Systems, methods and computer readable media for managing multiple virtual machines

摘要

A system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least two virtual machines running on a hardware platform using either a hosted or a bare metal hypervisor. The virtual machines may communicate with an agent-server resident in the host operating system or in one of the virtual machines to switch control of the hardware component, such as graphics hardware, from one virtual machine to another.

主权项

1. A computer system comprising:
a processing unit; a list of virtual machines that includes first and second virtual machines; a memory coupled to the processing unit and encoded to store the list of virtual machines; a hardware component coupled to the processing unit; a hypervisor configured to control the hardware component; the first virtual machine including computer readable instructions that when executed cause the processing unit to run a first operating system instance, generate electronic signals sent to the hardware component in accordance with the first operating system instance, and access the list of virtual machines from the memory; the second virtual machine including computer readable instructions encoded on the memory that when executed cause the processing unit to run a second operating system instance and generate electronics signals sent to the hardware component in accordance with the second operating system instance; and an agent-server comprising computer readable instructions encoded on the memory that when executed cause the processing unit to receive an indication of a selection of one of the first and second virtual machines and control the hardware component that uses the electronic signals generated by the selected virtual machine, wherein at least one of the first operating system instance and the second operating system instance control the hardware component and wherein the agent-server may provide a communication path independent of the hypervisor; wherein the hypervisor includes computer readable instructions encoded on the memory that when executed cause the processing unit to reformulate the electronic signals generated by the first virtual machine in a manner suitable to control the hardware component directly.