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Grid Vgpu User Guide

The document provides information about installing and configuring NVIDIA's virtual GPU (vGPU) software. It discusses the different types of vGPUs and supported guest operating systems. It also provides step-by-step instructions for installing the vGPU manager on various hypervisors like Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu, and VMware vSphere. Additionally, it describes how to configure VMs with vGPUs on these hypervisors and set vGPU plugin parameters.

Uploaded by

smayaud
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views

Grid Vgpu User Guide

The document provides information about installing and configuring NVIDIA's virtual GPU (vGPU) software. It discusses the different types of vGPUs and supported guest operating systems. It also provides step-by-step instructions for installing the vGPU manager on various hypervisors like Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu, and VMware vSphere. Additionally, it describes how to configure VMs with vGPUs on these hypervisors and set vGPU plugin parameters.

Uploaded by

smayaud
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 289

Virtual GPU Software

User Guide

DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | October 2023


Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to NVIDIA vGPU Software................................................................... 1
1.1. How NVIDIA vGPU Software Is Used...................................................................................................... 1
1.1.2. GPU Pass-Through................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.3. Bare-Metal Deployment........................................................................................................................ 1
1.2. Primary Display Adapter Requirements for NVIDIA vGPU Software Deployments........ 2
1.3. NVIDIA vGPU Software Features.............................................................................................................. 3
1.3.1. GPU Instance Support on NVIDIA vGPU Software.................................................................. 3
1.3.2. API Support on NVIDIA vGPU............................................................................................................ 5
1.3.3. NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit and OpenCL Support on NVIDIA vGPU Software........................ 5
1.3.4. Additional vWS Features...................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.5. NVIDIA GPU Cloud (NGC) Containers Support on NVIDIA vGPU Software...................9
1.3.6. NVIDIA GPU Operator Support.......................................................................................................10
1.4. How this Guide Is Organized....................................................................................................................10
Chapter 2. Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager............................... 12
2.1. About NVIDIA Virtual GPUs...................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.1. NVIDIA vGPU Architecture................................................................................................................ 12
2.1.1.1. Time-Sliced NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture............................................................ 13
2.1.1.2. MIG-Backed NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture........................................................... 14
2.1.2. About Virtual GPU Types................................................................................................................... 15
2.1.3. Virtual Display Resolutions for Q-series and B-series vGPUs..........................................17
2.1.4. Valid Virtual GPU Configurations on a Single GPU............................................................... 18
2.1.4.1. Valid Time-Sliced Virtual GPU Configurations on a Single GPU..............................18
2.1.4.2. Valid MIG-Backed Virtual GPU Configurations on a Single GPU.............................19
2.1.5. Guest VM Support................................................................................................................................ 19
2.1.5.1. Windows Guest VM Support...................................................................................................20
2.1.5.2. Linux Guest VM support........................................................................................................... 20
2.2. Prerequisites for Using NVIDIA vGPU..................................................................................................20
2.3. Switching the Mode of a GPU that Supports Multiple Display Modes............................... 21
2.4. Switching the Mode of a Tesla M60 or M6 GPU........................................................................... 22
2.5. Installing and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Citrix Hypervisor......22
2.5.1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Citrix Hypervisor
.... 23
2.5.1.1. Installing the RPM package for Citrix Hypervisor.........................................................23
2.5.1.2. Updating the RPM Package for Citrix Hypervisor.........................................................23
2.5.1.3. Installing or Updating the Supplemental Pack for Citrix Hypervisor................... 24

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | ii


2.5.1.4. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU Software for Citrix Hypervisor
Package......................................................................................................................................................... 26
2.5.2. Configuring a Citrix Hypervisor VM with Virtual GPU......................................................... 27
2.5.3. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on Citrix Hypervisor....................................................... 28
2.6. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager Package for Linux KVM................................................... 29
2.7. Installing and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise
Linux KVM or RHV............................................................................................................................................ 30
2.7.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM
or RHV................................................................................................................................................................ 31
2.7.1.1. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager Package for Red Hat Enterprise Linux
KVM or RHV................................................................................................................................................ 31
2.7.1.2. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU Software for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV........................................................................................................... 32
2.7.2. Adding a vGPU to a Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) VM......................................................... 33
2.8. Since 13.1: Installing and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Ubuntu
... 34
2.8.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Ubuntu.....................................................35
2.8.1.1. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager Package for Ubuntu.......................................... 35
2.8.1.2. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU Software for Ubuntu................... 36
2.9. Installing and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for VMware vSphere......37
2.9.1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for vSphere...................... 38
2.9.1.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Package for vSphere.........................39
2.9.1.2. Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Package for vSphere........................ 40
2.9.1.3. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU Software Package for
vSphere..........................................................................................................................................................40
2.9.2. Configuring VMware vMotion with vGPU for VMware vSphere......................................41
2.9.3. Changing the Default Graphics Type in VMware vSphere 6.5 and Later....................42
2.9.4. Configuring a vSphere VM with NVIDIA vGPU........................................................................46
2.9.5. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on VMware vSphere....................................................... 49
2.9.6. Configuring a vSphere VM with VMware vSGA...................................................................... 50
2.10. Configuring the vGPU Manager for a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.....................................51
2.10.1. Getting the BDF and Domain of a GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor...............51
2.10.2. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.......................................... 52
2.10.2.1. Creating a Legacy NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor..................... 52
2.10.2.2. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU that Supports SR-IOV on a Linux with KVM
Hypervisor.................................................................................................................................................... 54
2.10.3. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM Hypervisor VM.............................. 57
2.10.3.1. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM Hypervisor VM by Using
virsh.................................................................................................................................................................57

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | iii


2.10.3.2. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM Hypervisor VM by Using
the QEMU Command Line...................................................................................................................59
2.10.4. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor........................... 59
2.10.5. Deleting a vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor............................................................. 60
2.10.6. Preparing a GPU Configured for Pass-Through for Use with vGPU........................... 61
2.10.7. NVIDIA vGPU Information in the sysfs File System........................................................... 62
2.11. Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs....................................................................................65
2.11.1. Enabling MIG Mode for a GPU.....................................................................................................66
2.11.2. Creating GPU Instances on a MIG-Enabled GPU.................................................................67
2.11.3. Optional: Creating Compute Instances in a GPU instance.............................................68
2.12. Disabling MIG Mode for One or More GPUs................................................................................. 69
2.13. Disabling and Enabling ECC Memory................................................................................................70
2.13.1. Disabling ECC Memory.....................................................................................................................71
2.13.2. Enabling ECC Memory......................................................................................................................72
Chapter 3. Using GPU Pass-Through.............................................................................................74
3.1. Display Resolutions for Physical GPUs................................................................................................75
3.2. Using GPU Pass-Through on Citrix Hypervisor............................................................................... 76
3.2.1. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass Through by Using XenCenter.......................................77
3.2.2. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass Through by Using xe........................................................ 77
3.3. Using GPU Pass-Through on Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or Ubuntu............................ 78
3.3.1. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through by Using Virtual Machine Manager
(virt-manager)................................................................................................................................................. 78
3.3.2. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through by Using virsh...................................................79
3.3.3. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through by Using the QEMU Command Line......81
3.3.4. Preparing a GPU Configured for vGPU for Use in Pass-Through Mode...................... 81
3.4. Using GPU Pass-Through on Microsoft Windows Server.......................................................... 84
3.4.1. Assigning a GPU to a VM on Microsoft Windows Server with Hyper-V...................... 84
3.4.2. Returning a GPU to the Host OS from a VM on Windows Server with Hyper-V
.....86
3.5. Using GPU Pass-Through on VMware vSphere............................................................................... 87
Chapter 4. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.................................... 89
4.1. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver on Windows..................................... 89
4.2. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver on Linux............................................. 91
4.3. Disabling the Nouveau Driver for NVIDIA Graphics Cards.........................................................93
4.4. Disabling the Wayland Display Server Protocol for Red Hat Enterprise Linux................. 94
Chapter 5. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU..........................................................................................95
5.1. Prerequisites for Configuring a Licensed Client of NVIDIA License System.....................95
5.1.1. Configuring a Licensed Client on Windows with Default Settings............................... 96
5.1.2. Configuring a Licensed Client on Linux with Default Settings....................................... 96

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | iv


5.1.3. Verifying the NVIDIA vGPU Software License Status of a Licensed Client................98
5.2. Licensing NVIDIA vGPU from the Legacy License Server..........................................................98
5.2.1. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU on Windows.................................................................................... 99
5.2.2. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU on Linux......................................................................................... 101
Chapter 6. Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration................................................ 103
6.1. Removing a VM’s NVIDIA vGPU Configuration............................................................................. 103
6.1.1. Removing a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VM’s vGPU configuration................ 103
6.1.1.1. Removing a VM’s vGPU configuration by using XenCenter................................... 103
6.1.1.2. Removing a VM’s vGPU configuration by using xe.................................................... 104
6.1.2. Removing a vSphere VM’s vGPU Configuration...................................................................104
6.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy......................................................................................................... 105
6.2.1. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on Citrix Hypervisor......................................................105
6.2.1.1. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy by Using xe............................................................... 105
6.2.1.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy GPU by Using XenCenter................................... 106
6.2.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on VMware vSphere......................................................106
6.3. Migrating a VM Configured with vGPU............................................................................................109
6.3.1. Migrating a VM Configured with vGPU on Citrix Hypervisor.........................................110
6.3.2. Migrating a VM Configured with vGPU on VMware vSphere........................................ 111
6.3.3. Suspending and Resuming a VM Configured with vGPU on VMware vSphere.....113
6.4. Modifying a MIG-Backed vGPU's Configuration.......................................................................... 113
6.5. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU............................................................................................... 116
6.5.1. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on Citrix Hypervisor............................................116
6.5.2. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM................117
6.5.3. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on VMware vSphere............................................117
6.6. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Development Tools for NVIDIA vGPU............................... 117
6.6.1. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Debuggers for NVIDIA vGPU........................................ 118
6.6.2. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for NVIDIA vGPU..............................................119
6.6.2.1. Supported NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profiler Features.................................................... 119
6.6.2.2. Clock Management for a vGPU VM for Which NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers
Are Enabled.............................................................................................................................................. 119
6.6.2.3. Limitations on the Use of NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers with NVIDIA vGPU.. 120
6.6.2.4. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for a vGPU VM..........................................120
Chapter 7. Monitoring GPU Performance.................................................................................122
7.1. NVIDIA System Management Interface nvidia-smi....................................................................122
7.2. Monitoring GPU Performance from a Hypervisor...................................................................... 123
7.2.1. Using nvidia-smi to Monitor GPU Performance from a Hypervisor........................... 123
7.2.1.1. Getting a Summary of all Physical GPUs in the System......................................... 123
7.2.1.2. Getting a Summary of all vGPUs in the System.........................................................124

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | v


7.2.1.3. Getting vGPU Details................................................................................................................125
7.2.1.4. Monitoring vGPU engine usage...........................................................................................125
7.2.1.5. Monitoring vGPU engine usage by applications......................................................... 126
7.2.1.6. Monitoring Encoder Sessions.............................................................................................. 127
7.2.1.7. Monitoring Frame Buffer Capture (FBC) Sessions.....................................................128
7.2.1.8. Listing Supported vGPU Types............................................................................................133
7.2.1.9. Listing the vGPU Types that Can Currently Be Created..........................................134
7.2.2. Using Citrix XenCenter to monitor GPU performance.....................................................134
7.3. Monitoring GPU Performance from a Guest VM........................................................................ 135
7.3.1. Using nvidia-smi to Monitor GPU Performance from a Guest VM............................. 136
7.3.2. Using Windows Performance Counters to monitor GPU performance................... 137
7.3.3. Using NVWMI to monitor GPU performance........................................................................138
Chapter 8. Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs................................141
8.1. Scheduling Policies for Time-Sliced vGPUs................................................................................... 141
8.2. Scheduler Time Slice for Time-Sliced vGPUs................................................................................142
8.3. RmPVMRL Registry Key...........................................................................................................................142
8.4. Getting the Current Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduling Behavior for All GPUs..................... 144
8.5. Changing the Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduling Behavior for All GPUs.................................. 145
8.6. Changing the Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduling Behavior for Select GPUs.......................... 146
8.7. Restoring Default Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduler Settings...................................................... 148
Chapter 9. Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................149
9.1. Known issues.................................................................................................................................................149
9.2. Troubleshooting steps.............................................................................................................................. 149
9.2.1. Verifying the NVIDIA Kernel Driver Is Loaded...................................................................... 149
9.2.2. Verifying that nvidia-smi works................................................................................................... 150
9.2.3. Examining NVIDIA kernel driver output...................................................................................150
9.2.4. Examining NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Messages.......................................................... 150
9.2.4.1. Examining Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Manager Messages.......................................... 151
9.2.4.2. Examining Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM vGPU Manager Messages.............. 151
9.2.4.3. Examining VMware vSphere vGPU Manager Messages.......................................... 152
9.3. Capturing configuration data for filing a bug report................................................................ 152
9.3.1. Capturing configuration data by running nvidia-bug-report.sh...................................153
9.3.2. Capturing Configuration Data by Creating a Citrix Hypervisor Status Report..... 153
Appendix A. Virtual GPU Types Reference............................................................................... 155
A.1. Virtual GPU Types for Supported GPUs..........................................................................................155
A.1.1. NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB Virtual GPU Types......................................................................... 155
A.1.2. NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB Virtual GPU Types......................................................................... 156
A.1.3. NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB Virtual GPU Types......................................................................... 158

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | vi


A.1.4. NVIDIA A100 HGX 80GB Virtual GPU Types......................................................................... 159
A.1.5. NVIDIA A40 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 160
A.1.6. NVIDIA A30 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 164
A.1.7. NVIDIA A16 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 165
A.1.8. NVIDIA A10 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 168
A.1.9. NVIDIA RTX A6000 Virtual GPU Types.....................................................................................171
A.1.10. NVIDIA RTX A5000 Virtual GPU Types..................................................................................175
A.1.11. Tesla M60 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 178
A.1.12. Tesla M10 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................................... 181
A.1.13. Tesla M6 Virtual GPU Types....................................................................................................... 183
A.1.14. Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB Virtual GPU Types...........................................................................186
A.1.15. Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB Virtual GPU Types...........................................................................189
A.1.16. Tesla P100 SXM2 Virtual GPU Types.....................................................................................192
A.1.17. Tesla P40 Virtual GPU Types......................................................................................................195
A.1.18. Tesla P6 Virtual GPU Types........................................................................................................ 198
A.1.19. Tesla P4 Virtual GPU Types........................................................................................................ 201
A.1.20. Tesla T4 Virtual GPU Types.........................................................................................................204
A.1.21. Tesla V100 SXM2 Virtual GPU Types.....................................................................................207
A.1.22. Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB Virtual GPU Types........................................................................210
A.1.23. Tesla V100 PCIe Virtual GPU Types........................................................................................213
A.1.24. Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB Virtual GPU Types...........................................................................216
A.1.25. Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB Virtual GPU Types........................................................................ 219
A.1.26. Tesla V100 FHHL Virtual GPU Types......................................................................................222
A.1.27. Quadro RTX 8000 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................... 225
A.1.28. Quadro RTX 8000 Passive Virtual GPU Types................................................................... 229
A.1.29. Quadro RTX 6000 Virtual GPU Types.................................................................................... 232
A.1.30. Quadro RTX 6000 Passive Virtual GPU Types................................................................... 235
A.2. Mixed Display Configurations for B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.........................................239
A.2.1. Mixed Display Configurations for B-Series vGPUs.............................................................239
A.2.2. Mixed Display Configurations for Q-Series vGPUs Based on the NVIDIA Maxwell
Architecture.................................................................................................................................................. 239
A.2.3. Mixed Display Configurations for Q-Series vGPUs Based on Architectures after
NVIDIA Maxwell........................................................................................................................................... 240
Appendix B. Allocation Strategies................................................................................................ 241
B.1. NUMA Considerations...............................................................................................................................241
B.1.1. Obtaining Best Performance on a NUMA Platform with Citrix Hypervisor............ 242
B.1.2. Obtaining Best Performance on a NUMA Platform with VMware vSphere ESXi... 242
B.2. Maximizing Performance.........................................................................................................................242

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | vii


Appendix C. Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server..................244
C.1. Configuring the Xorg Server on the Linux Server......................................................................245
C.2. Installing and Configuring x11vnc on the Linux Server.......................................................... 246
C.3. Using a VNC Client to Connect to the Linux Server................................................................. 247
Appendix D. Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for Citrix Published Application
User Sessions...................................................................................................................................250
D.1. Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for All Users' Citrix Published Application
Sessions...............................................................................................................................................................252
D.2. Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for your Citrix Published Application User
Sessions...............................................................................................................................................................252
Appendix E. Citrix Hypervisor Basics..........................................................................................254
E.1. Opening a dom0 shell...............................................................................................................................254
E.1.1. Accessing the dom0 shell through XenCenter....................................................................254
E.1.2. Accessing the dom0 shell through an SSH client..............................................................255
E.2. Copying files to dom0.............................................................................................................................. 255
E.2.1. Copying files by using an SCP client........................................................................................ 255
E.2.2. Copying files by using a CIFS-mounted file system..........................................................256
E.3. Determining a VM’s UUID....................................................................................................................... 256
E.3.1. Determining a VM’s UUID by using xe vm-list......................................................................257
E.3.2. Determining a VM’s UUID by using XenCenter....................................................................257
E.4. Using more than two vCPUs with Windows client VMs...........................................................258
E.5. Pinning VMs to a specific CPU socket and cores.......................................................................258
E.6. Changing dom0 vCPU Default configuration................................................................................259
E.6.1. Changing the number of dom0 vCPUs....................................................................................260
E.6.2. Pinning dom0 vCPUs........................................................................................................................ 260
E.7. How GPU locality is determined.......................................................................................................... 260
Appendix F. Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management................................................................261
F.1. Management objects for GPUs............................................................................................................261
F.1.1. pgpu - Physical GPU...........................................................................................................................261
F.1.1.1. Listing the pgpu Objects Present on a Platform........................................................ 261
F.1.1.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a pgpu Object.................................................. 262
F.1.1.3. Viewing physical GPUs in XenCenter................................................................................ 262
F.1.2. vgpu-type - Virtual GPU Type....................................................................................................... 263
F.1.2.1. Listing the vgpu-type Objects Present on a Platform..............................................263
F.1.2.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a vgpu-type Object....................................... 267
F.1.3. gpu-group - collection of physical GPUs................................................................................. 267
F.1.3.1. Listing the gpu-group Objects Present on a Platform............................................. 267
F.1.3.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a gpu-group Object...................................... 268

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | viii


F.1.4. vgpu - Virtual GPU.............................................................................................................................. 268
F.2. Creating a vGPU Using xe....................................................................................................................... 268
F.3. Controlling vGPU allocation.................................................................................................................... 269
F.3.1. Determining the Physical GPU on Which a Virtual GPU is Resident.......................... 269
F.3.2. Controlling the vGPU types enabled on specific physical GPUs.................................. 270
F.3.2.1. Controlling vGPU types enabled on specific physical GPUs by using
XenCenter..................................................................................................................................................270
F.3.2.2. Controlling vGPU Types Enabled on Specific Physical GPUs by Using xe.......271
F.3.3. Creating vGPUs on Specific Physical GPUs............................................................................272
F.4. Cloning vGPU-Enabled VMs....................................................................................................................273
F.4.1. Cloning a vGPU-enabled VM by using xe................................................................................ 274
F.4.2. Cloning a vGPU-enabled VM by using XenCenter...............................................................274
Appendix G. Citrix Hypervisor Performance Tuning............................................................. 275
G.1. Citrix Hypervisor Tools............................................................................................................................. 275
G.2. Using Remote Graphics........................................................................................................................... 275
G.2.1. Disabling Console VGA.................................................................................................................... 275

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | ix


List of Figures
Figure 1. GPU Instances Configured with NVIDIA vGPU...........................................................................4

Figure 2. NVIDIA vGPU System Architecture............................................................................................... 13

Figure 3. Time-Sliced NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture.....................................................................14

Figure 4. MIG-Backed NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture....................................................................15

Figure 5. Example Time-Sliced vGPU Configurations on Tesla M60.................................................18

Figure 6. Example MIG-Backed vGPU Configurations on NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB.................. 19

Figure 7. NVIDIA vGPU Manager supplemental pack selected in XenCenter...............................25

Figure 8. Successful installation of NVIDIA vGPU Manager supplemental pack........................ 26

Figure 9. Using Citrix XenCenter to configure a VM with a vGPU.....................................................28

Figure 10. Shared default graphics type........................................................................................................43

Figure 11. Host graphics settings for vGPU................................................................................................ 44

Figure 12. Shared graphics type.........................................................................................................................45

Figure 13. Graphics device settings for a physical GPU.........................................................................45

Figure 14. Shared direct graphics type...........................................................................................................46

Figure 15. VM settings for vGPU....................................................................................................................... 48

Figure 16. Using XenCenter to configure a pass-through GPU..........................................................77

Figure 17. NVIDIA driver installation.................................................................................................................90

Figure 18. Verifying NVIDIA driver operation using NVIDIA Control Panel.....................................91

Figure 19. Update xorg.conf settings.............................................................................................................. 93

Figure 20. Managing vGPU licensing in NVIDIA Control Panel..........................................................100

Figure 21. Using XenCenter to remove a vGPU configuration from a VM..................................104

Figure 22. Modifying GPU placement policy in XenCenter................................................................ 106

Figure 23. Breadth-first allocation scheme setting for vGPU-enabled VMs............................. 107

Figure 24. Host graphics settings for vGPU..............................................................................................108

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | x


Figure 25. Depth-first allocation scheme setting for vGPU-enabled VMs................................. 109

Figure 26. Using Citrix XenCenter to monitor GPU performance...................................................135

Figure 27. Using nvidia-smi from a Windows guest VM to get total resource usage by
all applications........................................................................................................................................................136

Figure 28. Using nvidia-smi from a Windows guest VM to get resource usage by
individual applications........................................................................................................................................ 137

Figure 29. Using Windows Performance Monitor to monitor GPU performance....................138

Figure 30. Using WMI Explorer to monitor GPU performance......................................................... 139

Figure 31. Including NVIDIA logs in a Citrix Hypervisor status report.......................................... 154

Figure 32. A NUMA Server Platform..............................................................................................................241

Figure 33. Connecting to the dom0 shell by using XenCenter........................................................ 255

Figure 34. Using XenCenter to determine a VM's UUID...................................................................... 258

Figure 35. Physical GPU display in XenCenter.......................................................................................... 263

Figure 36. Editing a GPU’s enabled vGPU types using XenCenter................................................. 271

Figure 37. Using a custom GPU group within XenCenter...................................................................273

Figure 38. Cloning a VM using XenCenter..................................................................................................274

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | xi


Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | xii
Chapter 1. Introduction to NVIDIA
vGPU Software

NVIDIA vGPU software is a graphics virtualization platform that provides virtual machines
(VMs) access to NVIDIA GPU technology.

