Apparatus and method for moving a virtual machine from a first to second computing device using switching hypervisors.

摘要

The apparatus comprises a first (110) and second (120) computing device. Each device comprises a switching hypervisor (114, 124) and a processing unit (112, 122), The devices are linked by a communication interface (140) and are both in communication with a shared memory (130). In operation the first hypervisor establishes a virtual machine on the first device. The shared memory comprises the status information of the virtual machine (150) and preferably is continuously updated. On receipt of a switching command the first device halts the VM and preferably notifies the second hypervisor. The hypervisor on the second device then reads the shared memory and resumes the VM on the second device. The computer devices may have homogenous or heterogeneous processors. A further embodiment allows for a pluggable device to be removed form the first device and inserted in the second device. In this operation the second hypervisor will select a hardware device having similar functions or when one does not exist set up a virtual device utilizing the original settings of the hardware in the first computing device.