223, 713 1, 718 1

Abstract:

A provisioning server automatically configures a virtual machine (VM) according to user specifications and then deploys the VM on a physical host. The user may either choose from a list of pre-configured, ready-to-deploy VMs, or he may select which hardware, operating system and application(s) he would like the VM to have. The provisioning server then configures the VM accordingly, if the desired configuration is available, or it applies heuristics to configure a VM that best matches the user's request if it isn't. The invention also includes mechanisms for monitoring the status of VMs and hosts, for migrating VMs between hosts, and for creating a network of VMs.

US Patent:

7606868, Oct 20, 2009

Filed:

Mar 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/395082

Inventors:

Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US
Robert Frederick Deuel - Menlo Park CA, US
Christian Czezatke - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

WMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709211, 709219, 707 10, 718 1

Abstract:

An architecture and system are described that provide a unified file access service within in a managed computing environment composed of diverse networks, computing devices, and storage devices. The service provides mechanisms for remotely accessing the file systems of any managed computer or disk snapshot, independently of the computer's current state (powered on, suspended or powered off), its location within the environment, its hardware type (virtual vs. physical), its operating system type, and its file system formats. The system isolates centralized FPAs from the details of clients, proxies and storage elements by providing a service that decomposes offloaded file system access into two steps. A FPA or a requester acting on behalf of the FPA first expresses the disk set or the computer containing the file systems it wishes to access, along with requirements and preferences about the access method. The service figures out an efficient data path satisfying the FPA's needs, and then automatically configures a set of storage and computing resources to provide the data path.

US Patent:

7707185, Apr 27, 2010

Filed:

Oct 19, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/584395

Inventors:

Christian Czezatke - San Francisco CA, US
Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US
Krishna Yadappanavar - Sunnyvale CA, US
Shaw C. Chuang - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

VMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
G06F 17/00
G06F 9/455

US Classification:

707649, 707650, 718 1

Abstract:

A process of providing access to data associated with a virtual machine running on a host computer system to an offload server is implemented to improve the performance of the host computer system. Once the offload computer system knows how and where to access the data associated with that of the virtual machine, operations can be offloaded from the host computer system and performed by the offload server. Backup operations can be offloaded onto the server. The server can run backup software and directly access the data associated with the virtual machine, thereby freeing the hardware resources of the host computer to handle normal applications running on the virtual machine.

US Patent:

7774391, Aug 10, 2010

Filed:

Mar 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/395081

Inventors:

Bich Cau Le - San Jose CA, US
Robert Frederick Deuel - Menlo Park CA, US
Christian Czezatke - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

VMware, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707822, 707999001

Abstract:

An architecture and system are described that provide a unified file access service within in a managed computing environment composed of diverse networks, computing devices, and storage devices. The service provides mechanisms for remotely accessing the file systems of any managed computer or disk snapshot, independently of the computer's current state (powered on, suspended or powered off), its location within the environment, its hardware type (virtual vs. physical), its operating system type, and its file system formats. The system isolates centralized FPAs from the details of clients, proxies and storage elements by providing a service that decomposes offloaded file system access into two steps. A FPA or a requester acting on behalf of the FPA first expresses the disk set or the computer containing the file systems it wishes to access, along with requirements and preferences about the access method. The service figures out an efficient data path satisfying the FPA's needs; and then automatically configures a set of storage and computing resources to provide the data path.