1.1. How NVIDIA vGPU Software Is Used


NVIDIA vGPU software can be used in several ways.

1.1.1. NVIDIA vGPU


NVIDIA Virtual GPU (vGPU) enables multiple virtual machines (VMs) to have simultaneous,
direct access to a single physical GPU, using the same NVIDIA graphics drivers that are
deployed on non-virtualized operating systems. By doing this, NVIDIA vGPU provides
VMs with unparalleled graphics performance, compute performance, and application
compatibility, together with the cost-effectiveness and scalability brought about by
sharing a GPU among multiple workloads.
For more information, see Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager.

1.1.2. GPU Pass-Through


In GPU pass-through mode, an entire physical GPU is directly assigned to one VM,
bypassing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager. In this mode of operation, the GPU is
accessed exclusively by the NVIDIA driver running in the VM to which it is assigned. The
GPU is not shared among VMs.
For more information, see Using GPU Pass-Through.

1.1.3. Bare-Metal Deployment


In a bare-metal deployment, you can use NVIDIA vGPU software graphics drivers with
vWS and vApps licenses to deliver remote virtual desktops and applications. If you intend
to use Tesla boards without a hypervisor for this purpose, use NVIDIA vGPU software
graphics drivers, not other NVIDIA drivers.
To use NVIDIA vGPU software drivers for a bare-metal deployment, complete these tasks:

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | 1


Introduction to NVIDIA vGPU Software

1. Install the driver on the physical host.


For instructions, see Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.
2. License any NVIDIA vGPU software that you are using.
For instructions, see Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide.
3. Configure the platform for remote access.
To use graphics features with Tesla GPUs, you must use a supported remoting
solution, for example, RemoteFX, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, VNC, or similar
technology.
4. Use the display settings feature of the host OS to configure the Tesla GPU as the
primary display.
NVIDIA Tesla generally operates as a secondary device on bare-metal platforms.
5. If the system has multiple display adapters, disable display devices connected through
adapters that are not from NVIDIA.
You can use the display settings feature of the host OS or the remoting solution
for this purpose. On NVIDIA GPUs, including Tesla GPUs, a default display device is
enabled.
Users can launch applications that require NVIDIA GPU technology for enhanced user
experience only after displays that are driven by NVIDIA adapters are enabled.

1.2. Primary Display Adapter


Requirements for NVIDIA vGPU
Software Deployments
The GPU that is set as the primary display adapter cannot be used for NVIDIA vGPU
deployments or GPU pass through deployments. The primary display is the boot display of
the hypervisor host, which displays SBIOS console messages and then boot of the OS or
hypervisor.
Any GPU that is being used for NVIDIA vGPU deployments or GPU pass through
deployments must be set as a secondary display adapter.

Note:
Citrix Hypervisor provides a specific setting to allow the primary display adapter to be
used for GPU pass through deployments.

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Only the following GPUs are supported as the primary display adapter:

‣ Tesla M6
‣ Quadro RTX 6000
‣ Quadro RTX 8000
All other GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software cannot function as the primary display
adapter because they are 3D controllers, not VGA devices.
If the hypervisor host does not have an extra graphics adapter, consider installing a low-
end display adapter to be used as the primary display adapter. If necessary, ensure that
the primary display adapter is set correctly in the BIOS options of the hypervisor host.

1.3. NVIDIA vGPU Software Features


NVIDIA vGPU software includes vWS, vCS, vPC, and vApps.

1.3.1. GPU Instance Support on NVIDIA vGPU


Software
NVIDIA vGPU software supports GPU instances on GPUs that support the Multi-Instance
GPU (MIG) feature in NVIDIA vGPU and GPU pass through deployments. MIG enables a
physical GPU to be securely partitioned into multiple separate GPU instances, providing
multiple users with separate GPU resources to accelerate their applications.

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In addition to providing all the benefits of MIG, NVIDIA vGPU software adds virtual
machine security and management for workloads. Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-
IOV) virtual functions enable full IOMMU protection for the virtual machines that are
configured with vGPUs.
Figure 1 shows a GPU that is split into three GPU instances of different sizes, with
each instance mapped to one vGPU. Although each GPU instance is managed by the
hypervisor host and is mapped to one vGPU, each virtual machine can further subdivide
the compute resources into smaller compute instances and run multiple containers on
top of them in parallel, even within each vGPU.

Figure 1. GPU Instances Configured with NVIDIA vGPU

NVIDIA vGPU software supports a single-slice MIG-backed vGPU with DEC, JPG, and OFA
support. Only one MIG-backed vGPU with DEC, JPG, and OFA support can reside on a
GPU. The instance can be placed identically to a single-slice instance without DEC, JPG,
and OFA support.
Not all hypervisors support GPU instances in NVIDIA vGPU deployments. To determine if
your chosen hypervisor supports GPU instances in NVIDIA vGPU deployments, consult
the release notes for your hypervisor at NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software Documentation.
NVIDIA vGPU software supports GPU instances only with NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server
and Linux guest operating systems.
To support GPU instances with NVIDIA vGPU, a GPU must be configured with MIG mode
enabled and GPU instances must be created and configured on the physical GPU. For
more information, see Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs. For general information
about the MIG feature, see: NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

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1.3.2. API Support on NVIDIA vGPU


NVIDIA vGPU includes support for the following APIs:

‣ Open Computing Language (OpenCL™ software) 3.0


‣ OpenGL® 4.6
‣ Vulkan® 1.2
‣ DirectX 11
‣ DirectX 12 (Windows 10)
‣ Direct2D
‣ DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA)
‣ NVIDIA® CUDA® 11.4
‣ NVIDIA vGPU software SDK (remote graphics acceleration)
‣ NVIDIA RTX (on GPUs based on the NVIDIA Volta graphic architecture and later
architectures)

Note: These APIs are backwards compatible. Older versions of the API are also supported.

1.3.3. NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit and OpenCL Support


on NVIDIA vGPU Software
NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit and OpenCL are supported with NVIDIA vGPU only on a subset of
vGPU types and supported GPUs.
For more information about NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit, see CUDA Toolkit 11.4 Documentation.

Note:
If you are using NVIDIA vGPU software with CUDA on Linux, avoid conflicting installation
methods by installing CUDA from a distribution-independent runfile package. Do not
install CUDA from a distribution-specific RPM or Deb package.
To ensure that the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver is not overwritten when CUDA is
installed, deselect the CUDA driver when selecting the CUDA components to install.
For more information, see NVIDIA CUDA Installation Guide for Linux.

OpenCL and CUDA Application Support


OpenCL and CUDA applications are supported on the following NVIDIA vGPU types:

‣ The 8Q vGPU type on Tesla M6, Tesla M10, and Tesla M60 GPUs
‣ All Q-series vGPU types on the following GPUs:
‣ NVIDIA A10

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‣ NVIDIA A16
‣ NVIDIA A40
‣ NVIDIA RTX A5000
‣ NVIDIA RTX A6000
‣ Tesla P4
‣ Tesla P6
‣ Tesla P40
‣ Tesla P100 SXM2 16 GB
‣ Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB
‣ Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB
‣ Tesla V100 SXM2
‣ Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB
‣ Tesla V100 PCIe
‣ Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB
‣ Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB
‣ Tesla V100 FHHL
‣ Tesla T4
‣ Quadro RTX 6000
‣ Quadro RTX 6000 passive
‣ Quadro RTX 8000
‣ Quadro RTX 8000 passive
‣ All C-series vGPU types

NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Development Tool Support


NVIDIA vGPU supports the following NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit development tools on some
GPUs:

‣ Debuggers:
‣ CUDA-GDB
‣ Compute Sanitizer
‣ Profilers (supported on MIG-backed vGPUs since 13.1):
‣ The Activity, Callback, and Profiling APIs of the CUDA Profiling Tools Interface
(CUPTI)
Other CUPTI APIs, such as the Event and Metric APIs, are not supported.
‣ NVIDIA Nsight™ Compute
‣ NVIDIA Nsight Systems
‣ NVIDIA Nsight plugin

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‣ NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio plugin


Other CUDA profilers, such as nvprof and NVIDIA Visual Profiler, are not supported.
These tools are supported only in Linux guest VMs.
When unified memory is enabled for a VM, NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers are disabled.

Note: By default, NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit development tools are disabled on NVIDIA vGPU.
If used, you must enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit development tools individually for each
VM that requires them by setting vGPU plugin parameters. For instructions, see Enabling
NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Development Tools for NVIDIA vGPU.

The following table lists the GPUs on which NVIDIA vGPU supports these debuggers and
profilers.

GPU vGPU Mode Debuggers Profilers


NVIDIA A10 Time-sliced ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A16 Time-sliced ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A30 Time-sliced ✓ ✓


MIG-backed ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A40 Time-sliced ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A100 HGX Time-sliced ✓ ✓


40GB MIG-backed ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A100 PCIe Time-sliced ✓ ✓


40GB MIG-backed ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA A100 HGX Time-sliced ✓ ✓


80GB MIG-backed ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

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GPU vGPU Mode Debuggers Profilers


NVIDIA A100 PCIe Time-sliced ✓ ✓
80GB MIG-backed ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA RTX A5000 Time-sliced ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

NVIDIA RTX A6000 Time-sliced ✓ 13.0 only: -

Since 13.1: ✓

Tesla T4 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Quadro RTX 6000 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Quadro RTX 6000 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
passive
Quadro RTX 8000 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Quadro RTX 8000 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
passive
Tesla V100 SXM2 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Tesla V100 SXM2 Time-sliced ✓ ✓
32GB
Tesla V100 PCIe Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB Time-sliced ✓ ✓
Tesla V100S PCIe Time-sliced ✓ ✓
32GB
Tesla V100 FHHL Time-sliced ✓ ✓

✓ Feature is supported
- Feature is not supported

Supported NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Features


NVIDIA vGPU supports the following NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit features if the vGPU type,
physical GPU, and the hypervisor software version support the feature:

‣ Error-correcting code (ECC) memory


‣ Peer-to-peer CUDA transfers over NVLink

Note: To determine the NVLink topology between physical GPUs in a host or vGPUs
assigned to a VM, run the following command from the host or VM:

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$ nvidia-smi topo -m

‣ GPUDirect® technology remote direct memory access (RDMA)


‣ Unified Memory

Note: Unified memory is disabled by default. If used, you must enable unified memory
individually for each vGPU that requires it by setting a vGPU plugin parameter. For
instructions, see Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU.

Dynamic page retirement is supported for all vGPU types on physical GPUs that support
ECC memory, even if ECC memory is disabled on the physical GPU.

NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Features Not Supported by NVIDIA vGPU


NVIDIA vGPU does not support the following NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit features:

‣ GPUDirect technology storage


‣ GPU context switch trace
‣ NVIDIA Nsight Graphics

Note: These features, except GPUDirect technology storage, are supported in GPU pass-
through mode and in bare-metal deployments.

1.3.4. Additional vWS Features


In addition to the features of vPC and vApps, vWS provides the following features:

‣ Workstation-specific graphics features and accelerations


‣ Certified drivers for professional applications
‣ GPU pass through for workstation or professional 3D graphics
In pass-through mode, vWS supports multiple virtual display heads at resolutions up
to 8K and flexible virtual display resolutions based on the number of available pixels.
For details, see Display Resolutions for Physical GPUs.
‣ 10-bit color for Windows users. (HDR/10-bit color is not currently supported on Linux,
NvFBC capture is supported but deprecated.)

1.3.5. NVIDIA GPU Cloud (NGC) Containers


Support on NVIDIA vGPU Software
NVIDIA vGPU software supports NGC containers in NVIDIA vGPU and GPU pass-through
deployments on all supported hypervisors.
In NVIDIA vGPU deployments, the following vGPU types are supported only on GPUs
based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell architecture:

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‣ All Q-series vGPU types


‣ All C-series vGPU types
In GPU pass-through deployments, all GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the
NVIDIA Maxwell™ architecture that support NVIDIA vGPU software are supported.
NVIDIA vGPU software supports NGC containers on any guest operating system listed in
Supported Platforms - NVIDIA Container Toolkit that is also supported by NVIDIA vGPU
software.
For more information about setting up NVIDIA vGPU software for use with NGC
containers, see Using NGC with NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software Setup Guide.

1.3.6. NVIDIA GPU Operator Support


NVIDIA GPU Operator simplifies the deployment of NVIDIA vGPU software on software
container platforms that are managed by the Kubernetes container orchestration engine.
It automates the installation and update of NVIDIA vGPU software graphics drivers for
container platforms running in guest VMs that are configured with NVIDIA vGPU.
NVIDIA GPU Operator uses a driver catalog published with the NVIDIA vGPU software
graphics drivers to determine automatically the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver
version that is compatible with a platform's Virtual GPU Manager.
Any drivers to be installed by NVIDIA GPU Operator must be downloaded from the NVIDIA
Licensing Portal to a local computer. Automated access to the NVIDIA Licensing Portal by
NVIDIA GPU Operator is not supported.
NVIDIA GPU Operator supports automated configuration of NVIDIA vGPU software and
provides telemetry support through DCGM Exporter running in a guest VM.
NVIDIA GPU Operator is supported only on specific combinations of hypervisor software
release, container platform, vGPU type, and guest OS release. To determine if your
configuration supports NVIDIA GPU Operator with NVIDIA vGPU deployments, consult the
release notes for your chosen hypervisor at NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software Documentation.
For more information, see NVIDIA GPU Operator Overview on the NVIDIA documentation
portal.

1.4. How this Guide Is Organized


Virtual GPU Software User Guide is organized as follows:

‣ This chapter introduces the capabilities and features of NVIDIA vGPU software.
‣ Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager provides a step-by-step guide
to installing and configuring vGPU on supported hypervisors.
‣ Using GPU Pass-Through explains how to configure a GPU for pass-through on
supported hypervisors.
‣ Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver explains how to install NVIDIA
vGPU software graphics driver on Windows and Linux operating systems.

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‣ Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU explains how to license NVIDIA vGPU licensed products on
Windows and Linux operating systems.
‣ Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration explains how to remove a VM’s vGPU
configuration and modify GPU assignments for vGPU-enabled VMs.
‣ Monitoring GPU Performance covers performance monitoring of physical GPUs and
virtual GPUs from the hypervisor and from within individual guest VMs.
‣ Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs describes the scheduling
behavior of NVIDIA vGPUs and how to change it.
‣ Troubleshooting provides guidance on troubleshooting.
‣ Virtual GPU Types Reference provides details of each vGPU available from each
supported GPU and provides examples of mixed virtual display configurations for B-
series and Q-series vGPUs.
‣ Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server explains how to use
x11vnc to confirm that the NVIDIA GPU in a Linux server to which no display devices
are directly connected is working as expected.
‣ Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for Citrix Published Application User Sessions
explains how to ensure that the NVIDIA Notification Icon application does not prevent
the Citrix Published Application user session from being logged off even after the
user has quit all ot
‣ Citrix Hypervisor Basics explains how to perform basic operations on Citrix Hypervisor
to install and configure NVIDIA vGPU software and optimize Citrix Hypervisor
operation with vGPU.
‣ Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management covers vGPU management on Citrix Hypervisor.
‣ Citrix Hypervisor Performance Tuning covers vGPU performance optimization on Citrix
Hypervisor.

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Chapter 2. Installing and Configuring
NVIDIA Virtual GPU
Manager

The process for installing and configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager depends on the
hypervisor that you are using. After you complete this process, you can install the display
drivers for your guest OS and license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that
you are using.

2.1. About NVIDIA Virtual GPUs


2.1.1. NVIDIA vGPU Architecture
The high-level architecture of NVIDIA vGPU is illustrated in Figure 2. Under the control of
the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager running under the hypervisor, NVIDIA physical GPUs are
capable of supporting multiple virtual GPU devices (vGPUs) that can be assigned directly
to guest VMs.
Guest VMs use NVIDIA vGPUs in the same manner as a physical GPU that has been
passed through by the hypervisor: an NVIDIA driver loaded in the guest VM provides
direct access to the GPU for performance-critical fast paths, and a paravirtualized
interface to the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is used for non-performant management
operations.

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Figure 2. NVIDIA vGPU System Architecture

Each NVIDIA vGPU is analogous to a conventional GPU, having a fixed amount of GPU
framebuffer, and one or more virtual display outputs or “heads”. The vGPU’s framebuffer
is allocated out of the physical GPU’s framebuffer at the time the vGPU is created, and
the vGPU retains exclusive use of that framebuffer until it is destroyed.
Depending on the physical GPU, different types of vGPU can be created on the vGPU:

‣ On all GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software, time-sliced vGPUs can be created.
‣ Additionally, on GPUs that support the Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) feature, MIG-backed
vGPUs can be created. The MIG feature is introduced on GPUs that are based on the
NVIDIA Ampere GPU architecture.

2.1.1.1. Time-Sliced NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture


A time-sliced vGPU is a vGPU that resides on a physical GPU that is not partitioned into
multiple GPU instances. All time-sliced vGPUs resident on a GPU share access to the
GPU’s engines including the graphics (3D), video decode, and video encode engines.
In a time-sliced vGPU, processes that run on the vGPU are scheduled to run in series.
Each vGPU waits while other processes run on other vGPUs. While processes are running
on a vGPU, the vGPU has exclusive use of the GPU's engines. You can change the default
scheduling behavior as explained in Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs.

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Figure 3. Time-Sliced NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture

2.1.1.2. MIG-Backed NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture


A MIG-backed vGPU is a vGPU that resides on a GPU instance in a MIG-capable physical
GPU. Each MIG-backed vGPU resident on a GPU has exclusive access to the GPU
instance’s engines, including the compute and video decode engines.
In a MIG-backed vGPU, processes that run on the vGPU run in parallel with processes
running on other vGPUs on the GPU. Process run on all vGPUs resident on a physical GPU
simultaneously.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 4. MIG-Backed NVIDIA vGPU Internal Architecture

2.1.2. About Virtual GPU Types


The number of physical GPUs that a board has depends on the board. Each physical
GPU can support several different types of virtual GPU (vGPU). vGPU types have a fixed
1
amount of frame buffer, number of supported display heads, and maximum resolutions .
They are grouped into different series according to the different classes of workload
for which they are optimized. Each series is identified by the last letter of the vGPU type
name.
Series Optimal Workload
Q-series Virtual workstations for creative and technical professionals who require the
performance and features of Quadro technology
C-series Compute-intensive server workloads, such as artificial intelligence (AI), deep
2, 3
learning, or high-performance computing (HPC)

1
NVIDIA vGPUs with less than 1 Gbyte of frame buffer support only 1 virtual display head on a Windows 10 guest OS.
2
C-series vGPU types are NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server vGPU types, which are optimized for compute-intensive
workloads. As a result, they support only a single display head and do not provide Quadro graphics acceleration.

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Series Optimal Workload


B-series Virtual desktops for business professionals and knowledge workers
A-series App streaming or session-based solutions for virtual applications users
6

The number after the board type in the vGPU type name denotes the amount of frame
buffer that is allocated to a vGPU of that type. For example, a vGPU of type A16-4C is
allocated 4096 Mbytes of frame buffer on an NVIDIA A16 board.
Due to their differing resource requirements, the maximum number of vGPUs that can be
created simultaneously on a physical GPU varies according to the vGPU type. For example,
an NVDIA A16 board can support up to 4 A16-4C vGPUs on each of its two physical GPUs,
for a total of 16 vGPUs, but only 2 A16-8C vGPUs, for a total of 8 vGPUs.
When enabled, the frame-rate limiter (FRL) limits the maximum frame rate in frames per
second (FPS) for a vGPU as follows:

‣ For B-series vGPUs, the maximum frame rate is 45 FPS.


