Datasheet

Functional Description
180 Intel® Xeon® Processor D-1500 Product Family
Datasheet - Volume 1 of 4: Integrated Platform Controller Hub
March 2015
3.25 Intel
®
Virtualization Technology (Intel
®
VT)
Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) makes a single system appear as multiple
independent systems to software. This allows for multiple, independent operating
systems to be running simultaneously on a single system. Intel VT comprises
technology components to support virtualization of platforms based on Intel
architecture microprocessors and chipsets. The first revision of this technology (Intel
VT-x) added hardware support in the processor to improve the virtualization
performance and robustness. The second revision of this specification (Intel VT-d) adds
chipset hardware implementation to improve I/O performance and robustness.
The Intel VT-d specification and other VT documents can be referenced here: http://
www.intel.com/technology/platform-technology/virtualization/index.htm
3.25.1 Intel
®
Virtualization Technology (Intel
®
VT) for Directed
I/O (Intel
®
VT-d) Objectives
The key Intel VT-d objectives are domain based isolation and hardware based
virtualization. A domain can be abstractly defined as an isolated environment in a
platform to which a subset of host physical memory is allocated. Virtualization allows
for the creation of one or more partitions on a single system. This could be multiple
partitions in the same OS or there can be multiple operating system instances running
on the same system offering benefits such as system consolidation, legacy migration,
activity partitioning or security.
3.25.2 Intel
®
VT-d Features Supported
• The following devices and functions support FLR in Intel® Xeon® Processor D-1500
Product Family:
— SATA Host Controller 1 (Device 31: Function 2)
— SATA Host Controller 2 (Device 31: Function 5)
— USB2 (EHCI) Host Controller 1 (Device 29: Function 0)
— GbE Lan Host Controller (Device 25: Function 0)
• Interrupt virtualization support for IOxAPIC
• Virtualization support for HPETs
3.25.3 Support for Function Level Reset (FLR) in Intel® Xeon®
Processor D-1500 Product Family
Intel VT-d allows system software (VMM/OS) to assign I/O devices to multiple domains.
The system software, then, requires ways to reset I/O devices or their functions within,
as it assigns/re-assigns I/O devices from one domain to another. The reset capability is
required to ensure the devices have undergone proper re-initialization and are not
keeping the stale state. A standard ability to reset I/O devices is also useful for the
VMM in case where a guest domain with assigned devices has become unresponsive or
has crashed.