Patent ID: 7251815

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory; a first work queue in said memory; a second work queue in said memory; a first virtual machine sharing said processor and including a first program function to directly access said first work queue to assign a first work item to said first work queue and directly access said second work queue to assign a second work item to said second work queue, said first and second work items originating from said first virtual machine; a second virtual machine sharing said processor and including a second program function to directly access said first work queue to assign a third work item to said first work queue and directly access said second work queue to assign a fourth work item to said second work queue, said third and fourth work items originating from said second virtual machine; said first virtual machine also including a third program function to directly access said memory to identify said first and third work items on said first work queue without receiving an interrupt, said first and third work items being assigned to said first work queue while said first virtual machine was not idle, said third program function scheduling said first and third work items from said first work queue for execution by said first virtual machine; and said second virtual machine also including a fourth program function to directly access said memory to identify said second and fourth work items from said second work queue without receiving an interrupt, said second and fourth work items being assigned to said second work queue while said second virtual machine was not idle, said fourth program function scheduling said second and fourth work items from said second work queue for execution by said second virtual machine; and wherein said memory is shared by said first and second virtual machines.