‣ For Q-series, C-series, and A-series vGPUs, the maximum frame rate is 60 FPS.
By default, the FRL is enabled for all GPUs. The FRL is disabled when the vGPU scheduling
behavior is changed from the default best-effort scheduler on GPUs that support
alternative vGPU schedulers. For details, see Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-
Sliced vGPUs. On vGPUs that use the best-effort scheduler, the FRL can be disabled as
explained in the release notes for your chosen hypervisor at NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software
Documentation.

Note:
NVIDIA vGPU is a licensed product on all supported GPU boards. A software license is
required to enable all vGPU features within the guest VM. The type of license required
depends on the vGPU type.

‣ Q-series vGPU types require a vWS license.


‣ C-series vGPU types require an NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server (vCS) license but can
also be used with a vWS license.
‣ B-series vGPU types require a vPC license but can also be used with a vWS license.

3
The maximum number of NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server vGPUs is limited to 12 vGPUs per physical GPU, irrespective of
the available hardware resources of the physical GPU.
4
The -1B4 and -2B4 vGPU types are deprecated in this release, and may be removed in a future release. In preparation for
the possible removal of these vGPU types, use the following vGPU types, which provide equivalent functionality:

‣ Instead of -1B4 vGPU types, use -1B vGPU types.


‣ Instead of -2B4 vGPU types, use -2B vGPU types.
5
With many workloads, -1B and -1B4 vGPUs perform adequately with only 2 2560×1600 virtual displays per vGPU. If you
want to use more than 2 2560×1600 virtual displays per vGPU, use a vGPU with more frame buffer, such as a -2B or -2B4
vGPU. For more information, see NVIDIA GRID vPC Sizing Guide (PDF).
6
A-series NVIDIA vGPUs support a single display at low resolution to be used as the console display in remote application
environments such as RDSH and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. The maximum resolution and number of virtual
display heads for the A-series NVIDIA vGPUs applies only to the console display. The maximum resolution of each
RDSH or Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops session is determined by the remoting solution and is not restricted by the
maximum resolution of the vGPU. Similarly, the number of virtual display heads supported by each session is determined
by the remoting solution and is not restricted by the vGPU.

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‣ A-series vGPU types require a vApps license.

For details of the virtual GPU types available from each supported GPU, see Virtual GPU
Types for Supported GPUs.

2.1.3. Virtual Display Resolutions for Q-series and


B-series vGPUs
Instead of a fixed maximum resolution per display, Q-series and B-series vGPUs support
a maximum combined resolution based on the number of available pixels, which is
determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between using a small number of
high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution displays with these vGPUs.
The number of virtual displays that you can use depends on a combination of the
following factors:

‣ Virtual GPU series


‣ GPU architecture
‣ vGPU frame buffer size
‣ Display resolution

Note: You cannot use more than the maximum number of displays that a vGPU supports
even if the combined resolution of the displays is less than the number of available pixels
from the vGPU. For example, because -0Q and -0B vGPUs support a maximum of only
two displays, you cannot use four 1280×1024 displays with these vGPUs even though the
combined resolution of the displays (6220800) is less than the number of available pixels
from these vGPUs (8192000).

Various factors affect the consumption of the GPU frame buffer, which can impact the
user experience. These factors include and are not limited to the number of displays,
display resolution, workload and applications deployed, remoting solution, and guest OS.
The ability of a vGPU to drive a certain combination of displays does not guarantee that
enough frame buffer remains free for all applications to run. If applications run out of
frame buffer, consider changing your setup in one of the following ways:

‣ Switching to a vGPU type with more frame buffer


‣ Using fewer displays
‣ Using lower resolution displays
The maximum number of displays per vGPU listed in Virtual GPU Types for Supported
GPUs is based on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For
examples of configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display
Configurations for B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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2.1.4. Valid Virtual GPU Configurations on a


Single GPU
Valid vGPU configurations on a single GPU depend on whether the vGPUs are time sliced
or, on GPUs that support MIG, are MIG-backed.

2.1.4.1. Valid Time-Sliced Virtual GPU Configurations on


a Single GPU
This release of NVIDIA vGPU supports only homogeneous time-sliced virtual GPUs. At any
given time, the virtual GPUs resident on a single physical GPU must be all of the same
type.
However, this restriction doesn’t extend across physical GPUs on the same card. Different
physical GPUs on the same card may host different types of virtual GPU at the same time,
provided that the vGPU types on any one physical GPU are the same.
For example, a Tesla M60 card has two physical GPUs, and can support several types
of virtual GPU. Figure 5 shows the following examples of valid and invalid virtual GPU
configurations on Tesla M60:

‣ A valid configuration with M60-2Q vGPUs on GPU 0 and M60-4Q vGPUs on GPU 1
‣ A valid configuration with M60-1B vGPUs on GPU 0 and M60-2Q vGPUs on GPU 1
‣ An invalid configuration with mixed vGPU types on GPU 0

Figure 5. Example Time-Sliced vGPU Configurations on Tesla M60

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2.1.4.2. Valid MIG-Backed Virtual GPU Configurations on


a Single GPU
This release of NVIDIA vGPU supports both homogeneous and mixed MIG-backed virtual
GPUs based on the underlying GPU instance configuration.
For example, an NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB card has one physical GPU, and can support
several types of virtual GPU. Figure 6 shows the following examples of valid homogeneous
and mixed MIG-backed virtual GPU configurations on NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB.

‣ A valid homogeneous configuration with 3 A100-2-10C vGPUs on 3 MIG.2g.10b GPU


instances
‣ A valid homogeneous configuration with 2 A100-3-20C vGPUs on 3 MIG.3g.20b GPU
instances
‣ A valid mixed configuration with 1 A100-4-20C vGPU on a MIG.4g.20b GPU instance,
1 A100-2-10C vGPU on a MIG.2.10b GPU instance, and 1 A100-1-5C vGPU on a
MIG.1g.5b instance

Figure 6. Example MIG-Backed vGPU Configurations on NVIDIA A100


PCIe 40GB

2.1.5. Guest VM Support


NVIDIA vGPU supports Windows and Linux guest VM operating systems. The supported
vGPU types depend on the guest VM OS.
For details of the supported releases of Windows and Linux, and for further information
on supported configurations, see the driver release notes for your hypervisor at NVIDIA
Virtual GPU Software Documentation.

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2.1.5.1. Windows Guest VM Support


Windows guest VMs are supported only on Q-series, B-series, and A-series NVIDIA vGPU
types. They are not supported on C-series NVIDIA vGPU types.

2.1.5.2. Linux Guest VM support


64-bit Linux guest VMs are supported only on Q-series, C-series, and B-series NVIDIA
vGPU types. They are not supported on A-series NVIDIA vGPU types.

2.2. Prerequisites for Using NVIDIA


vGPU
Before proceeding, ensure that these prerequisites are met:

‣ You have a server platform that is capable of hosting your chosen hypervisor and
NVIDIA GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software.
‣ One or more NVIDIA GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software is installed in your
server platform.
‣ If you are using GPUs based on the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, the following BIOS
settings are enabled on your server platform:

‣ VT-D/IOMMU
‣ SR-IOV
‣ Alternative Routing ID Interpretation (ARI)
‣ You have downloaded the NVIDIA vGPU software package for your chosen hypervisor,
which consists of the following software:

‣ NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for your hypervisor


‣ NVIDIA vGPU software graphics drivers for supported guest operating systems
‣ The following software is installed according to the instructions in the software
vendor's documentation:

‣ Your chosen hypervisor, for example, Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
KVM, Red Hat Virtualization (RHV), or VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi)
‣ The software for managing your chosen hypervisor, for example, Citrix XenCenter
management GUI, or VMware vCenter Server
‣ The virtual desktop software that you will use with virtual machines (VMs) running
NVIDIA Virtual GPU, for example, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, or VMware
Horizon

Note: If you are using VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), ensure that the ESXi host on
which you will configure a VM with NVIDIA vGPU is not a member of a fully automated

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) cluster. For more information, see
Installing and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for VMware vSphere.

‣ A VM to be enabled with vGPU is created.

Note: If the VM uses UEFI boot and you plan to install a Linux guest OS in the VM,
ensure that secure boot is disabled.
All hypervisors covered in this guide support multiple vGPUs in a VM.

‣ Your chosen guest OS is installed in the VM.


For information about supported hardware and software, and any known issues for this
release of NVIDIA vGPU software, refer to the Release Notes for your chosen hypervisor:

‣ Virtual GPU Software for Citrix Hypervisor Release Notes


‣ Virtual GPU Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux with KVM Release Notes
‣ Virtual GPU Software for Ubuntu Release Notes
‣ Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes

2.3. Switching the Mode of a GPU that


Supports Multiple Display Modes
Some GPUs support displayless and display-enabled modes but must be used in NVIDIA
vGPU software deployments in displayless mode.
The GPUs listed in the following table support multiple display modes. As shown in the
table, some GPUs are supplied from the factory in displayless mode, but other GPUs are
supplied in a display-enabled mode.
GPU Mode as Supplied from the Factory
NVIDIA A40 Displayless
NVIDIA RTX A5000 Display enabled
NVIDIA RTX A6000 Display enabled

A GPU that is supplied from the factory in displayless mode, such as the NVIDIA A40 GPU,
might be in a display-enabled mode if its mode has previously been changed.
To change the mode of a GPU that supports multiple display modes, use the
displaymodeselector tool, which you can request from the NVIDIA Display Mode
Selector Tool page on the NVIDIA Developer website.

Note:
Only the following GPUs support the displaymodeselector tool:

‣ NVIDIA A40
‣ NVIDIA RTX A5000

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

‣ NVIDIA RTX A6000


Other GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software do not support the
displaymodeselector tool and, unless otherwise stated, do not require display mode
switching.

2.4. Switching the Mode of a Tesla M60


or M6 GPU
Tesla M60 and M6 GPUs support compute mode and graphics mode. NVIDIA vGPU
requires GPUs that support both modes to operate in graphics mode.
Recent Tesla M60 GPUs and M6 GPUs are supplied in graphics mode. However, your GPU
might be in compute mode if it is an older Tesla M60 GPU or M6 GPU or if its mode has
previously been changed.
To configure the mode of Tesla M60 and M6 GPUs, use the gpumodeswitch tool provided
with NVIDIA vGPU software releases. If you are unsure which mode your GPU is in, use the
gpumodeswitch tool to find out the mode.

Note:
Only Tesla M60 and M6 GPUs support the gpumodeswitch tool. Other GPUs that support
NVIDIA vGPU do not support the gpumodeswitch tool and, except as stated in Switching
the Mode of a GPU that Supports Multiple Display Modes, do not require mode switching.
Even in compute mode, Tesla M60 and M6 GPUs do not support NVIDIA Virtual Compute
Server vGPU types. Furthermore, vCS is not supported on any GPU on Citrix Hypervisor.

For more information, refer to gpumodeswitch User Guide.

2.5. Installing and Configuring the


NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for
Citrix Hypervisor
The following topics step you through the process of setting up a single Citrix Hypervisor
VM to use NVIDIA vGPU. After the process is complete, you can install the graphics driver
for your guest OS and license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that you are
using.
These setup steps assume familiarity with the Citrix Hypervisor skills covered in Citrix
Hypervisor Basics.

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2.5.1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual


GPU Manager for Citrix Hypervisor
The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager runs in the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 domain. The
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Citrix Hypervisor is supplied as an RPM file and as a
Supplemental Pack.

CAUTION: NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager and guest VM drivers must be compatible. If you
update vGPU Manager to a release that is incompatible with the guest VM drivers, guest
VMs will boot with vGPU disabled until their guest vGPU driver is updated to a compatible
version. Consult Virtual GPU Software for Citrix Hypervisor Release Notes for further details.

2.5.1.1. Installing the RPM package for Citrix Hypervisor


The RPM file must be copied to the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 domain prior to installation
(see Copying files to dom0).

1. Use the rpm command to install the package:


[root@xenserver ~]# rpm -iv NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64.rpm
Preparing packages for installation...
NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02
[root@xenserver ~]#
2. Reboot the Citrix Hypervisor platform:
[root@xenserver ~]# shutdown –r now

Broadcast message from root (pts/1) (Fri Nov 10 14:24:11 2023):

The system is going down for reboot NOW!


[root@xenserver ~]#

2.5.1.2. Updating the RPM Package for Citrix Hypervisor


If an existing NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is already installed on the system and you want
to upgrade, follow these steps:

1. Shut down any VMs that are using NVIDIA vGPU.


2. Install the new package using the –U option to the rpm command, to upgrade from the
previously installed package:
[root@xenserver ~]# rpm -Uv NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64.rpm
Preparing packages for installation...
NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02
[root@xenserver ~]#

Note:
You can query the version of the current NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package using
the rpm –q command:
[root@xenserver ~]# rpm –q NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02
[root@xenserver ~]#

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

If an existing NVIDIA GRID package is already installed and you don’t


select the upgrade (-U) option when installing a newer GRID package, the
rpm command will return many conflict errors.
Preparing packages for installation...
file /usr/bin/nvidia-smi from install of NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-
vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64 conflicts with file from
package NVIDIA-vGPU-xenserver-8.2-470.199.03.x86_64
file /usr/lib/libnvidia-ml.so from install of NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-
vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64 conflicts with file from
package NVIDIA-vGPU-xenserver-8.2-470.199.03.x86_64
...

3. Reboot the Citrix Hypervisor platform:


[root@xenserver ~]# shutdown –r now
Broadcast message from root (pts/1) (Fri Nov 10 14:24:11 2023):

The system is going down for reboot NOW!


[root@xenserver ~]#

2.5.1.3. Installing or Updating the Supplemental Pack


for Citrix Hypervisor
XenCenter can be used to install or update Supplemental Packs on Citrix Hypervisor
hosts. The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager supplemental pack is provided as an ISO.

1. Select Install Update from the Tools menu.


2. Click Next after going through the instructions on the Before You Start section.
3. Click Select update or supplemental pack from disk on the Select Update section
and open NVIDIA’s Citrix Hypervisor Supplemental Pack ISO.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 7. NVIDIA vGPU Manager supplemental pack selected in


XenCenter

4. Click Next on the Select Update section.


5. In the Select Servers section select all the Citrix Hypervisor hosts on which the
Supplemental Pack should be installed on and click Next.
6. Click Next on the Upload section once the Supplemental Pack has been uploaded to
all the Citrix Hypervisor hosts.
7. Click Next on the Prechecks section.
8. Click Install Update on the Update Mode section.
9. Click Finish on the Install Update section.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 8. Successful installation of NVIDIA vGPU Manager


supplemental pack

2.5.1.4. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU


Software for Citrix Hypervisor Package
After the Citrix Hypervisor platform has rebooted, verify the installation of the NVIDIA
vGPU software package for Citrix Hypervisor.

1. Verify that the NVIDIA vGPU software package is installed and loaded correctly by
checking for the NVIDIA kernel driver in the list of kernel loaded modules.
[root@xenserver ~]# lsmod | grep nvidia
nvidia 9522927 0
i2c_core 20294 2 nvidia,i2c_i801
[root@xenserver ~]#
2. Verify that the NVIDIA kernel driver can successfully communicate with the NVIDIA
physical GPUs in your system by running the nvidia-smi command.
The nvidia-smi command is described in more detail in NVIDIA System Management
Interface nvidia-smi.

Running the nvidia-smi command should produce a listing of the GPUs in your platform.
[root@xenserver ~]# nvidia-smi
Fri Nov 10 18:46:50 2023
+------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

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| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |


| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:05:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 25C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:06:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 24C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:86:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 25C P8 25W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 3 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:87:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 28C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: GPU Memory |
| GPU PID Type Process name Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[root@xenserver ~]#

If nvidia-smi fails to run or doesn’t produce the expected output for all the NVIDIA GPUs
in your system, see Troubleshooting for troubleshooting steps.

2.5.2. Configuring a Citrix Hypervisor VM with


Virtual GPU
To support applications and workloads that are compute or graphics intensive, you can
add multiple vGPUs to a single VM.
For details about which Citrix Hypervisor versions and NVIDIA vGPUs support the
assignment of multiple vGPUs to a VM, see Virtual GPU Software for Citrix Hypervisor
Release Notes.
Citrix Hypervisor supports configuration and management of virtual GPUs using
XenCenter, or the xe command line tool that is run in a Citrix Hypervisor dom0 shell.
Basic configuration using XenCenter is described in the following sections. Command line
management using xe is described in Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management.

Note: If you are using Citrix Hypervisor 8.1 or later and need to assign plugin configuration
parameters, create vGPUs using the xe command as explained in Creating a vGPU Using
xe.

1. Ensure the VM is powered off.


2. Right-click the VM in XenCenter, select Properties to open the VM’s properties, and
select the GPU property.
The available GPU types are listed in the GPU type drop-down list:

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 9. Using Citrix XenCenter to configure a VM with a vGPU

After you have configured a Citrix Hypervisor VM with a vGPU, start the VM, either from
XenCenter or by using xe vm-start in a dom0 shell. You can view the VM’s console in
XenCenter.
After the VM has booted, install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver as explained in
Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

2.5.3. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on Citrix


Hypervisor
Plugin parameters for a vGPU control the behavior of the vGPU, such as the frame rate
limiter (FRL) configuration in frames per second or whether console virtual network
computing (VNC) for the vGPU is enabled. The VM to which the vGPU is assigned is
started with these parameters. If parameters are set for multiple vGPUs assigned to the
same VM, the VM is started with the parameters assigned to each vGPU.
For each vGPU for which you want to set plugin parameters, perform this task in a
command shell in the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 domain.

1. Get the UUIDs of all VMs on the hypervisor host and use the output from the
command to identify the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vm-list
...
uuid ( RO) : 7f6c855d-5635-2d57-9fbc-b1200172162f
name-label ( RW): RHEL8.3
power-state ( RO): running
...

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2. Get the UUIDs of all vGPUs on the hypervisor host and from the UUID of the VM to
which the vGPU is assigned, determine the UUID of the vGPU.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-list
...
uuid ( RO) : d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b
vm-uuid ( RO): 7f6c855d-5635-2d57-9fbc-b1200172162f
device ( RO): 0
gpu-group-uuid ( RO): 3a2fbc36-827d-a078-0b2f-9e869ae6fd93
...
3. Use the xe command to set each vGPU plugin parameter that you want to set.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-param-set uuid=vgpu-uuid extra_args='parameter=value'
vgpu-uuid
The UUID of the vGPU, which you obtained in the previous step.
parameter
The name of the vGPU plugin parameter that you want to set.
value
The value to which you want to set the vGPU plugin parameter.
This example sets the enable_uvm vGPU plugin parameter to 1 for the vGPU that has
the UUID d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b. This parameter setting enables
unified memory for the vGPU.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-param-set uuid=d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b
extra_args='enable_uvm=1'

2.6. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager


Package for Linux KVM
NVIDIA vGPU software for Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) (Linux KVM) is
intended only for use with supported versions of Linux KVM hypervisors. For details
about which Linux KVM hypervisor versions are supported, see Virtual GPU Software for
Generic Linux with KVM Release Notes.

Note: If you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, follow the instructions in Installing
and Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or
RHV.

Before installing the Virtual GPU Manager package for Linux KVM, ensure that the
following prerequisites are met:

‣ The following packages are installed on the Linux KVM server:


‣ The x86_64 build of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC)
‣ Linux kernel headers
‣ The package file is copied to a directory in the file system of the Linux KVM server.
If the Nouveau driver for NVIDIA graphics cards is present, disable it before installing the
package.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

1. Change to the directory on the Linux KVM server that contains the package file.
# cd package-file-directory
package-file-directory
The path to the directory that contains the package file.
2. Make the package file executable.
# chmod +x package-file-name
package-file-name
The name of the file that contains the Virtual GPU Manager package for Linux
KVM, for example NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-390.42-vgpu-kvm.run.
3. Run the package file as the root user.
# sudo sh./package-file-name
The package file should launch and display the license agreement.
4. Accept the license agreement to continue with the installation.
5. When installation has completed, select OK to exit the installer.
6. Reboot the Linux KVM server.
# systemctl reboot

2.7. Installing and Configuring the


NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for
Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or
RHV
The following topics step you through the process of setting up a single Red Hat
Enterprise Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) or Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) VM
to use NVIDIA vGPU.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM and RHV use the same Virtual GPU Manager package, but
are configured with NVIDIA vGPU in different ways.

CAUTION: Output from the VM console is not available for VMs that are running vGPU.
Make sure that you have installed an alternate means of accessing the VM (such as a VNC
server) before you configure vGPU.

For RHV, follow this sequence of instructions:


1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV
2. MIG-backed vGPUs only: Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs
3. Adding a vGPU to a Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) VM
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, follow this sequence of instructions:
1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV
2. MIG-backed vGPUs only: Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs
3. Getting the BDF and Domain of a GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

4. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor


5. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM Hypervisor VM
6. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor
After the process is complete, you can install the graphics driver for your guest OS and
license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that you are using.

Note: If you are using a generic Linux KVM hypervisor, follow the instructions in Installing
the Virtual GPU Manager Package for Linux KVM.

2.7.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager


for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV
The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM and Red Hat
Virtualization (RHV) is provided as a .rpm file.

