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Virtual Machines: - Host Computer Emulates Guest Operating System and Machine Resources

This document discusses virtual machines and how they work. It explains that a virtual machine uses a host computer to emulate a guest operating system and resources, improving isolation while enabling sharing. This virtualization does have some performance impact but is feasible with modern computers. Examples of virtual machine platforms include VMware, Microsoft Virtual PC, and IBM's early VM/370 technology. It then describes how a virtual machine monitor maps virtual resources like memory, CPUs, and I/O devices to physical resources on the host machine, allowing guest code to run while trapping privileged instructions.

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37 views4 pages

Virtual Machines: - Host Computer Emulates Guest Operating System and Machine Resources

This document discusses virtual machines and how they work. It explains that a virtual machine uses a host computer to emulate a guest operating system and resources, improving isolation while enabling sharing. This virtualization does have some performance impact but is feasible with modern computers. Examples of virtual machine platforms include VMware, Microsoft Virtual PC, and IBM's early VM/370 technology. It then describes how a virtual machine monitor maps virtual resources like memory, CPUs, and I/O devices to physical resources on the host machine, allowing guest code to run while trapping privileged instructions.

Uploaded by

RM IDEAL SOLUTIONS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Virtual Machines

• Host computer emulates guest operating system and


machine resources
– Improved isolation of multiple guests
– Avoids security and reliability problems
– Aids sharing of resources
• Virtualization has some performance impact
– Feasible with modern high-performance comptuers
• Examples
– IBM VM/370 (1970s technology!)
– VMWare
– Microsoft Virtual PC

1
Virtual Machine Monitor
• Maps virtual resources to physical resources
– Memory, I/O devices, CPUs
• Guest code runs on native machine in user
mode
– Traps to VMM on privileged instructions and
access to protected resources
• Guest OS may be different from host OS
• VMM handles real I/O devices
– Emulates generic virtual I/O devices for guest

2
Example: Timer Virtualization
• In native machine, on timer interrupt
– OS suspends current process, handles interrupt,
selects and resumes next process
• With Virtual Machine Monitor
– VMM suspends current VM, handles interrupt, selects
and resumes next VM
• If a VM requires timer interrupts
– VMM emulates a virtual timer
– Emulates interrupt for VM when physical timer
interrupt occurs

3
Instruction Set Support
• User and System modes
• Privileged instructions only available in system
mode
– Trap to system if executed in user mode
• All physical resources only accessible using
privileged instructions
– Including page tables, interrupt controls, I/O
registers
• Renaissance of virtualization support
– Current ISAs (e.g., x86) adapting

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