Patent ID: 7921426

Claim:
A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor; wherein the processor logically assigns portions of the memory to each one of a plurality of partitions of a virtual memory system in a partitioned data system, wherein each partition has its own assigned memory portion, with each assigned memory portion being accessible from its own partition, and each partition is under the control of a hypervisor; wherein each said assigned memory portion in each partition has an inter partition communication area (IPCA), wherein all of the IPCAs together form a virtual shared memory resource accessible from each partition of the plurality of partitions and inter partition communication between each one of the plurality of partitions is limited to the IPCAs; wherein under control of the hypervisor, in an event one partition requires additional resources, an IPCA of the one partition requiring additional resources communicates with the IPCAs of all other partitions to determine whether additional resources from the virtual shared memory resource may be allocated to the one partition requiring additional resources, and in the event the virtual shared memory resource informs the IPCA of the one partition that resources are being reallocated from the one partition to a second partition, the IPCA of the one partition writes to an IPCA of the second partition regarding the resources being reallocated from the IPCA of the one partition to the second partition.