CAUTION: NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager and guest VM drivers must be compatible. If you
update vGPU Manager to a release that is incompatible with the guest VM drivers, guest
VMs will boot with vGPU disabled until their guest vGPU driver is updated to a compatible
version. Consult Virtual GPU Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux with KVM Release Notes
for further details.

2.7.1.1. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager Package for


Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV
Before installing the RPM package for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV, ensure that
the sshd service on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server is configured to
permit root login. If the Nouveau driver for NVIDIA graphics cards is present, disable it
before installing the package. For instructions, see How to disable the Nouveau driver and
install the Nvidia driver in RHEL 7 (Red Hat subscription required).
Some versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM have z-stream updates that break Kernel
Application Binary Interface (kABI) compatibility with the previous kernel or the GA kernel.
For these versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, the following Virtual GPU Manager
RPM packages are supplied:

‣ A package for the GA Linux KVM kernel


‣ A package for the updated z-stream kernel
To differentiate these packages, the name of each RPM package includes the kernel
version. Ensure that you install the RPM package that is compatible with your Linux KVM
kernel version.

1. Securely copy the RPM file from the system where you downloaded the file to the Red
Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server.

‣ From a Windows system, use a secure copy client such as WinSCP.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

‣ From a Linux system, use the scp command.


2. Use secure shell (SSH) to log in as root to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV
server.
# ssh root@kvm-server
kvm-server
The host name or IP address of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server.
3. Change to the directory on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server to which
you copied the RPM file.
# cd rpm-file-directory
rpm-file-directory
The path to the directory to which you copied the RPM file.
4. Use the rpm command to install the package.
# rpm -iv NVIDIA-vGPU-rhel-8.4-470.223.02.x86_64.rpm
Preparing packages for installation...
NVIDIA-vGPU-rhel-8.4-470.223.02
#
5. Reboot the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server.
# systemctl reboot

2.7.1.2. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU


Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or
RHV
After the Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV server has rebooted, verify the
installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software package for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or
RHV.

1. Verify that the NVIDIA vGPU software package is installed and loaded correctly by
checking for the VFIO drivers in the list of kernel loaded modules.
# lsmod | grep vfio
nvidia_vgpu_vfio 27099 0
nvidia 12316924 1 nvidia_vgpu_vfio
vfio_mdev 12841 0
mdev 20414 2 vfio_mdev,nvidia_vgpu_vfio
vfio_iommu_type1 22342 0
vfio 32331 3 vfio_mdev,nvidia_vgpu_vfio,vfio_iommu_type1
#
2. Verify that the libvirtd service is active and running.
# service libvirtd status
3. Verify that the NVIDIA kernel driver can successfully communicate with the NVIDIA
physical GPUs in your system by running the nvidia-smi command.
The nvidia-smi command is described in more detail in NVIDIA System Management
Interface nvidia-smi.

Running the nvidia-smi command should produce a listing of the GPUs in your platform.
# nvidia-smi
Fri Nov 10 18:46:50 2023
+------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |

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| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |


|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 Tesla M60 On | 0000:85:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 23C P8 23W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 On | 0000:86:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 29C P8 23W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2 Tesla P40 On | 0000:87:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 21C P8 18W / 250W | 53MiB / 24575MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: GPU Memory |
| GPU PID Type Process name Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
#

If nvidia-smi fails to run or doesn’t produce the expected output for all the NVIDIA GPUs
in your system, see Troubleshooting for troubleshooting steps.

2.7.2. Adding a vGPU to a Red Hat Virtualization


(RHV) VM
Ensure that the VM to which you want to add the vGPU is shut down.

1. Determine the mediated device type (mdev_type) identifiers of the vGPU types
available on the RHV host.
# vdsm-client Host hostdevListByCaps
...
"mdev": {
"nvidia-155": {
"name": "GRID M10-2B",
"available_instances": "4"
},
"nvidia-36": {
"name": "GRID M10-0Q",
"available_instances": "16"
},
...
The preceding example shows the mdev_type identifiers of the following vGPU types:

‣ For the GRID M10-2B vGPU type, the mdev_type identifier is nvidia-155.

‣ For the GRID M10-0Q vGPU type, the mdev_type identifier is nvidia-36.
2. Note the mdev_type identifier of the vGPU type that you want to add.
3. Log in to the RHV Administration Portal.
4. From the Main Navigation Menu, choose Compute > Virtual Machines > virtual-
machine-name .
virtual-machine-name
The name of the virtual machine to which you want to add the vGPU.
5. Click Edit.
6. In the Edit Virtual Machine window that opens, click Show Advanced Options and in
the list of options, select Custom Properties.
7. From the drop-down list, select mdev_type.

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8. In the text field, type the mdev_type identifier of the vGPU type that you want to add
and click OK.

After adding a vGPU to an RHV VM, start the VM.


After the VM has booted, install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver as explained in
Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

2.8. Since 13.1: Installing and


Configuring the NVIDIA Virtual GPU
Manager for Ubuntu
Follow this sequence of instructions to set up a single Ubuntu VM to use NVIDIA vGPU.
1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Ubuntu

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

2. MIG-backed vGPUs only: Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs


3. Getting the BDF and Domain of a GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor
4. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor
5. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM Hypervisor VM
6. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor

CAUTION: Output from the VM console is not available for VMs that are running vGPU.
Make sure that you have installed an alternate means of accessing the VM (such as a VNC
server) before you configure vGPU.

After the process is complete, you can install the graphics driver for your guest OS and
license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that you are using.

2.8.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager


for Ubuntu
The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Ubuntu is provided as a Debian package (.deb) file.

CAUTION: NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager and guest VM drivers must be compatible. If you
update vGPU Manager to a release that is incompatible with the guest VM drivers, guest
VMs will boot with vGPU disabled until their guest vGPU driver is updated to a compatible
version. Consult Virtual GPU Software for Ubuntu Release Notes for further details.

2.8.1.1. Installing the Virtual GPU Manager Package for


Ubuntu
Before installing the Debian package for Ubuntu, ensure that the sshd service on the
Ubuntu server is configured to permit root login. If the Nouveau driver for NVIDIA
graphics cards is present, disable it before installing the package.

1. Securely copy the Debian package file from the system where you downloaded the file
to the Ubuntu server.

‣ From a Windows system, use a secure copy client such as WinSCP.


‣ From a Linux system, use the scp command.
2. Use secure shell (SSH) to log in as root to the Ubuntu server.
# ssh root@ubuntu-server
ubuntu-server
The host name or IP address of the Ubuntu server.
3. Change to the directory on the Ubuntu server to which you copied the Debian
package file.
# cd deb-file-directory
deb-file-directory
The path to the directory to which you copied the Debian package file.
4. Use the apt command to install the package.
# apt install ./nvidia-vgpu-ubuntu-470.223.02_amd64.deb

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5. Reboot the Ubuntu server.


# systemctl reboot

2.8.1.2. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU


Software for Ubuntu
After the Ubuntu server has rebooted, verify the installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software
package for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV.

1. Verify that the NVIDIA vGPU software package is installed and loaded correctly by
checking for the VFIO drivers in the list of kernel loaded modules.
# lsmod | grep vfio
nvidia_vgpu_vfio 27099 0
nvidia 12316924 1 nvidia_vgpu_vfio
vfio_mdev 12841 0
mdev 20414 2 vfio_mdev,nvidia_vgpu_vfio
vfio_iommu_type1 22342 0
vfio 32331 3 vfio_mdev,nvidia_vgpu_vfio,vfio_iommu_type1
#
2. Verify that the libvirtd service is active and running.
# service libvirtd status
3. Verify that the NVIDIA kernel driver can successfully communicate with the NVIDIA
physical GPUs in your system by running the nvidia-smi command.
The nvidia-smi command is described in more detail in NVIDIA System Management
Interface nvidia-smi.

Running the nvidia-smi command should produce a listing of the GPUs in your platform.
# nvidia-smi
Fri Nov 10 18:46:50 2023
+------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 Tesla M60 On | 0000:85:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 23C P8 23W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 On | 0000:86:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 29C P8 23W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2 Tesla P40 On | 0000:87:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 21C P8 18W / 250W | 53MiB / 24575MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: GPU Memory |
| GPU PID Type Process name Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
#

If nvidia-smi fails to run or doesn’t produce the expected output for all the NVIDIA GPUs
in your system, see Troubleshooting for troubleshooting steps.

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2.9. Installing and Configuring the


NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for
VMware vSphere
You can use the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for VMware vSphere to set up a VMware
vSphere VM to use NVIDIA vGPU or VMware vSGA. The vGPU Manager vSphere
Installation Bundles (VIBs) for VMware vSphere 6.5 and later provide vSGA and vGPU
functionality in a single VIB. For VMware vSphere 6.0, vSGA and vGPU functionality are
provided in separate vGPU Manager VIBs.

Note:
Some servers, for example, the Dell R740, do not configure SR-IOV capability if the SR-IOV
SBIOS setting is disabled on the server. If you are using the Tesla T4 GPU with VMware
vSphere on such a server, you must ensure that the SR-IOV SBIOS setting is enabled on
the server.
However, with any server hardware, do not enable SR-IOV in VMware vCenter Server
for the Tesla T4 GPU. If SR-IOV is enabled in VMware vCenter Server for T4, VMware
vCenter Server lists the status of the GPU as needing a reboot. You can ignore this status
message.

NVIDIA vGPU Instructions

Note: As of VMware vSphere 7.0 Update 1, the Xorg service is no longer required for
graphics devices in NVIDIA vGPU mode. For more information, see Installing and Updating
the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for vSphere.

For NVIDIA vGPU, follow this sequence of instructions:


1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for vSphere
2. Configuring VMware vMotion with vGPU for VMware vSphere
3. Changing the Default Graphics Type in VMware vSphere 6.5 and Later
4. MIG-backed vGPUs only: Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed vGPUs
5. Configuring a vSphere VM with NVIDIA vGPU
6. Optional: Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on VMware vSphere
After configuring a vSphere VM to use NVIDIA vGPU, you can install the NVIDIA vGPU
software graphics driver for your guest OS and license any NVIDIA vGPU software
licensed products that you are using.

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VMware vSGA Instructions


For VMware vSGA, follow this sequence of instructions:
1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for vSphere
2. Configuring a vSphere VM with VMware vSGA
Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver for the guest OS is not required
for vSGA.

Requirements for Configuring NVIDIA vGPU in a DRS Cluster


You can configure a VM with NVIDIA vGPU on an ESXi host in a VMware Distributed
Resource Scheduler (DRS) cluster. However, you must ensure that the automation level of
the cluster supports VMs configured with NVIDIA vGPU:

‣ For any supported VMware vSphere release, set the automation level to Manual.
‣ For VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 1 or later, set the automation level to Partially
Automated or Manual.
For more information about these settings, see Edit Cluster Settings in the VMware
documentation.

2.9.1. Installing and Updating the NVIDIA Virtual


GPU Manager for vSphere
The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager runs on the ESXi host. How the NVIDIA Virtual GPU
Manager package is distributed depends on the release of VMware vSphere.

‣ For all supported VMware vSphere releases, the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package
is distributed as a software component in a ZIP archive, which you can install in one of
the following ways:

‣ By copying the software component to the ESXi host and then installing it as
explained in Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Package for vSphere
‣ By importing the software component manually as explained in Import Patches
Manually in the VMware vSphere documentation
‣ For supported releases before VMware vSphere 7.0, the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager
package is also distributed as a vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) file, which you must
copy to the ESXi host and then install as explained in Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU
Manager Package for vSphere.

CAUTION: NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager and guest VM drivers must be compatible. If
you update vGPU Manager to a release that is incompatible with the guest VM drivers,
guest VMs will boot with vGPU disabled until their guest vGPU driver is updated to a
compatible version. Consult Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes for
further details.

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2.9.1.1. Installing the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager


Package for vSphere
To install the vGPU Manager package you need to access the ESXi host via the ESXi Shell
or SSH. Refer to VMware’s documentation on how to enable ESXi Shell or SSH for an ESXi
host.
Before you begin, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The ZIP archive that contains NVIDIA vGPU software has been downloaded from the
NVIDIA Licensing Portal.
‣ The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package has been extracted from the downloaded
ZIP archive.

1. Copy the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package file to the ESXi host.
2. Put the ESXi host into maintenance mode.
$ esxcli system maintenanceMode set –-enable true
3. Use the esxcli command to install the vGPU Manager package.
For more information about the esxcli command, see esxcli software Commands in
the VMware vSphere documentation.

‣ For a software component, run the following command:


[root@esxi:~] esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore/software-
component.zip
datastore
The name of the VMFS datastore to which you copied the software component.
software-component
The name of the file that contains the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package
in the form of a software component. Ensure that you specify the file
that was extracted from the downloaded ZIP archive. For example, for
VMware vSphere 7.0, software-component is NVD.NVIDIA_bootbank_NVIDIA-
VMware_470.223.02-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922-offline_bundle-build-number.
‣ For a VIB file, run the following command:
[root@esxi:~] esxcli software vib install -v directory/NVIDIA-vGPU-
VMware_ESXi_7.0_Host_Driver_470.223.02-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922.vib
Installation Result
Message: Operation finished successfully.
Reboot Required: false
VIBs Installed: NVIDIA-vGPU-
VMware_ESXi_7.0_Host_Driver_470.223.02-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922
VIBs Removed:
VIBs Skipped:
directory
The absolute path to the directory to which you copied the VIB file. You must
specify the absolute path even if the VIB file is in the current working directory.
4. Exit maintenance mode.
$ esxcli system maintenanceMode set –-enable false
5. Reboot the ESXi host.
$ reboot

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2.9.1.2. Updating the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager


Package for vSphere
Update the vGPU Manager VIB package if you want to install a new version of NVIDIA
Virtual GPU Manager on a system where an existing version is already installed.

CAUTION: Do not perform this task on a system where an existing version isn't already
installed. If you perform this task on a system where an existing version isn't already
installed, the Xorg service (when required) fails to start after the NVIDIA vGPU software
driver is installed. Instead, install the vGPU Manager VIB package as explained in Installing
the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Package for vSphere.

To update the vGPU Manager VIB you need to access the ESXi host via the ESXi Shell or
SSH. Refer to VMware’s documentation on how to enable ESXi Shell or SSH for an ESXi
host.

Note: Before proceeding with the vGPU Manager update, make sure that all VMs are
powered off and the ESXi host is placed in maintenance mode. Refer to VMware’s
documentation on how to place an ESXi host in maintenance mode

1. Use the esxcli command to update the vGPU Manager package:


[root@esxi:~] esxcli software vib update -v directory/NVIDIA-vGPU-
VMware_ESXi_7.0_Host_Driver_470.223.02-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922.vib

Installation Result
Message: Operation finished successfully.
Reboot Required: false
VIBs Installed: NVIDIA-vGPU-
VMware_ESXi_7.0_Host_Driver_470.223.02-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922
VIBs Removed: NVIDIA-vGPU-
VMware_ESXi_7.0_Host_Driver_470.199.03-1OEM.700.0.0.8169922
VIBs Skipped:

directory is the path to the directory that contains the VIB file.
2. Reboot the ESXi host and remove it from maintenance mode.

2.9.1.3. Verifying the Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU


Software Package for vSphere
After the ESXi host has rebooted, verify the installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software
package for vSphere.

1. Verify that the NVIDIA vGPU software package installed and loaded correctly by
checking for the NVIDIA kernel driver in the list of kernel loaded modules.
[root@esxi:~] vmkload_mod -l | grep nvidia
nvidia 5 8420
2. If the NVIDIA driver is not listed in the output, check dmesg for any load-time errors
reported by the driver.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

3. Verify that the NVIDIA kernel driver can successfully communicate with the NVIDIA
physical GPUs in your system by running the nvidia-smi command.
The nvidia-smi command is described in more detail in NVIDIA System Management
Interface nvidia-smi.

Running the nvidia-smi command should produce a listing of the GPUs in your platform.
[root@esxi:~] nvidia-smi
Fri Nov 10 17:56:22 2023
+------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:05:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 25C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:06:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 24C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:86:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 25C P8 25W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 3 Tesla M60 On | 00000000:87:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 28C P8 24W / 150W | 13MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: GPU Memory |
| GPU PID Type Process name Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
If nvidia-smi fails to report the expected output for all the NVIDIA GPUs in your system,
see Troubleshooting for troubleshooting steps.

2.9.2. Configuring VMware vMotion with vGPU


for VMware vSphere
NVIDIA vGPU software supports vGPU migration, which includes VMware vMotion and
suspend-resume, for VMs that are configured with vGPU. To enable VMware vMotion with
vGPU, an advanced vCenter Server setting must be enabled. However, suspend-resume
for VMs that are configured with vGPU is enabled by default.
For details about which VMware vSphere versions, NVIDIA GPUs, and guest OS releases
support vGPU migration, see Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes.
Before configuring VMware vMotion with vGPU for an ESXi host, ensure that the current
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for VMware vSphere package is installed on the host.

1. Log in to vCenter Server by using the vSphere Web Client.


2. In the Hosts and Clusters view, select the vCenter Server instance.

Note: Ensure that you select the vCenter Server instance, not the vCenter Server VM.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

3. Click the Configure tab.


4. In the Settings section, select Advanced Settings and click Edit.
5. In the Edit Advanced vCenter Server Settings window that opens, type vGPU in the
search field.
6. When the vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled setting appears, set the Enabled option and click
OK.

2.9.3. Changing the Default Graphics Type in


VMware vSphere 6.5 and Later
The vGPU Manager VIBs for VMware vSphere 6.5 and later provide vSGA and vGPU
functionality in a single VIB. After this VIB is installed, the default graphics type is Shared,
which provides vSGA functionality. To enable vGPU support for VMs in VMware vSphere
6.5, you must change the default graphics type to Shared Direct. If you do not change
the default graphics type, VMs to which a vGPU is assigned fail to start and the following
error message is displayed:

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

The amount of graphics resource available in the parent resource pool is


insufficient for the operation.

Note:

If you are using a supported version of VMware vSphere earlier than 6.5, or are configuring
a VM to use vSGA, omit this task.

Change the default graphics type before configuring vGPU. Output from the VM console
in the VMware vSphere Web Client is not available for VMs that are running vGPU.

Before changing the default graphics type, ensure that the ESXi host is running and that
all VMs on the host are powered off.

1. Log in to vCenter Server by using the vSphere Web Client.


2. In the navigation tree, select your ESXi host and click the Configure tab.
3. From the menu, choose Graphics and then click the Host Graphics tab.
4. On the Host Graphics tab, click Edit.

Figure 10. Shared default graphics type

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

5. In the Edit Host Graphics Settings dialog box that opens, select Shared Direct and
click OK.

Figure 11. Host graphics settings for vGPU

Note: In this dialog box, you can also change the allocation scheme for vGPU-enabled
VMs. For more information, see Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on VMware vSphere.

After you click OK, the default graphics type changes to Shared Direct.
6. Click the Graphics Devices tab to verify the configured type of each physical GPU on
which you want to configure vGPU.
The configured type of each physical GPU must be Shared Direct. For any physical
GPU for which the configured type is Shared, change the configured type as follows:
a). On the Graphics Devices tab, select the physical GPU and click the Edit icon.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 12. Shared graphics type

b). In the Edit Graphics Device Settings dialog box that opens, select Shared Direct
and click OK.

Figure 13. Graphics device settings for a physical GPU

7. Restart the ESXi host or stop and restart the Xorg service if necessary and nv-
hostengine on the ESXi host.
To stop and restart the Xorg service and nv-hostengine, perform these steps:
a). VMware vSphere releases before 7.0 Update 1 only: Stop the Xorg service.
As of VMware vSphere 7.0 Update 1, the Xorg service is no longer required for
graphics devices in NVIDIA vGPU mode.
b). Stop nv-hostengine.
[root@esxi:~] nv-hostengine -t
c). Wait for 1 second to allow nv-hostengine to stop.
d). Start nv-hostengine.
[root@esxi:~] nv-hostengine -d
e). VMware vSphere releases before 7.0 Update 1 only: Start the Xorg service.

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As of VMware vSphere 7.0 Update 1, the Xorg service is no longer required for
graphics devices in NVIDIA vGPU mode.
[root@esxi:~] /etc/init.d/xorg start
8. In the Graphics Devices tab of the VMware vCenter Web UI, confirm that the active
type and the configured type of each physical GPU are Shared Direct.

Figure 14. Shared direct graphics type

After changing the default graphics type, configure vGPU as explained in Configuring a
vSphere VM with NVIDIA vGPU.
See also the following topics in the VMware vSphere documentation:

‣ Log in to vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Web Client


‣ Configuring Host Graphics

2.9.4. Configuring a vSphere VM with NVIDIA


vGPU
To support applications and workloads that are compute or graphics intensive, you can
add multiple vGPUs to a single VM.
For details about which VMware vSphere versions and NVIDIA vGPUs support the
assignment of multiple vGPUs to a VM, see Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere
Release Notes.
If you upgraded to VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 3 from an earlier version and are using
VMs that were created with that version, change the VM compatibility to vSphere
6.7 Update 2 and later. For details, see Virtual Machine Compatibility in the VMware
documentation.

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If you are adding multiple vGPUs to a single VM, perform this task for each vGPU that you
want to add to the VM.

CAUTION: Output from the VM console in the VMware vSphere Web Client is not available
for VMs that are running vGPU. Make sure that you have installed an alternate means of
accessing the VM (such as VMware Horizon or a VNC server) before you configure vGPU.

VM console in vSphere Web Client will become active again once the vGPU parameters
are removed from the VM’s configuration.

Note: If you are configuring a VM to use VMware vSGA, omit this task.

1. Open the vCenter Web UI.


2. In the vCenter Web UI, right-click the VM and choose Edit Settings.
3. Click the Virtual Hardware tab.
4. In the New device list, select Shared PCI Device and click Add.
The PCI device field should be auto-populated with NVIDIA GRID vGPU.

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Installing and Configuring NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager

Figure 15. VM settings for vGPU

5. From the GPU Profile drop-down menu, choose the type of vGPU you want to
configure and click OK.

Note: VMware vSphere does not support vCS. Therefore, C-series vGPU types are not
available for selection from the GPU Profile drop-down menu.

6. Ensure that VMs running vGPU have all their memory reserved:
a). Select Edit virtual machine settings from the vCenter Web UI.
b). Expand the Memory section and click Reserve all guest memory (All locked).

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After you have configured a vSphere VM with a vGPU, start the VM. VM console in
vSphere Web Client is not supported in this vGPU release. Therefore, use VMware Horizon
or VNC to access the VM’s desktop.
After the VM has booted, install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver as explained in
Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

2.9.5. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on


VMware vSphere
Plugin parameters for a vGPU control the behavior of the vGPU, such as the frame rate
limiter (FRL) configuration in frames per second or whether console virtual network
computing (VNC) for the vGPU is enabled. The VM to which the vGPU is assigned is
started with these parameters. If parameters are set for multiple vGPUs assigned to the
same VM, the VM is started with the parameters assigned to each vGPU.
Ensure that the VM to which the vGPU is assigned is powered off.
For each vGPU for which you want to set plugin parameters, perform this task in the
vSphere Client. vGPU plugin parameters are PCI pass through configuration parameters
in advanced VM attributes.

1. In the vSphere Client, browse to the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.


2. Context-click the VM and choose Edit Settings.
3. In the Edit Settings window, click the VM Options tab.
4. From the Advanced drop-down list, select Edit Configuration.
5. In the Configuration Parameters dialog box, click Add Row.
6. In the Name field, type the parameter name pciPassthruvgpu-id.cfg.parameter, in
the Value field type the parameter value, and click OK.
vgpu-id
A positive integer that identifies the vGPU assigned to a VM. For the first vGPU
assigned to a VM, vgpu-id is 0. For example, if two vGPUs are assigned to a VM and
you are setting a plugin parameter for both vGPUs, set the following parameters:

‣ pciPassthru0.cfg.parameter

‣ pciPassthru1.cfg.parameter

parameter
The name of the vGPU plugin parameter that you want to set. For example, the
name of the vGPU plugin parameter for enabling unified memory is enable_uvm.
To enable unified memory for two vGPUs that are assigned to a VM, set
pciPassthru0.cfg.enable_uvm and pciPassthru1.cfg.enable_uvm to 1.

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2.9.6. Configuring a vSphere VM with VMware


vSGA
Virtual Shared Graphics Acceleration (vSGA) is a feature of VMware vSphere that enables
multiple virtual machines to share the physical GPUs on ESXi hosts.

Note: If you are configuring a VM to use NVIDIA vGPU, omit this task.

Before configuring a vSphere VM with vSGA, ensure that these prerequisites are met:

‣ VMware tools are installed on the VM.


‣ The VM is powered off.
‣ The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package for vSphere is installed.
1. Open the vCenter Web UI.
2. In the vCenter Web UI, right-click the VM and choose Edit Settings.
3. Click the Virtual Hardware tab.
4. In the device list, expand the Video card node and set the following options:
a). Select the Enable 3D support option.
b). Set the 3D Renderer to Hardware.
For more information, see Configure 3D Graphics and Video Cards in the VMware
Horizon documentation.
5. Start the VM.
6. After the VM has booted, verify that the VM has been configured correctly with vSGA.
a). Under the Display Adapter section of Device Manager, confirm that VMware SVGA
3D is listed.
b). Verify that the virtual machine is using the GPU card.
# gpuvm

The output from the command is similar to the following example for a VM named
samplevm1:
Xserver unix:0, GPU maximum memory 4173824KB
pid 21859, VM samplevm1, reserved 131072KB of GPU memory.
GPU memory left 4042752KB.

The memory reserved for the VM and the GPU maximum memory depend on the
GPU installed in the host and the 3D memory allocated to the virtual machine.

Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver for the guest OS is not required
for vSGA.

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2.10. Configuring the vGPU Manager for


a Linux with KVM Hypervisor
NVIDIA vGPU software supports the following Linux with KVM hypervisors: Red Hat
Enterprise Linux with KVM and Ubuntu.

2.10.1. Getting the BDF and Domain of a GPU on a


Linux with KVM Hypervisor
Sometimes when configuring a physical GPU for use with NVIDIA vGPU software, you
must find out which directory in the sysfs file system represents the GPU. This directory
is identified by the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU.
For more information about the directory in the sysfs file system that represents a
physical GPU, see NVIDIA vGPU Information in the sysfs File System.

1. Obtain the PCI device bus/device/function (BDF) of the physical GPU.


# lspci | grep NVIDIA

The NVIDIA GPUs listed in this example have the PCI device BDFs 06:00.0 and
07:00.0.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA
06:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M10] (rev
a1)
07:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M10] (rev
a1)
2. Obtain the full identifier of the GPU from its PCI device BDF.
# virsh nodedev-list --cap pci| grep transformed-bdf
transformed-bdf
The PCI device BDF of the GPU with the colon and the period replaced with
underscores, for example, 06_00_0.
This example obtains the full identifier of the GPU with the PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# virsh nodedev-list --cap pci| grep 06_00_0
pci_0000_06_00_0
3. Obtain the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU from the full identifier of the
GPU.
virsh nodedev-dumpxml full-identifier| egrep 'domain|bus|slot|function'
full-identifier
The full identifier of the GPU that you obtained in the previous step, for example,
pci_0000_06_00_0.
This example obtains the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the PCI
device BDF 06:00.0.
# virsh nodedev-dumpxml pci_0000_06_00_0| egrep 'domain|bus|slot|function'
<domain>0x0000</domain>
<bus>0x06</bus>
<slot>0x00</slot>
<function>0x0</function>

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<address domain='0x0000' bus='0x06' slot='0x00' function='0x0'/>

2.10.2. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with


KVM Hypervisor
For each vGPU that you want to create, perform this task in a Linux command shell on the
a Linux with KVM hypervisor host.
Before you begin, ensure that you have the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU on
which you are creating the vGPU. For instructions, see Getting the BDF and Domain of a
GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.
How to create an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM hypervisor depends on whether the
NVIDIA vGPU supports single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV). For details, refer to:

‣ Creating a Legacy NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor


‣ Creating an NVIDIA vGPU that Supports SR-IOV on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor

2.10.2.1. Creating a Legacy NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with


KVM Hypervisor
A legacy NVIDIA vGPU does not support SR-IOV.

1. Change to the mdev_supported_types directory for the physical GPU.


# cd /sys/class/mdev_bus/domain\:bus\:slot.function/mdev_supported_types/
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.
This example changes to the mdev_supported_types directory for the GPU with the
domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000\:06\:00.0/mdev_supported_types/
2. Find out which subdirectory of mdev_supported_types contains registration
information for the vGPU type that you want to create.
# grep -l "vgpu-type" nvidia-*/name
vgpu-type
The vGPU type, for example, M10-2Q.
This example shows that the registration information for the M10-2Q vGPU type is
contained in the nvidia-41 subdirectory of mdev_supported_types.
# grep -l "M10-2Q" nvidia-*/name
nvidia-41/name
3. Confirm that you can create an instance of the vGPU type on the physical GPU.
# cat subdirectory/available_instances
subdirectory
The subdirectory that you found in the previous step, for example, nvidia-41.

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The number of available instances must be at least 1. If the number is 0, either an


instance of another vGPU type already exists on the physical GPU, or the maximum
number of allowed instances has already been created.
This example shows that four more instances of the M10-2Q vGPU type can be
created on the physical GPU.
# cat nvidia-41/available_instances
4
4. Generate a correctly formatted universally unique identifier (UUID) for the vGPU.
# uuidgen
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123
5. Write the UUID that you obtained in the previous step to the create file in the
registration information directory for the vGPU type that you want to create.
# echo "uuid"> subdirectory/create
uuid
The UUID that you generated in the previous step, which will become the UUID of
the vGPU that you want to create.
subdirectory
The registration information directory for the vGPU type that you want to create,
for example, nvidia-41.
This example creates an instance of the M10-2Q vGPU type with the UUID
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123.
# echo "aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123" > nvidia-41/create

An mdev device file for the vGPU is added to the parent physical device directory of
the vGPU. The vGPU is identified by its UUID.
The /sys/bus/mdev/devices/ directory contains a symbolic link to the mdev device
file.
6. Make the mdev device file that you created to represent the vGPU persistent.
# mdevctl define --auto --uuid uuid
uuid
The UUID that you specified in the previous step for the vGPU that you are
creating.

Note: Not all Linux with KVM hypervisor releases include the mdevctl command. If
your release does not include the mdevctl command, you can use standard features of
the operating system to automate the re-creation of this device file when the host is
booted. For example, you can write a custom script that is executed when the host is
rebooted.

7. Confirm that the vGPU was created.


a). Confirm that the /sys/bus/mdev/devices/ directory contains the mdev device file
for the vGPU.
# ls -l /sys/bus/mdev/devices/
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Nov 24 13:33 aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123 -
> ../../../devices/
pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:09.0/0000:06:00.0/
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123

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b). If your release includes the mdevctl command, list the active mediated devices on
the hypervisor host.
# mdevctl list
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123 0000:06:00.0 nvidia-41

2.10.2.2. Creating an NVIDIA vGPU that Supports SR-IOV


on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor
An NVIDIA vGPU that supports SR-IOV resides on a physical GPU that supports SR-IOV,
such as a GPU based on the NVIDIA Ampere architecture.

1. Enable the virtual functions for the physical GPU in the sysfs file system.

Note:

‣ Before performing this step, ensure that the GPU is not being used by any other
processes, such as CUDA applications, monitoring applications, or the nvidia-smi
command.
‣ The virtual functions for the physical GPU in the sysfs file system are disabled
after the hypervisor host is rebooted or if the driver is reloaded or upgraded.

Use only the custom script sriov-manage provided by NVIDIA vGPU software for this
purpose. Do not try to enable the virtual function for the GPU by any other means.
# /usr/lib/nvidia/sriov-manage -e domain:bus:slot.function
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.

Note: Only one mdev device file can be created on a virtual function.

This example enables the virtual functions for the GPU with the domain 00, bus 41,
slot 0000, and function 0.
# /usr/lib/nvidia/sriov-manage -e 00:41:0000.0
2. Obtain the domain, bus, slot, and function of the available virtual functions on the
GPU.
# ls -l /sys/bus/pci/devices/domain\:bus\:slot.function/ | grep virtfn
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.
This example shows the output of this command for a physical GPU with slot 00, bus
41, domain 0000, and function 0.
# ls -l /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:41:00.0/ | grep virtfn
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn0 -> ../0000:41:00.4
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn1 -> ../0000:41:00.5
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn10 -> ../0000:41:01.6
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn11 -> ../0000:41:01.7

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lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn12 -> ../0000:41:02.0


lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn13 -> ../0000:41:02.1
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn14 -> ../0000:41:02.2
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn15 -> ../0000:41:02.3
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn16 -> ../0000:41:02.4
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn17 -> ../0000:41:02.5
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn18 -> ../0000:41:02.6
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn19 -> ../0000:41:02.7
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn2 -> ../0000:41:00.6
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn20 -> ../0000:41:03.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn21 -> ../0000:41:03.1
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn22 -> ../0000:41:03.2
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn23 -> ../0000:41:03.3
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn24 -> ../0000:41:03.4
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn25 -> ../0000:41:03.5
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn26 -> ../0000:41:03.6
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn27 -> ../0000:41:03.7
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn28 -> ../0000:41:04.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn29 -> ../0000:41:04.1
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn3 -> ../0000:41:00.7
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn30 -> ../0000:41:04.2
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn31 -> ../0000:41:04.3
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn4 -> ../0000:41:01.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn5 -> ../0000:41:01.1
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn6 -> ../0000:41:01.2
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn7 -> ../0000:41:01.3
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn8 -> ../0000:41:01.4
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 04:42 virtfn9 -> ../0000:41:01.5
3. Choose the available virtual function on which you want to create the vGPU and note
its domain, bus, slot, and function.
4. Change to the mdev_supported_types directory for the virtual function on which you
want to create the vGPU.
# cd /sys/class/mdev_bus/domain\:bus\:vf-slot.v-function/mdev_supported_types/
domain
bus
The domain and bus of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.
vf-slot
v-function
The slot and function of the virtual function.
This example changes to the mdev_supported_types directory for the first virtual
function (virtfn0) for the GPU with the domain 0000 and bus 41. The first virtual
function (virtfn0) has slot 00 and function 4.
# cd /sys/class/mdev_bus/0000\:41\:00.4/mdev_supported_types
5. Find out which subdirectory of mdev_supported_types contains registration
information for the vGPU type that you want to create.
# grep -l "vgpu-type" nvidia-*/name
vgpu-type
The vGPU type, for example, A40-2Q.
This example shows that the registration information for the A40-2Q vGPU type is
contained in the nvidia-558 subdirectory of mdev_supported_types.
# grep -l "A40-2Q" nvidia-*/name
nvidia-558/name
6. Confirm that you can create an instance of the vGPU type on the virtual function.
# cat subdirectory/available_instances

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subdirectory
The subdirectory that you found in the previous step, for example, nvidia-558.
The number of available instances must be 1. If the number is 0, a vGPU has already
been created on the virtual function. Only one instance of any vGPU type can be
created on a virtual function.
This example shows that an instance of the A40-2Q vGPU type can be created on the
virtual function.
# cat nvidia-558/available_instances
1
7. Generate a correctly formatted universally unique identifier (UUID) for the vGPU.
# uuidgen
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123
8. Write the UUID that you obtained in the previous step to the create file in the
registration information directory for the vGPU type that you want to create.
# echo "uuid"> subdirectory/create
uuid
The UUID that you generated in the previous step, which will become the UUID of
the vGPU that you want to create.
subdirectory
The registration information directory for the vGPU type that you want to create,
for example, nvidia-558.
This example creates an instance of the A40-2Q vGPU type with the UUID
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123.
# echo "aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123" > nvidia-558/create

An mdev device file for the vGPU is added to the parent virtual function directory of
the vGPU. The vGPU is identified by its UUID.
9. Time-sliced vGPUs only: Make the mdev device file that you created to represent the
vGPU persistent.
# mdevctl define --auto --uuid uuid
uuid
The UUID that you specified in the previous step for the vGPU that you are
creating.

Note:

‣ If you are using a GPU that supports SR-IOV, the mdev device file persists after a
host reboot only if you perform Step 1 before rebooting any VM that is configured
with a vGPU on the GPU.
‣ You cannot use the mdevctl command to make the mdev device file for a MIG-
backed vGPU persistent. The mdev device file for a MIG-backed vGPU is not
retained after the host is rebooted because MIG instances are no longer available.
‣ Not all Linux with KVM hypervisor releases include the mdevctl command. If your
release does not include the mdevctl command, you can use standard features of
the operating system to automate the re-creation of this device file when the host
is booted. For example, you can write a custom script that is executed when the
host is rebooted.

10.Confirm that the vGPU was created.

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a). Confirm that the /sys/bus/mdev/devices/ directory contains a symbolic link to


the mdev device file.
# ls -l /sys/bus/mdev/devices/
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Jul 16 05:57 aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123
-> ../../../devices/pci0000:40/0000:40:01.1/0000:41:00.4/aa618089-8b16-4d01-
a136-25a0f3c73123
b). If your release includes the mdevctl command, list the active mediated devices on
the hypervisor host.
# mdevctl list
aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123 0000:06:00.0 nvidia-558

2.10.3. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with


KVM Hypervisor VM
To support applications and workloads that are compute or graphics intensive, you can
add multiple vGPUs to a single VM.
For details about which hypervisor versions and NVIDIA vGPUs support the assignment
of multiple vGPUs to a VM, see Virtual GPU Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux with KVM
Release Notes and Virtual GPU Software for Ubuntu Release Notes.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The VM to which you want to add the vGPUs is shut down.


‣ The vGPUs that you want to add have been created as explained in Creating an NVIDIA
vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.
You can add vGPUs to a Linux with KVM hypervisor VM by using any of the following tools:

‣ The virsh command


‣ The QEMU command line
After adding vGPUs to a Linux with KVM hypervisor VM, start the VM.
# virsh start vm-name
vm-name
The name of the VM that you added the vGPUs to.
After the VM has booted, install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver as explained in
Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

2.10.3.1. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM


Hypervisor VM by Using virsh
1. In virsh, open for editing the XML file of the VM that you want to add the vGPU to.
# virsh edit vm-name
vm-name
The name of the VM to that you want to add the vGPUs to.

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2. For each vGPU that you want to add to the VM, add a device entry in the form of an
address element inside the source element to add the vGPU to the guest VM.
<device>
...
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='mdev' model='vfio-pci'>
<source>
<address uuid='uuid'/>
</source>
</hostdev>
</device>
uuid
The UUID that was assigned to the vGPU when the vGPU was created.
This example adds a device entry for the vGPU with the UUID a618089-8b16-4d01-
a136-25a0f3c73123.
<device>
...
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='mdev' model='vfio-pci'>
<source>
<address uuid='a618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123'/>
</source>
</hostdev>
</device>

This example adds device entries for two vGPUs with the following UUIDs:

‣ c73f1fa6-489e-4834-9476-d70dabd98c40

‣ 3b356d38-854e-48be-b376-00c72c7d119c

<device>
...
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='mdev' model='vfio-pci'>
<source>
<address uuid='c73f1fa6-489e-4834-9476-d70dabd98c40'/>
</source>
</hostdev>
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='mdev' model='vfio-pci'>
<source>
<address uuid='3b356d38-854e-48be-b376-00c72c7d119c'/>
</source>
</hostdev>
</device>
3. Optional: Add a video element that contains a model element in which the type
attribute is set to none.
<video>
<model type='none'/>
</video>

Adding this video element prevents the default video device that libvirt adds from
being loaded into the VM. If you don't add this video element, you must configure the
Xorg server or your remoting solution to load only the vGPU devices you added and
not the default video device.

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2.10.3.2. Adding One or More vGPUs to a Linux with KVM


Hypervisor VM by Using the QEMU Command
Line
Add the following options to the QEMU command line:

‣ For each vGPU that you want to add to the VM, add one -device option in the
following format:
-device vfio-pci,sysfsdev=/sys/bus/mdev/devices/vgpu-uuid
vgpu-uuid
The UUID that was assigned to the vGPU when the vGPU was created.
‣ Add a -uuid option to specify the VM as follows:
-uuid vm-uuid
vm-uuid
The UUID that was assigned to the VM when the VM was created.
This example adds the vGPU with the UUID aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123
to the VM with the UUID ebb10a6e-7ac9-49aa-af92-f56bb8c65893.
-device vfio-pci,sysfsdev=/sys/bus/mdev/devices/aa618089-8b16-4d01-
a136-25a0f3c73123 \
-uuid ebb10a6e-7ac9-49aa-af92-f56bb8c65893

This example adds device entries for two vGPUs with the following UUIDs:

‣ 676428a0-2445-499f-9bfd-65cd4a9bd18f

‣ 6c5954b8-5bc1-4769-b820-8099fe50aaba

The entries are added to the VM with the UUID ec5e8ee0-657c-4db6-8775-


da70e332c67e.
-device vfio-pci,sysfsdev=/sys/bus/mdev/
devices/676428a0-2445-499f-9bfd-65cd4a9bd18f \
-device vfio-pci,sysfsdev=/sys/bus/mdev/devices/6c5954b8-5bc1-4769-
b820-8099fe50aaba \
-uuid ec5e8ee0-657c-4db6-8775-da70e332c67e

2.10.4. Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on a Linux


with KVM Hypervisor
Plugin parameters for a vGPU control the behavior of the vGPU, such as the frame rate
limiter (FRL) configuration in frames per second or whether console virtual network
computing (VNC) for the vGPU is enabled. The VM to which the vGPU is assigned is
started with these parameters. If parameters are set for multiple vGPUs assigned to the
same VM, the VM is started with the parameters assigned to each vGPU.
For each vGPU for which you want to set plugin parameters, perform this task in a Linux
command shell on the Linux with KVM hypervisor host.

1. Change to the nvidia subdirectory of the mdev device directory that represents the
vGPU.
# cd /sys/bus/mdev/devices/uuid/nvidia

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uuid
The UUID of the vGPU, for example, aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123.
2. Write the plugin parameters that you want to set to the vgpu_params file in the
directory that you changed to in the previous step.
# echo "plugin-config-params" > vgpu_params
plugin-config-params
A comma-separated list of parameter-value pairs, where each pair is of the form
parameter-name=value.
This example disables frame rate limiting and console VNC for a vGPU.
# echo "frame_rate_limiter=0, disable_vnc=1" > vgpu_params

This example enables unified memory for a vGPU.


# echo "enable_uvm=1" > vgpu_params

This example enables NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers for a vGPU.


# echo "enable_debugging=1" > vgpu_params

This example enables NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers for a vGPU.


# echo "enable_profiling=1" > vgpu_params

To clear any vGPU plugin parameters that were set previously, write a space to the
vgpu_params file for the vGPU.
# echo " " > vgpu_params

2.10.5. Deleting a vGPU on a Linux with KVM


Hypervisor
For each vGPU that you want to delete, perform this task in a Linux command shell on the
Linux with KVM hypervisor host.
Before you begin, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ You have the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU where the vGPU that you
want to delete resides. For instructions, see Getting the BDF and Domain of a GPU on
a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.
‣ The VM to which the vGPU is assigned is shut down.
1. Change to the mdev_supported_types directory for the physical GPU.
# cd /sys/class/mdev_bus/domain\:bus\:slot.function/mdev_supported_types/
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.
This example changes to the mdev_supported_types directory for the GPU with the
PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000\:06\:00.0/mdev_supported_types/
2. Change to the subdirectory of mdev_supported_types that contains registration
information for the vGPU.

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# cd `find . -type d -name uuid`


uuid
The UUID of the vGPU, for example, aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123.
3. Write the value 1 to the remove file in the registration information directory for the
vGPU that you want to delete.
# echo "1" > remove

Note: On the Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) kernel, if you try to remove a vGPU device
while its VM is running, the vGPU device might not be removed even if the remove file
has been written to successfully. To confirm that the vGPU device is removed, confirm
that the UUID of the vGPU is not found in the sysfs file system.

2.10.6. Preparing a GPU Configured for Pass-


Through for Use with vGPU
The mode in which a physical GPU is being used determines the Linux kernel module to
which the GPU is bound. If you want to switch the mode in which a GPU is being used,
you must unbind the GPU from its current kernel module and bind it to the kernel module
for the new mode. After binding the GPU to the correct kernel module, you can then
configure it for vGPU.
A physical GPU that is passed through to a VM is bound to the vfio-pci kernel module.
A physical GPU that is bound to the vfio-pci kernel module can be used only for pass-
through. To enable the GPU to be used for vGPU, the GPU must be unbound from vfio-
pci kernel module and bound to the nvidia kernel module.

Before you begin, ensure that you have the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU
that you are preparing for use with vGPU. For instructions, see Getting the BDF and
Domain of a GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.

1. Determine the kernel module to which the GPU is bound by running the lspci
command with the -k option on the NVIDIA GPUs on your host.
# lspci -d 10de: -k

The Kernel driver in use: field indicates the kernel module to which the GPU is
bound.
The following example shows that the NVIDIA Tesla M60 GPU with BDF 06:00.0 is
bound to the vfio-pci kernel module and is being used for GPU pass through.

06:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
Subsystem: NVIDIA Corporation Device 115e
Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci
2. Unbind the GPU from vfio-pci kernel module.
a). Change to the sysfs directory that represents the vfio-pci kernel module.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/drivers/vfio-pci
b). Write the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU to the unbind file in this
directory.

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# echo domain:bus:slot.function > unbind


domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example writes the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the
domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# echo 0000:06:00.0 > unbind
3. Bind the GPU to the nvidia kernel module.
a). Change to the sysfs directory that contains the PCI device information for the
physical GPU.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/domain\:bus\:slot.function
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example changes to the sysfs directory that contains the PCI device
information for the GPU with the domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000\:06\:00.0
b). Write the kernel module name nvidia to the driver_override file in this
directory.
# echo nvidia > driver_override
c). Change to the sysfs directory that represents the nvidia kernel module.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/drivers/nvidia
d). Write the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU to the bind file in this
directory.
# echo domain:bus:slot.function > bind
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example writes the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the
domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# echo 0000:06:00.0 > bind

You can now configure the GPU with vGPU as explained in Installing and Configuring the
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or RHV.

2.10.7. NVIDIA vGPU Information in the sysfs File


System
Information about the NVIDIA vGPU types supported by each physical GPU in a Linux with
KVM hypervisor host is stored in the sysfs file system.

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All physical GPUs on the host are registered with the mdev kernel module. Information
about the physical GPUs and the vGPU types that can be created on each physical GPU is
stored in directories and files under the /sys/class/mdev_bus/ directory.
The sysfs directory for each physical GPU is at the following locations:

‣ /sys/bus/pci/devices/

‣ /sys/class/mdev_bus/

Both directories are a symbolic link to the real directory for PCI devices in the sysfs file
system.
The organization the sysfs directory for each physical GPU is as follows:
/sys/class/mdev_bus/
|-parent-physical-device
|-mdev_supported_types
|-nvidia-vgputype-id
|-available_instances
|-create
|-description
|-device_api
|-devices
|-name

parent-physical-device
Each physical GPU on the host is represented by a subdirectory of the /sys/class/
mdev_bus/ directory.
The name of each subdirectory is as follows:
domain\:bus\:slot.function
domain, bus, slot, function are the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, for
example, 0000\:06\:00.0.
Each directory is a symbolic link to the real directory for PCI devices in the sysfs file
system. For example:
# ll /sys/class/mdev_bus/
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Dec 12 03:20 0000:05:00.0 -> ../../devices/
pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:08.0/0000:05:00.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Dec 12 03:20 0000:06:00.0 -> ../../devices/
pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:09.0/0000:06:00.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Dec 12 03:20 0000:07:00.0 -> ../../devices/
pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:10.0/0000:07:00.0
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 0 Dec 12 03:20 0000:08:00.0 -> ../../devices/
pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:11.0/0000:08:00.0
mdev_supported_types
A directory named mdev_supported_types is required under the sysfs directory for
each physical GPU that will be configured with NVIDIA vGPU. How this directory is
created for a GPU depends on whether the GPU supports SR-IOV.

‣ For a GPU that does not support SR-IOV, this directory is created automatically
after the Virtual GPU Manager is installed on the host and the host has been
rebooted.
‣ For a GPU that supports SR-IOV, such as a GPU based on the NVIDIA Ampere
architecture, you must create this directory by enabling the virtual function for the

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GPU as explained in Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor. The
mdev_supported_types directory itself is never visible on the physical function.

The mdev_supported_types directory contains a subdirectory for each vGPU type that
the physical GPU supports. The name of each subdirectory is nvidia-vgputype-id,
where vgputype-id is an unsigned integer serial number. For example:
# ll mdev_supported_types/
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 6 01:37 nvidia-35
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-36
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-37
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-38
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-39
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-40
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-41
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-42
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-43
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-44
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 0 Dec 5 10:43 nvidia-45
nvidia-vgputype-id
Each directory represents an individual vGPU type and contains the following files and
directories:
available_instances
This file contains the number of instances of this vGPU type that can still be
created. This file is updated any time a vGPU of this type is created on or removed
from the physical GPU.

Note: When a time-sliced vGPU is created, the content of the available_instances


for all other time-sliced vGPU types on the physical GPU is set to 0. This behavior
enforces the requirement that all time-sliced vGPUs on a physical GPU must be of
the same type. However, this requirement does not apply to MIG-backed vGPUs.
Therefore, when a MIG-backed vGPU is created, available_instances for all other
MIG-backed vGPU types on the physical GPU is not set to 0

create
This file is used for creating a vGPU instance. A vGPU instance is created by writing
the UUID of the vGPU to this file. The file is write only.
description
This file contains the following details of the vGPU type:

‣ The maximum number of virtual display heads that the vGPU type supports
‣ The frame rate limiter (FRL) configuration in frames per second
‣ The frame buffer size in Mbytes
‣ The maximum resolution per display head
‣ The maximum number of vGPU instances per physical GPU

For example:
# cat description
num_heads=4, frl_config=60, framebuffer=2048M, max_resolution=4096x2160,
max_instance=4
device_api
This file contains the string vfio_pci to indicate that a vGPU is a PCI device.

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devices
This directory contains all the mdev devices that are created for the vGPU type. For
example:
# ll devices
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 Dec 6 01:52 aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123 -
> ../../../aa618089-8b16-4d01-a136-25a0f3c73123
name
This file contains the name of the vGPU type. For example:
# cat name
GRID M10-2Q

2.11. Configuring a GPU for MIG-Backed


vGPUs
To support GPU instances with NVIDIA vGPU, a GPU must be configured with MIG
mode enabled and GPU instances must be created and configured on the physical
GPU. Optionally, you can create compute instances within the GPU instances. If you
don't create compute instances within the GPU instances, they can be added later for
individual vGPUs from within the guest VMs.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is installed on the hypervisor host.


‣ You have root user privileges on your hypervisor host machine.
‣ You have determined which GPU instances correspond to the vGPU types of the MIG-
backed vGPUs that you will create.
To get this information, consult the table of MIG-backed vGPUs for your GPU in Virtual
GPU Types for Supported GPUs.
‣ The GPU is not being used by any other processes, such as CUDA applications,
monitoring applications, or the nvidia-smi command.
To configure a GPU for MIG-backed vGPUs, follow these instructions:
1. Enabling MIG Mode for a GPU

Note: For VMware vSphere, only enabling MIG mode is required because VMware
vSphere creates the GPU instances and, after the VM is booted and guest driver is
installed, one compute instance is automatically created in the VM.

2. Creating GPU Instances on a MIG-Enabled GPU


3. Optional: Creating Compute Instances in a GPU instance
After configuring a GPU for MIG-backed vGPUs, create the vGPUs that you need and add
them to their VMs.

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2.11.1. Enabling MIG Mode for a GPU


Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell as the root user on your hypervisor host machine.
On all supported hypervisors, you can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
Individual hypervisors may provide additional means for logging in. For details, refer to
the documentation for your hypervisor.
2. Determine whether MIG mode is enabled.
Use the nvidia-smi command for this purpose. By default, MIG mode is disabled.
This example shows that MIG mode is disabled on GPU 0.

Note: In the output from nvidia-smi, the NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB GPU is referred to
as A100-SXM4-40GB.

$ nvidia-smi -i 0
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 CUDA Version: 11.4 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
| | | MIG M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 A100-SXM4-40GB On | 00000000:36:00.0 Off | 0 |
| N/A 29C P0 62W / 400W | 0MiB / 40537MiB | 6% Default |
| | | Disabled |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
3. If MIG mode is disabled, enable it.
$ nvidia-smi -i [gpu-ids] -mig 1
gpu-ids
A comma-separated list of GPU indexes, PCI bus IDs or UUIDs that specifies the
GPUs on which you want to enable MIG mode. If gpu-ids is omitted, MIG mode is
enabled on all GPUs on the system.
This example enables MIG mode on GPU 0.
$ nvidia-smi -i 0 -mig 1
Enabled MIG Mode for GPU 00000000:36:00.0
All done.

Note: If the GPU is being used by another process, this command fails and displays a
warning message that MIG mode for the GPU is in the pending enable state. In this
situation, stop all processes that are using the GPU and retry the command.

4. VMware vSphere ESXi only: Reboot the hypervisor host.


5. Query the GPUs on which you enabled MIG mode to confirm that MIG mode is
enabled.
This example queries GPU 0 for the PCI bus ID and MIG mode in comma-separated
values (CSV) format.
$ nvidia-smi -i 0 --query-gpu=pci.bus_id,mig.mode.current --format=csv
pci.bus_id, mig.mode.current
00000000:36:00.0, Enabled

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2.11.2. Creating GPU Instances on a MIG-Enabled


GPU
Note: If you are using VMware vSphere, omit this task. VMware vSphere creates the GPU
instances automatically.

Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. If necessary, open a command shell as the root user on your hypervisor host machine.
2. List the GPU instance profiles that are available on your GPU.
You will need to specify the profiles by their IDs, not their names, when you create
them.
$ nvidia-smi mig -lgip
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| GPU instance profiles: |
| GPU Name ID Instances Memory P2P SM DEC ENC |
| Free/Total GiB CE JPEG OFA |
|==========================================================================|
| 0 MIG 1g.5gb 19 7/7 4.95 No 14 0 0 |
| 1 0 0 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 MIG 2g.10gb 14 3/3 9.90 No 28 1 0 |
| 2 0 0 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 MIG 3g.20gb 9 2/2 19.79 No 42 2 0 |
| 3 0 0 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 MIG 4g.20gb 5 1/1 19.79 No 56 2 0 |
| 4 0 0 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 MIG 7g.40gb 0 1/1 39.59 No 98 5 0 |
| 7 1 1 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
3. Create the GPU instances that correspond to the vGPU types of the MIG-backed
vGPUs that you will create.
$ nvidia-smi mig -cgi gpu-instance-profile-ids
gpu-instance-profile-ids
A comma-separated list of GPU instance profile IDs that specifies the GPU
instances that you want to create.
This example creates two GPU instances of type 2g.10gb, which has profile ID 14.
$ nvidia-smi mig -cgi 14,14
Successfully created GPU instance ID 5 on GPU 2 using profile MIG 2g.10gb (ID
14)
Successfully created GPU instance ID 3 on GPU 2 using profile MIG 2g.10gb (ID
14)

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2.11.3. Optional: Creating Compute Instances in a


GPU instance
Creating compute instances within GPU instances is optional. If you don't create compute
instances within the GPU instances, they can be added later for individual vGPUs from
within the guest VMs.

Note: If you are using VMware vSphere, omit this task. After the VM is booted and guest
driver is installed, one compute instance is automatically created in the VM.

Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. If necessary, open a command shell as the root user on your hypervisor host machine.
2. List the available GPU instances.
$ nvidia-smi mig -lgi
+----------------------------------------------------+
| GPU instances: |
| GPU Name Profile Instance Placement |
| ID ID Start:Size |
|====================================================|
| 2 MIG 2g.10gb 14 3 0:2 |
+----------------------------------------------------+
| 2 MIG 2g.10gb 14 5 4:2 |
+----------------------------------------------------+
3. Create the compute instances that you need within each GPU instance.
$ nvidia-smi mig -cci -gi gpu-instance-ids
gpu-instance-ids
A comma-separated list of GPU instance IDs that specifies the GPU instances
within which you want to create the compute instances.

CAUTION: To avoid an inconsistent state between a guest VM and the hypervisor host,
do not create compute instances from the hypervisor on a GPU instance on which an
active guest VM is running. Instead, create the compute instances from within the
guest VM as explained in Modifying a MIG-Backed vGPU's Configuration.

This example creates a compute instance on each of GPU instances 3 and 5.


$ nvidia-smi mig -cci -gi 3,5
Successfully created compute instance on GPU 0 GPU instance ID 1 using profile
ID 2
Successfully created compute instance on GPU 0 GPU instance ID 2 using profile
ID 2
4. Verify that the compute instances were created within each GPU instance.
$ nvidia-smi
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MIG devices: |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+
| GPU GI CI MIG | Memory-Usage | Vol| Shared |
| ID ID Dev | BAR1-Usage | SM Unc| CE ENC DEC OFA JPG|
| | | ECC| |
|==================+======================+===========+=======================|
| 2 3 0 0 | 0MiB / 9984MiB | 28 0 | 2 0 1 0 0 |
| | 0MiB / 16383MiB | | |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+

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| 2 5 0 1 | 0MiB / 9984MiB | 28 0 | 2 0 1 0 0 |
| | 0MiB / 16383MiB | | |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: |
| GPU GI CI PID Type Process name GPU Memory |
| ID ID Usage |
|=============================================================================|

Note: Additional compute instances that have been created in a VM are destroyed
when the VM is shut down or rebooted. After the shutdown or reboot, only one
compute instance remains in the VM. This compute instance is created automatically
after the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver is installed.

2.12. Disabling MIG Mode for One or


More GPUs
If a GPU that you want to use for time-sliced vGPUs or GPU pass through has previously
been configured for MIG-backed vGPUs, disable MIG mode on the GPU.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is installed on the hypervisor host.


‣ You have root user privileges on your hypervisor host machine.
‣ The GPU is not being used by any other processes, such as CUDA applications,
monitoring applications, or the nvidia-smi command.
Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell as the root user on your hypervisor host machine.
You can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
2. Determine whether MIG mode is disabled.
Use the nvidia-smi command for this purpose. By default, MIG mode is disabled, but
might have previously been enabled.
This example shows that MIG mode is enabled on GPU 0.

Note: In the output from output from nvidia-smi, the NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB GPU is
referred to as A100-SXM4-40GB.

$ nvidia-smi -i 0
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 CUDA Version: 11.4 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
| | | MIG M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 A100-SXM4-40GB Off | 00000000:36:00.0 Off | 0 |
| N/A 29C P0 62W / 400W | 0MiB / 40537MiB | 6% Default |
| | | Enabled |

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+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
3. If MIG mode is enabled, disable it.
$ nvidia-smi -i [gpu-ids] -mig 0
gpu-ids
A comma-separated list of GPU indexes, PCI bus IDs or UUIDs that specifies the
GPUs on which you want to disable MIG mode. If gpu-ids is omitted, MIG mode is
disabled on all GPUs on the system.
This example disables MIG mode on GPU 0.
$ sudo nvidia-smi -i 0 -mig 0
Disabled MIG Mode for GPU 00000000:36:00.0
All done.
4. Confirm that MIG mode was disabled.
Use the nvidia-smi command for this purpose.
This example shows that MIG mode is disabled on GPU 0.
$ nvidia-smi -i 0
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 CUDA Version: 11.4 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
| | | MIG M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 A100-SXM4-40GB Off | 00000000:36:00.0 Off | 0 |
| N/A 29C P0 62W / 400W | 0MiB / 40537MiB | 6% Default |
| | | Disabled |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

2.13. Disabling and Enabling ECC


Memory
Some GPUs that support NVIDIA vGPU software support error correcting code (ECC)
memory with NVIDIA vGPU. ECC memory improves data integrity by detecting and
handling double-bit errors. However, not all GPUs, vGPU types, and hypervisor software
versions support ECC memory with NVIDIA vGPU.
On GPUs that support ECC memory with NVIDIA vGPU, ECC memory is supported with C-
series and Q-series vGPUs, but not with A-series and B-series vGPUs. Although A-series
and B-series vGPUs start on physical GPUs on which ECC memory is enabled, enabling
ECC with vGPUs that do not support it might incur some costs.
On physical GPUs that do not have HBM2 memory, the amount of frame buffer that is
usable by vGPUs is reduced. All types of vGPU are affected, not just vGPUs that support
ECC memory.
The effects of enabling ECC memory on a physical GPU are as follows:

‣ ECC memory is exposed as a feature on all supported vGPUs on the physical GPU.
‣ In VMs that support ECC memory, ECC memory is enabled, with the option to disable
ECC in the VM.

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‣ ECC memory can be enabled or disabled for individual VMs. Enabling or disabling ECC
memory in a VM does not affect the amount of frame buffer that is usable by vGPUs.
GPUs based on the Pascal GPU architecture and later GPU architectures support ECC
memory with NVIDIA vGPU. To determine whether ECC memory is enabled for a GPU, run
nvidia-smi -q for the GPU.
Tesla M60 and M6 GPUs support ECC memory when used without GPU virtualization, but
NVIDIA vGPU does not support ECC memory with these GPUs. In graphics mode, these
GPUs are supplied with ECC memory disabled by default.
Some hypervisor software versions do not support ECC memory with NVIDIA vGPU.
If you are using a hypervisor software version or GPU that does not support ECC memory
with NVIDIA vGPU and ECC memory is enabled, NVIDIA vGPU fails to start. In this
situation, you must ensure that ECC memory is disabled on all GPUs if you are using
NVIDIA vGPU.

2.13.1. Disabling ECC Memory


If ECC memory is unsuitable for your workloads but is enabled on your GPUs, disable it.
You must also ensure that ECC memory is disabled on all GPUs if you are using NVIDIA
vGPU with a hypervisor software version or a GPU that does not support ECC memory
with NVIDIA vGPU. If your hypervisor software version or GPU does not support ECC
memory and ECC memory is enabled, NVIDIA vGPU fails to start.
Where to perform this task depends on whether you are changing ECC memory settings
for a physical GPU or a vGPU.

‣ For a physical GPU, perform this task from the hypervisor host.
‣ For a vGPU, perform this task from the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.

Note: ECC memory must be enabled on the physical GPU on which the vGPUs reside.

Before you begin, ensure that NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is installed on your hypervisor.
If you are changing ECC memory settings for a vGPU, also ensure that the NVIDIA vGPU
software graphics driver is installed in the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.

1. Use nvidia-smi to list the status of all physical GPUs or vGPUs, and check for ECC
noted as enabled.
# nvidia-smi -q

==============NVSMI LOG==============

Timestamp : Mon Nov 13 18:36:45 2023


Driver Version : 470.223.02

Attached GPUs : 1
GPU 0000:02:00.0

[...]

Ecc Mode
Current : Enabled
Pending : Enabled

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[...]
2. Change the ECC status to off for each GPU for which ECC is enabled.

‣ If you want to change the ECC status to off for all GPUs on your host machine or
vGPUs assigned to the VM, run this command:
# nvidia-smi -e 0
‣ If you want to change the ECC status to off for a specific GPU or vGPU, run this
command:
# nvidia-smi -i id -e 0

id is the index of the GPU or vGPU as reported by nvidia-smi.


This example disables ECC for the GPU with index 0000:02:00.0.
# nvidia-smi -i 0000:02:00.0 -e 0
3. Reboot the host or restart the VM.
4. Confirm that ECC is now disabled for the GPU or vGPU.
# nvidia—smi —q

==============NVSMI LOG==============

Timestamp : Mon Nov 13 18:37:53 2023


Driver Version : 470.223.02

Attached GPUs : 1
GPU 0000:02:00.0
[...]

Ecc Mode
Current : Disabled
Pending : Disabled

[...]

If you later need to enable ECC on your GPUs or vGPUs, follow the instructions in Enabling
ECC Memory.

2.13.2. Enabling ECC Memory


If ECC memory is suitable for your workloads and is supported by your hypervisor
software and GPUs, but is disabled on your GPUs or vGPUs, enable it.
Where to perform this task depends on whether you are changing ECC memory settings
for a physical GPU or a vGPU.

‣ For a physical GPU, perform this task from the hypervisor host.
‣ For a vGPU, perform this task from the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.

Note: ECC memory must be enabled on the physical GPU on which the vGPUs reside.

Before you begin, ensure that NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager is installed on your hypervisor.
If you are changing ECC memory settings for a vGPU, also ensure that the NVIDIA vGPU
software graphics driver is installed in the VM to which the vGPU is assigned.

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1. Use nvidia-smi to list the status of all physical GPUs or vGPUs, and check for ECC
noted as disabled.
# nvidia-smi -q

==============NVSMI LOG==============

Timestamp : Mon Nov 13 18:36:45 2023


Driver Version : 470.223.02

Attached GPUs : 1
GPU 0000:02:00.0

[...]

Ecc Mode
Current : Disabled
Pending : Disabled

[...]
2. Change the ECC status to on for each GPU or vGPU for which ECC is enabled.

‣ If you want to change the ECC status to on for all GPUs on your host machine or
vGPUs assigned to the VM, run this command:
# nvidia-smi -e 1
‣ If you want to change the ECC status to on for a specific GPU or vGPU, run this
command:
# nvidia-smi -i id -e 1

id is the index of the GPU or vGPU as reported by nvidia-smi.


This example enables ECC for the GPU with index 0000:02:00.0.
# nvidia-smi -i 0000:02:00.0 -e 1
3. Reboot the host or restart the VM.
4. Confirm that ECC is now enabled for the GPU or vGPU.
# nvidia—smi —q

==============NVSMI LOG==============

Timestamp : Mon Nov 13 18:37:53 2023


Driver Version : 470.223.02

Attached GPUs : 1
GPU 0000:02:00.0
[...]

Ecc Mode
Current : Enabled
Pending : Enabled

[...]

If you later need to disable ECC on your GPUs or vGPUs, follow the instructions in
Disabling ECC Memory.

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Chapter 3. Using GPU Pass-Through

GPU pass-through is used to directly assign an entire physical GPU to one VM, bypassing
the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager. In this mode of operation, the GPU is accessed
exclusively by the NVIDIA driver running in the VM to which it is assigned; the GPU is not
shared among VMs.
In pass-through mode, GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell
architecture support error-correcting code (ECC).
GPU pass-through can be used in a server platform alongside NVIDIA vGPU, with some
restrictions:

‣ A physical GPU can host NVIDIA vGPUs, or can be used for pass-through, but cannot
do both at the same time. Some hypervisors, for example VMware vSphere ESXi,
require a host reboot to change a GPU from pass-through mode to vGPU mode.
‣ A single VM cannot be configured for both vGPU and GPU pass-through at the same
time.
‣ The performance of a physical GPU passed through to a VM can be monitored only
from within the VM itself. Such a GPU cannot be monitored by tools that operate
through the hypervisor, such as XenCenter or nvidia-smi (see Monitoring GPU
Performance).
‣ The following BIOS settings must be enabled on your server platform:
‣ VT-D/IOMMU
‣ SR-IOV in Advanced Options
‣ All GPUs directly connected to each other through NVLink must be assigned to the
same VM.
You can assign multiple physical GPUs to one VM. The maximum number of physical
GPUs that you can assign to a VM depends on the maximum number of PCIe pass-
through devices per VM that your chosen hypervisor can support. For more information,
refer to the documentation for your hypervisor, for example:

‣ Citrix Hypervisor: Configuration limits


‣ Red Hat Enterprise Linux:
‣ Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 releases: Assigning a GPU to a virtual machine, Known
Issues
‣ Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 releases: GPU PCI Device Assignment

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‣ Red Hat Virtualization (RHV): Device Assignment Requirements


‣ VMware vSphere: vSphere 7.0 Configuration Limits

Note: If you intend to configure all GPUs in your server platform for pass-through, you do
not need to install the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager.

3.1. Display Resolutions for Physical


GPUs
The display resolutions supported by a physical GPU depend on the NVIDIA GPU
architecture and the NVIDIA vGPU software license that is applied to the GPU.

vWS Physical GPU Resolutions


GPUs that are licensed with a vWS license support a maximum combined resolution
based on the number of available pixels, which is determined by the NVIDIA GPU
architecture. You can choose between using a small number of high resolution displays or
a larger number of lower resolution displays with these GPUs.
The following table lists the maximum number of displays per GPU at each supported
display resolution for configurations in which all displays have the same resolution.

NVIDIA GPU Displays per


Available Pixels Display Resolution
Architecture GPU
7680×4320 2
Pascal and later 66355200
5120×2880 or lower 4
5120×2880 2
Maxwell 35389440
4096×2160 or lower 4

The following table provides examples of configurations with a mixture of display


resolutions.

NVIDIA GPU Available Available Pixel Maximum Sample Mixed Display


Architecture Pixels Basis Displays Configurations
Pascal and later 66355200 2 7680×4320 4 1 7680×4320 display plus
displays 2 5120×2880 displays
1 7680×4320 display plus
3 4096×2160 displays

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NVIDIA GPU Available Available Pixel Maximum Sample Mixed Display


Architecture Pixels Basis Displays Configurations
Maxwell 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus
displays 2 4096×2160 displays

Note: You cannot use more than four displays even if the combined resolution of the
displays is less than the number of available pixels from the GPU. For example, you cannot
use five 4096×2160 displays with a GPU based on the NVIDIA Pascal architecture even
though the combined resolution of the displays (44236800) is less than the number of
available pixels from the GPU (66355200).

vApps or vCS Physical GPU Resolutions


GPUs that are licensed with a vApps or a vCS license support a single display with a fixed
maximum resolution. The maximum resolution depends on the following factors:

‣ NVIDIA GPU architecture


‣ The NVIDIA vGPU Software license that is applied to the GPU
‣ The operating system that is running in the on the system to which the GPU is
assigned

NVIDIA GPU Operating Maximum Display Displays


License
Architecture System Resolution per GPU
vApps Pascal or later Linux 2560×1600 1
Pascal or later Windows 1280×1024 1
Maxwell Windows and Linux 2560×1600 1
vCS Pascal or later Linux 4096×2160 1

3.2. Using GPU Pass-Through on Citrix


Hypervisor
You can configure a GPU for pass-through on Citrix Hypervisor by using XenCenter or by
using the xe command.
The following additional restrictions apply when GPU pass-through is used in a server
platform alongside NVIDIA vGPU:

‣ The performance of a physical GPU passed through to a VM cannot be monitored


through XenCenter.
‣ nvidia-smi in dom0 no longer has access to the GPU.
‣ Pass-through GPUs do not provide console output through XenCenter’s VM Console
tab. Use a remote graphics connection directly into the VM to access the VM’s OS.

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3.2.1. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass Through by


Using XenCenter
Select the Pass-through whole GPU option as the GPU type in the VM’s Properties:

Figure 16. Using XenCenter to configure a pass-through GPU

After configuring a Citrix Hypervisor VM for GPU pass through, install the NVIDIA
graphics driver in the guest OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU
Software Graphics Driver.

3.2.2. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass Through by


Using xe
Create a vgpu object with the passthrough vGPU type:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-type-list model-name="passthrough"
uuid ( RO) : fa50b0f0-9705-6c59-689e-ea62a3d35237
vendor-name ( RO):
model-name ( RO): passthrough
framebuffer-size ( RO): 0

[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-create vm-uuid=753e77a9-e10d-7679-f674-65c078abb2eb vgpu-type-


uuid=fa50b0f0-9705-6c59-689e-ea62a3d35237 gpu-group-uuid=585877ef-5a6c-66af-fc56-7bd525bdc2f6
6aa530ec-8f27-86bd-b8e4-fe4fde8f08f9

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[root@xenserver ~]#

CAUTION: Do not assign pass-through GPUs using the legacy other-config:pci


parameter setting. This mechanism is not supported alongside the XenCenter UI and xe
vgpu mechanisms, and attempts to use it may lead to undefined results.

After configuring a Citrix Hypervisor VM for GPU pass through, install the NVIDIA
graphics driver in the guest OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU
Software Graphics Driver.

3.3. Using GPU Pass-Through on Red


Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or
Ubuntu
You can configure a GPU for pass-through on Red Hat Enterprise Linux Kernel-based
Virtual Machine (KVM) or Ubuntu by using any of the following tools:

‣ The Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager) graphical tool


‣ The virsh command
‣ The QEMU command line
Before configuring a GPU for pass-through on Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or Ubuntu,
ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or Ubuntu is installed.


‣ A virtual disk has been created.

Note: Do not create any virtual disks in /root.

‣ A virtual machine has been created.

3.3.1. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through


by Using Virtual Machine Manager (virt-
manager)
For more information about using Virtual Machine Manager, see the following topics in
the documentation for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

‣ Managing Guests with the Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager)


‣ Starting virt-manager
‣ Assigning a PCI Device with virt-manager
1. Start virt-manager.

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2. In the virt-manager main window, select the VM that you want to configure for pass-
through.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Virtual Machine Details.
4. In the virtual machine hardware information window that opens, click Add Hardware.
5. In the Add New Virtual Hardware dialog box that opens, in the hardware list on the
left, select PCI Host Device.
6. From the Host Device list that appears, select the GPU that you want to assign to the
VM and click Finish.

If you want to remove a GPU from the VM to which it is assigned, in the virtual machine
hardware information window, select the GPU and click Remove.
After configuring the VM for GPU pass through, install the NVIDIA graphics driver in the
guest OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

3.3.2. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through by


Using virsh
For more information about using virsh, see the following topics in the documentation
for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

‣ Managing Guest Virtual Machines with virsh


‣ Assigning a PCI Device with virsh
1. Verify that the vfio-pci module is loaded.
# lsmod | grep vfio-pci
2. Obtain the PCI device bus/device/function (BDF) of the GPU that you want to assign in
pass-through mode to a VM.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA

The NVIDIA GPUs listed in this example have the PCI device BDFs 85:00.0 and
86:00.0.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA
85:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
86:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
3. Obtain the full identifier of the GPU from its PCI device BDF.
# virsh nodedev-list --cap pci| grep transformed-bdf
transformed-bdf
The PCI device BDF of the GPU with the colon and the period replaced with
underscores, for example, 85_00_0.
This example obtains the full identifier of the GPU with the PCI device BDF 85:00.0.
# virsh nodedev-list --cap pci| grep 85_00_0
pci_0000_85_00_0
4. Obtain the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU.
virsh nodedev-dumpxml full-identifier| egrep 'domain|bus|slot|function'

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full-identifier
The full identifier of the GPU that you obtained in the previous step, for example,
pci_0000_85_00_0.
This example obtains the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the PCI
device BDF 85:00.0.
# virsh nodedev-dumpxml pci_0000_85_00_0| egrep 'domain|bus|slot|function'
<domain>0x0000</domain>
<bus>0x85</bus>
<slot>0x00</slot>
<function>0x0</function>
<address domain='0x0000' bus='0x85' slot='0x00' function='0x0'/>
5. In virsh, open for editing the XML file of the VM that you want to assign the GPU to.
# virsh edit vm-name
vm-name
The name of the VM to that you want to assign the GPU to.
6. Add a device entry in the form of an address element inside the source element to
assign the GPU to the guest VM.
You can optionally add a second address element after the source element to set a
fixed PCI device BDF for the GPU in the guest operating system.
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
<source>
<address domain='domain' bus='bus' slot='slot' function='function'/>
</source>
<address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x05' function='0x0'/>
</hostdev>
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, which you obtained in the previous
step.
This example adds a device entry for the GPU with the PCI device BDF 85:00.0 and
fixes the BDF for the GPU in the guest operating system.
<hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
<source>
<address domain='0x0000' bus='0x85' slot='0x00' function='0x0'/>
</source>
<address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x05' function='0x0'/>
</hostdev>
7. Start the VM that you assigned the GPU to.
# virsh start vm-name
vm-name
The name of the VM that you assigned the GPU to.

After configuring the VM for GPU pass through, install the NVIDIA graphics driver in the
guest OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

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3.3.3. Configuring a VM for GPU Pass-Through by


Using the QEMU Command Line
1. Obtain the PCI device bus/device/function (BDF) of the GPU that you want to assign in
pass-through mode to a VM.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA

The NVIDIA GPUs listed in this example have the PCI device BDFs 85:00.0 and
86:00.0.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA
85:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
86:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
2. Add the following option to the QEMU command line:
-device vfio-pci,host=bdf
bdf
The PCI device BDF of the GPU that you want to assign in pass-through mode to a
VM, for example, 85:00.0.
This example assigns the GPU with the PCI device BDF 85:00.0 in pass-through mode
to a VM.
-device vfio-pci,host=85:00.0

After configuring the VM for GPU pass through, install the NVIDIA graphics driver in the
guest OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

3.3.4. Preparing a GPU Configured for vGPU for


Use in Pass-Through Mode
The mode in which a physical GPU is being used determines the Linux kernel module to
which the GPU is bound. If you want to switch the mode in which a GPU is being used,
you must unbind the GPU from its current kernel module and bind it to the kernel module
for the new mode. After binding the GPU to the correct kernel module, you can then
configure it for pass-through.
When the Virtual GPU Manager is installed on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or Ubuntu
host, the physical GPUs on the host are bound to the nvidia kernel module. A physical
GPU that is bound to the nvidia kernel module can be used only for vGPU. To enable
the GPU to be passed through to a VM, the GPU must be unbound from nvidia kernel
module and bound to the vfio-pci kernel module.
Before you begin, ensure that you have the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU
that you are preparing for use in pass-through mode. For instructions, see Getting the
BDF and Domain of a GPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.

1. If you are using a GPU that supports SR-IOV, such as a GPU based on the NVIDIA
Ampere architecture, disable the virtual function for the GPU in the sysfs file system.

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If your GPU does not support SR-IOV, omit this step.

Note: Before performing this step, ensure that the GPU is not being used by any other
processes, such as CUDA applications, monitoring applications, or the nvidia-smi
command.

Use the custom script sriov-manage provided by NVIDIA vGPU software for this
purpose.
# /usr/lib/nvidia/sriov-manage -d domain:bus:slot.function
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without the 0x prefix.
This example disables the virtual function for the GPU with the domain 00, bus 06, slot
0000, and function 0.
# /usr/lib/nvidia/sriov-manage -d 00:06:0000.0
2. Determine the kernel module to which the GPU is bound by running the lspci
command with the -k option on the NVIDIA GPUs on your host.
# lspci -d 10de: -k

The Kernel driver in use: field indicates the kernel module to which the GPU is
bound.
The following example shows that the NVIDIA Tesla M60 GPU with BDF 06:00.0 is
bound to the nvidia kernel module and is being used for vGPU.

06:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev
a1)
Subsystem: NVIDIA Corporation Device 115e
Kernel driver in use: nvidia
3. To ensure that no clients are using the GPU, acquire the unbind lock of the GPU.
a). Ensure that no VM is running to which a vGPU on the physical GPU is assigned and
that no process running on the host is using that GPU.
Processes on the host that use the GPU include the nvidia-smi command and all
processes based on the NVIDIA Management Library (NVML).
b). Change to the directory in the proc file system that represents the GPU.
# cd /proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/domain\:bus\:slot.function
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example changes to the directory in the proc file system that represents the
GPU with the domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# cd /proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000\:06\:00.0
c). Write the value 1 to the unbindLock file in this directory.
# echo 1 > unbindLock

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d). Confirm that the unbindLock file now contains the value 1.
# cat unbindLock
1

If the unbindLock file contains the value 0, the unbind lock could not be acquired
because a process or client is using the GPU.
4. Unbind the GPU from nvidia kernel module.
a). Change to the sysfs directory that represents the nvidia kernel module.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/drivers/nvidia
b). Write the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU to the unbind file in this
directory.
# echo domain:bus:slot.function > unbind
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example writes the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the
domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# echo 0000:06:00.0 > unbind
5. Bind the GPU to the vfio-pci kernel module.
a). Change to the sysfs directory that contains the PCI device information for the
physical GPU.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/domain\:bus\:slot.function
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.
This example changes to the sysfs directory that contains the PCI device
information for the GPU with the domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000\:06\:00.0
b). Write the kernel module name vfio-pci to the driver_override file in this
directory.
# echo vfio-pci > driver_override
c). Change to the sysfs directory that represents the nvidia kernel module.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/drivers/vfio-pci
d). Write the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU to the bind file in this
directory.
# echo domain:bus:slot.function > bind
domain
bus
slot
function
The domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU, without a 0x prefix.

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This example writes the domain, bus, slot, and function of the GPU with the
domain 0000 and PCI device BDF 06:00.0.
# echo 0000:06:00.0 > bind
e). Change back to the sysfs directory that contains the PCI device information for
the physical GPU.
# cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/domain\:bus\:slot.function
f). Clear the content of the driver_override file in this directory.
# echo > driver_override

You can now configure the GPU for use in pass-through mode as explained in Using GPU
Pass-Through on Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM or Ubuntu.

3.4. Using GPU Pass-Through on


Microsoft Windows Server
On supported versons of Microsoft Windows Server with Hyper-V role, you can use
Discrete Device Assignment (DDA) to enable a VM to access a GPU directly.

3.4.1. Assigning a GPU to a VM on Microsoft


Windows Server with Hyper-V
Perform this task in Windows PowerShell. If you do not know the location path of the GPU
that you want to assign to a VM, use Device Manager to obtain it.
If you are using an actively cooled NVIDIA Quadro graphics card such as the RTX 8000 or
RTX 6000, you must also pass through the audio device on the graphics card.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ Windows Server with Desktop Experience and the Hyper-V role are installed and
configured on your server platform, and a VM is created.
For instructions, refer to the following articles on the Microsoft technical
documentation site:

‣ Install Server with Desktop Experience


‣ Install the Hyper-V role on Windows Server
‣ Create a virtual switch for Hyper-V virtual machines
‣ Create a virtual machine in Hyper-V
‣ The guest OS is installed in the VM.
‣ The VM is powered off.
1. Obtain the location path of the GPU that you want to assign to a VM.
a). In the device manager, context-click the GPU and from the menu that pops up,
choose Properties.

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b). In the Properties window that opens, click the Details tab and in the Properties
drop-down list, select Location paths.
An example location path is as follows:
PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000)
2. If you are using an actively cooled NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, obtain the location
path of the audio device on the graphics card and disable the device.
a). In the device manager, from the View menu, choose Devices by connection.
b). Navigate to ACPI x64-based PC > Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System > PCI
Express Root Complex > PCI-to-PCI Bridge .
c). Context-click High Definition Audio Controller and from the menu that pops up,
choose Properties.
d). In the Properties window that opens, click the Details tab and in the Properties
drop-down list, select Location paths.
e). Context-click High Definition Audio Controller again and from the menu that pops
up, choose Disable device.
3. Dismount the GPU and, if present, the audio device from host to make them
unavailable to the host so that they can be used solely by the VM.
For each device that you are dismounting, type the following command:
Dismount-VMHostAssignableDevice -LocationPath gpu-device-location -force
gpu-device-location
The location path of the GPU or the audio device that you obtained previously.
This example dismounts the GPU at the location path
PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000).
Dismount-VMHostAssignableDevice -LocationPath
"PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000)" -force
4. Assign the GPU and, if present, the audio device that you dismounted in the previous
step to the VM.
For each device that you are assigning, type the following command:
Add-VMAssignableDevice -LocationPath gpu-device-location -VMName vm-name
gpu-device-location
The location path of the GPU or the audio device that you dismounted in the
previous step.
vm-name
The name of the VM to which you are attaching the GPU or the audio device.

Note: You can assign a pass-through GPU and, if present, its audio device to only one
virtual machine at a time.

This example assigns the GPU at the location path


PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000) to the VM VM1.
Add-VMAssignableDevice -LocationPath
"PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000)" -VMName VM1
5. Power on the VM.
The guest OS should now be able to use the GPU and, if present, the audio device.

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After assigning a GPU to a VM, install the NVIDIA graphics driver in the guest OS on the
VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

3.4.2. Returning a GPU to the Host OS from a VM


on Windows Server with Hyper-V
Perform this task in the Windows PowerShell.
If you are using an actively cooled NVIDIA Quadro graphics card such as the RTX 8000 or
RTX 6000, you must also return the audio device on the graphics card.

1. List the GPUs and, if present, the audio devices that are currently assigned to the
virtual machine (VM).
Get-VMAssignableDevice -VMName vm-name
vm-name
The name of the VM whose assigned GPUs and audio devices you want to list.
2. Shut down the VM to which the GPU and any audio devices are assigned.
3. Remove the GPU and, if present, the audio device from the VM to which they are
assigned.
For each device that you are removing, type the following command:
Remove-VMAssignableDevice –LocationPath gpu-device-location -VMName vm-name
gpu-device-location
The location path of the GPU or the audio device that you are removing, which you
obtained previously.
vm-name
The name of the VM from which you are removing the GPU or the audio device.
This example removes the GPU at the location path
PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000) from the VM VM1.
Remove-VMAssignableDevice –LocationPath
"PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000)" -VMName VM1
After the GPU and, if present, its audio device are removed from the VM, they are
unavailable to the host operating system (OS) until you remount them on the host OS.
4. Remount the GPU and, if present, its audio device on the host OS.
For each device that you are remounting, type the following command:
Mount-VMHostAssignableDevice –LocationPath gpu-device-location
gpu-device-location
The location path of the GPU or the audio device that you are remounting, which
you specified in the previous step to remove the GPU or the audio device from the
VM.
This example remounts the GPU at the location path
PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000) on the host OS.
Mount-VMHostAssignableDevice -LocationPath
"PCIROOT(80)#PCI(0200)#PCI(0000)#PCI(1000)#PCI(0000)"
The host OS should now be able to use the GPU and, if present, its audio device.

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3.5. Using GPU Pass-Through on


VMware vSphere
On VMware vSphere, you can use Virtual Dedicated Graphics Acceleration (vDGA)
to enable a VM to access a GPU directly. vDGA is a feature of VMware vSphere that
dedicates a single physical GPU on an ESXi host to a single virtual machine.
Before configuring a vSphere VM with vDGA, ensure that these prerequisites are met

‣ The VM and the ESXi host are configured as explained in Preparing for vDGA
Capabilities in the VMware Horizon documentation.
‣ The VM is powered off.
1. Open the vCenter Web UI.
2. In the vCenter Web UI, right-click the ESXi host and choose Configure.
3. From the Hardware menu, choose PCI Devices.
4. On the PCI Devices page that opens, click ALL PCI DEVICES and in the table of
devices, select the GPU.

Note: When selecting the GPU to pass through, you must select only the physical
device. To list only NVIDIA physical devices, set the filter on the Vendor Name field to
NVIDIA and filter out any virtual function devices of the GPU by setting the filter on
the ID field to 00.0.

5. Click TOGGLE PASSTHROUGH.


6. Reboot the ESXi host.
7. After the ESXi host has booted, right-click the VM and choose Edit Settings.

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8. From the New Device menu, choose PCI Device and click Add.
9. On the page that opens, from the New Device drop-down list, select the GPU.
10.Click Reserve all memory and click OK.
11.Start the VM.

For more information about vDGA, see the following topics in the VMware Horizon
documentation:

‣ Configuring 3D Rendering for Desktops


‣ Configure RHEL 6 for vDGA
After configuring a vSphere VM with vDGA, install the NVIDIA graphics driver in the guest
OS on the VM as explained in Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver.

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Chapter 4. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU
Software Graphics Driver

The process for installing the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver depends on the OS
that you are using. However, for any OS, the process for installing the driver is the same
in a VM configured with vGPU, in a VM that is running pass-through GPU, or on a physical
host in a bare-metal deployment.
After you install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver, you can license any NVIDIA
vGPU software licensed products that you are using.

4.1. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU


Software Graphics Driver on
Windows
Installation in a VM: After you create a Windows VM on the hypervisor and boot the VM,
the VM should boot to a standard Windows desktop in VGA mode at 800×600 resolution.
You can use the Windows screen resolution control panel to increase the resolution to
other standard resolutions, but to fully enable GPU operation, the NVIDIA vGPU software
graphics driver must be installed. Windows guest VMs are supported only on Q-series, B-
series, and A-series NVIDIA vGPU types. They are not supported on C-series NVIDIA vGPU
types.
Installation on bare metal: When the physical host is booted before the NVIDIA vGPU
software graphics driver is installed, boot and the primary display are handled by an
on-board graphics adapter. To install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver, access
the Windows desktop on the host by using a display connected through the on-board
graphics adapter.
The procedure for installing the driver is the same in a VM and on bare metal.

1. Copy the NVIDIA Windows driver package to the guest VM or physical host where you
are installing the driver.
2. Execute the package to unpack and run the driver installer.

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Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver

Figure 17. NVIDIA driver installation

3. Click through the license agreement.


4. Select Express Installation and click NEXT.
After the driver installation is complete, the installer may prompt you to restart the
platform.
5. If prompted to restart the platform, do one of the following:

‣ Select Restart Now to reboot the VM or physical host.


‣ Exit the installer and reboot the VM or physical host when you are ready.
After the VM or physical host restarts, it boots to a Windows desktop.
6. Verify that the NVIDIA driver is running.
a). Right-click on the desktop.
b). From the menu that opens, choose NVIDIA Control Panel.
c). In the NVIDIA Control Panel, from the Help menu, choose System Information.
NVIDIA Control Panel reports the vGPU or physical GPU that is being used, its
capabilities, and the NVIDIA driver version that is loaded.

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Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver

Figure 18. Verifying NVIDIA driver operation using NVIDIA


Control Panel

Installation in a VM: After you install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver, you can
license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that you are using. For instructions,
refer to Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide.
Installation on bare metal: After you install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver,
complete the bare-metal deployment as explained in Bare-Metal Deployment.

4.2. Installing the NVIDIA vGPU


Software Graphics Driver on Linux
Installation in a VM: After you create a Linux VM on the hypervisor and boot the VM,
install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver in the VM to fully enable GPU operation.
64-bit Linux guest VMs are supported only on Q-series, C-series, and B-series NVIDIA
vGPU types. They are not supported on A-series NVIDIA vGPU types.
Installation on bare metal: When the physical host is booted before the NVIDIA vGPU
software graphics driver is installed, the vesa Xorg driver starts the X server. If a primary
display device is connected to the host, use the device to access the desktop. Otherwise,
use secure shell (SSH) to log in to the host from a remote host.
The procedure for installing the driver is the same in a VM and on bare metal.
Installation of the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver for Linux requires:

‣ Compiler toolchain
‣ Kernel headers

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Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver

Before installing the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver, ensure that the following
prerequisites are met:

‣ NVIDIA Direct Rendering Manager Kernel Modesetting (DRM KMS) is disabled. By


default, DRM KMS is disabled. However, if it has been enabled, remove nvidia-
drm.modeset=1 from the kernel command-line options.
‣ If the VM uses UEFI boot, ensure that secure boot is disabled.
‣ If the Nouveau driver for NVIDIA graphics cards is present, disable it. For instructions,
refer to as explained in Disabling the Nouveau Driver for NVIDIA Graphics Cards.
‣ If you are using a Linux OS for which the Wayland display server protocol is enabled
by default, disable it as explained in Disabling the Wayland Display Server Protocol for
Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

1. Copy the NVIDIA vGPU software Linux driver package, for example NVIDIA-
Linux_x86_64-470.223.02-grid.run, to the guest VM or physical host where you are
installing the driver.
2. Before attempting to run the driver installer, exit the X server and terminate all
OpenGL applications.

‣ On Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS systems, exit the X server by
transitioning to runlevel 3:
[nvidia@localhost ~]$ sudo init 3
‣ On Ubuntu platforms, do the following:
a). Switch to a console login prompt.

‣ If you have access to the terminal's function keys, press CTRL-ALT-F1.


‣ If you are accessing the guest VM or physical host through VNC or a web
browser and do not have access to the terminal's function keys, run the
chvt command of the OS as root.
[nvidia@localhost ~]$ sudo chvt 3
b). Log in and shut down the display manager:

‣ For Ubuntu 18 and later releases, stop the gdm service


[nvidia@localhost ~]$ sudo service gdm stop
‣ For releases earlier than Ubuntu 18, stop the lightdm service.
[nvidia@localhost ~]$ sudo service lightdm stop
3. From a console shell, run the driver installer as the root user.
sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux_x86_64-470.223.02-grid.run
If DKMS is enabled, set the -dkms option. This option requires the dkms package to be
installed.
sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux_x86_64-470.223.02-grid.run -dkms
In some instances the installer may fail to detect the installed kernel headers and
sources. In this situation, re-run the installer, specifying the kernel source path with
the --kernel-source-path option.
sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux_x86_64-470.223.02-grid.run \
–kernel-source-path=/usr/src/kernels/3.10.0-229.11.1.el7.x86_64
4. When prompted, accept the option to update the X configuration file (xorg.conf).

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Installing the NVIDIA vGPU Software Graphics Driver

Figure 19. Update xorg.conf settings

5. Once installation has completed, select OK to exit the installer.


6. Verify that the NVIDIA driver is operational.
a). Reboot the system and log in.
b). Run nvidia-settings.
[nvidia@localhost ~]$ nvidia-settings
The NVIDIA X Server Settings dialog box opens to show that the NVIDIA driver is
operational.

Installation in a VM: After you install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver, you can
license any NVIDIA vGPU software licensed products that you are using. For instructions,
refer to Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide.
Installation on bare metal: After you install the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver,
complete the bare-metal deployment as explained in Bare-Metal Deployment.

4.3. Disabling the Nouveau Driver for


NVIDIA Graphics Cards
If the Nouveau driver for NVIDIA graphics cards is present, disable it before installing the
NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver.

Note: If you are using SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, you can skip this task because the
Nouveau driver is not present in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

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Run the following command and if the command prints any output, the Nouveau driver is
present and must be disabled.
$ lsmod | grep nouveau

1. Create the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf with the following


contents:
blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0
2. Regenerate the kernel initial RAM file system (initramfs).
The command to run to regenerate the kernel initramfs depends on the Linux
distribution that you are using.
Linux Distribution Command
CentOS $ sudo dracut --force

Debian $ sudo update-initramfs -u

Red Hat Enterprise Linux $ sudo dracut --force

Ubuntu $ sudo update-initramfs -u

3. Reboot the host or guest VM.

4.4. Disabling the Wayland Display


Server Protocol for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux
Starting with Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 8.0, the Wayland display server protocol
is used by default on supported GPU and graphics driver configurations. However, the
NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver for Linux requires the X Window System. Before
installing the driver, you must disable the Wayland display server protocol to revert to the
X Window System.
Perform this task from the host or guest VM that is running Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Desktop.
This task requires administrative access.

1. In a plain text editor, edit the file /etc/gdm/custom.conf and remove the comment
from the option WaylandEnable=false.
2. Save your changes to /etc/gdm/custom.conf.
3. Reboot the host or guest VM.

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Chapter 5. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

NVIDIA vGPU is a licensed product. When booted on a supported GPU, a vGPU initially
operates at full capability but its performance is degraded over time if the VM fails to
obtain a license. If the performance of a vGPU has been degraded, the full capability
of the vGPU is restored when a license is acquired. For information about how the
performance of an unlicensed vGPU is degraded, see Virtual GPU Client Licensing User
Guide.
After you license NVIDIA vGPU, the VM that is set up to use NVIDIA vGPU is capable of
running the full range of DirectX and OpenGL graphics applications.
If licensing is configured, the virtual machine (VM) obtains a license from the license
server when a vGPU is booted on these GPUs. The VM retains the license until it is shut
down. It then releases the license back to the license server. Licensing settings persist
across reboots and need only be modified if the license server address changes, or the
VM is switched to running GPU pass through.
How to license an NVIDIA vGPU depends on whether your licenses are served from
NVIDIA License System or the legacy NVIDIA vGPU software license server.

Note: For complete information about configuring and using NVIDIA vGPU software
licensed features, including vGPU, refer to Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide.

5.1. Prerequisites for Configuring a


Licensed Client of NVIDIA License
System
A client with a network connection obtains a license by leasing it from a NVIDIA License
System service instance. The service instance serves the license to the client over the
network from a pool of floating licenses obtained from the NVIDIA Licensing Portal. The
license is returned to the service instance when the licensed client is shut down.
Before configuring a licensed client, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver is installed on the client.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

‣ The client configuration token that you want to deploy on the client has been created
from the NVIDIA Licensing Portal or the DLS as explained in NVIDIA License System
User Guide.
‣ Ports 443 and 80 in your firewall or proxy must be open to allow HTTPS traffic
between a service instance and its the licensed clients. These ports must be open for
both CLS instances and DLS instances.

Note: For DLS releases before DLS 1.1, ports 8081 and 8082 were also required to be
open to allow HTTPS traffic between a DLS instance and its licensed clients. Although
these ports are no longer required, they remain supported for backward compatibility.

The graphics driver creates a default location in which to store the client configuration
token on the client.
The process for configuring a licensed client is the same for CLS and DLS instances but
depends on the OS that is running on the client.

5.1.1. Configuring a Licensed Client on Windows


with Default Settings
Perform this task from the client.

1. Copy the client configuration token to the %SystemDrive%:\Program Files\NVIDIA


Corporation\vGPU Licensing\ClientConfigToken folder.
2. Restart the NvDisplayContainer service.

The NVIDIA service on the client should now automatically obtain a license from the CLS
or DLS instance.

5.1.2. Configuring a Licensed Client on Linux with


Default Settings
Perform this task from the client.

1. As root, open the file /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf in a plain-text editor, such as vi.


$ sudo vi /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf

Note: You can create the /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf file by copying the supplied
template file /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf.template.

2. Add the FeatureType configuration parameter to the file /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf


on a new line as FeatureType="value".
value depends on the type of the GPU assigned to the licensed client that you are
configuring.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

GPU Type Value


NVIDIA vGPU 1. NVIDIA vGPU software automatically selects the
correct type of license based on the vGPU type.
Physical GPU The feature type of a GPU in pass-through mode or a
bare-metal deployment:

‣ 0: NVIDIA Virtual Applications


‣ 2: NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation
‣ 4: NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server

Note: You can also perform this step from NVIDIA X Server Settings. Before using
NVIDIA X Server Settings to perform this step, ensure that this option has been
enabled as explained in Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide.

This example shows how to configure a licensed Linux client for NVIDIA RTX Virtual
Workstation.
# /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf.template - Configuration file for NVIDIA Grid Daemon

# Description: Set Feature to be enabled
# Data type: integer
# Possible values:
# 0 => for unlicensed state
# 1 => for NVIDIA vGPU
# 2 => for NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation
# 4 => for NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server
FeatureType=2
...
3. Copy the client configuration token to the /etc/nvidia/ClientConfigToken
directory.
4. Ensure that the file access modes of the client configuration token allow the owner to
read, write, and execute the token, and the group and others only to read the token.
a). Determine the current file access modes of the client configuration token.
# ls -l client-configuration-token-directory
b). If necessary, change the mode of the client configuration token to 744.
# chmod 744 client-configuration-token-directory/client_configuration_token_*.tok
client-configuration-token-directory
The directory to which you copied the client configuration token in the previous
step.
5. Save your changes to the /etc/nvidia/gridd.conf file and close the file.
6. Restart the nvidia-gridd service.

The NVIDIA service on the client should now automatically obtain a license from the CLS
or DLS instance.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

5.1.3. Verifying the NVIDIA vGPU Software


License Status of a Licensed Client
After configuring a client with an NVIDIA vGPU software license, verify the license status
by displaying the licensed product name and status.
To verify the license status of a licensed client, run nvidia-smi with the –q or --query
option from the licensed client, not the hypervisor host. If the product is licensed, the
expiration date is shown in the license status.
nvidia-smi -q
==============NVSMI LOG==============

Timestamp : Wed Mar 31 01:49:28 2020


Driver Version : 440.88
CUDA Version : 10.0

Attached GPUs : 1
GPU 00000000:00:08.0
Product Name : Tesla T4
Product Brand : Grid
Display Mode : Enabled
Display Active : Disabled
Persistence Mode : N/A
Accounting Mode : Disabled
Accounting Mode Buffer Size : 4000
Driver Model
Current : WDDM
Pending : WDDM
Serial Number : 0334018000638
GPU UUID : GPU-ba2310b6-95d1-802b-f96f-5865410fe517
Minor Number : N/A
VBIOS Version : 90.04.21.00.01
MultiGPU Board : No
Board ID : 0x8
GPU Part Number : 699-2G183-0200-100
Inforom Version
Image Version : G183.0200.00.02
OEM Object : 1.1
ECC Object : 5.0
Power Management Object : N/A
GPU Operation Mode
Current : N/A
Pending : N/A
GPU Virtualization Mode
Virtualization mode : Pass-Through
vGPU Software Licensed Product
Product Name : NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server
License Status : Licensed (Expiry: 2021-11-13 18:29:59 GMT)

5.2. Licensing NVIDIA vGPU from the


Legacy License Server
How to license NVIDIA vGPU depends on the guest OS that is running in the VM.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

5.2.1. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU on Windows


Perform this task from the guest VM to which the vGPU is assigned.
The NVIDIA Control Panel tool that you use to perform this task detects that a vGPU
is assigned to the VM and, therefore, provides no options for selecting the license type.
After you license the vGPU, NVIDIA vGPU software automatically selects the correct type
of license based on the vGPU type.

1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel:

‣ Right-click on the Windows desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel from the
menu.
‣ Open Windows Control Panel and double-click the NVIDIA Control Panel icon.
2. In NVIDIA Control Panel, select the Manage License task in the Licensing section of
the navigation pane.

Note: If the Licensing section and Manage License task are not displayed in NVIDIA
Control Panel, the system has been configured to hide licensing controls in NVIDIA
Control Panel. For information about registry settings, refer to Virtual GPU Client
Licensing User Guide.

The Manage License task pane shows that NVIDIA vGPU is currently unlicensed.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

Figure 20. Managing vGPU licensing in NVIDIA Control Panel

3. In the Primary License Server field, enter the address of your primary NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
The address can be a fully-qualified domain name such as
gridlicense1.example.com, or an IP address such as 10.31.20.45.
If you have only one license server configured, enter its address in this field.
4. Leave the Port Number field under the Primary License Server field unset.
The port defaults to 7070, which is the default port number used by NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
5. In the Secondary License Server field, enter the address of your secondary NVIDIA
vGPU software License Server.
If you have only one license server configured, leave this field unset.
The address can be a fully-qualified domain name such as
gridlicense2.example.com, or an IP address such as 10.31.20.46.
6. Leave the Port Number field under the Secondary License Server field unset.
The port defaults to 7070, which is the default port number used by NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
7. Click Apply to assign the settings.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

The system requests the appropriate license for the current vGPU from the
configured license server.

The vGPU within the VM should now operate at full capability without any performance
degradation over time for as long as the vGPU is licensed.
If the system fails to obtain a license, see Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide for
guidance on troubleshooting.

5.2.2. Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU on Linux


Perform this task from the guest VM to which the vGPU is assigned.
The NVIDIA X Server Settings tool that you use to perform this task detects that a vGPU
is assigned to the VM and, therefore, provides no options for selecting the license type.
After you license the vGPU, NVIDIA vGPU software automatically selects the correct type
of license based on the vGPU type.
Ensure that the Manage License option is enabled as explained in Virtual GPU Client
Licensing User Guide.

Note: Do not enable the Manage License option with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.8 and 6.9
or CentOS 6.8 and 6.9. To prevent a segmentation fault in DBus code from causing the
nvidia-gridd service from exiting, the GUI for licensing must be disabled with these OS
versions.

1. Start NVIDIA X Server Settings by using the method for launching applications
provided by your Linux distribution.
For example, on Ubuntu Desktop, open the Dash, search for NVIDIA X Server
Settings, and click the NVIDIA X Server Settings icon.
2. In the NVIDIA X Server Settings window that opens, click Manage GRID License.
The License Edition section of the NVIDIA X Server Settings window shows that
NVIDIA vGPU is currently unlicensed.
3. In the Primary Server field, enter the address of your primary NVIDIA vGPU software
License Server.
The address can be a fully-qualified domain name such as
gridlicense1.example.com, or an IP address such as 10.31.20.45.
If you have only one license server configured, enter its address in this field.
4. Leave the Port Number field under the Primary Server field unset.
The port defaults to 7070, which is the default port number used by NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
5. In the Secondary Server field, enter the address of your secondary NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
If you have only one license server configured, leave this field unset.
The address can be a fully-qualified domain name such as
gridlicense2.example.com, or an IP address such as 10.31.20.46.

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Licensing an NVIDIA vGPU

6. Leave the Port Number field under the Secondary Server field unset.
The port defaults to 7070, which is the default port number used by NVIDIA vGPU
software License Server.
7. Click Apply to assign the settings.
The system requests the appropriate license for the current vGPU from the
configured license server.

The vGPU within the VM should now operate at full capability without any performance
degradation over time for as long as the vGPU is licensed.
If the system fails to obtain a license, refer to Virtual GPU Client Licensing User Guide for
guidance on troubleshooting.

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Chapter 6. Modifying a VM's NVIDIA
vGPU Configuration

You can modify a VM's NVIDIA vGPU configuration by removing the NVIDIA vGPU
configuration from a VM or by modifying GPU allocation policy.

6.1. Removing a VM’s NVIDIA vGPU


Configuration
Remove a VM’s NVIDIA vGPU configuration when you no longer require the VM to use a
virtual GPU.

6.1.1. Removing a Citrix Virtual Apps and


Desktops VM’s vGPU configuration
You can remove a virtual GPU assignment from a VM, such that it no longer uses a virtual
GPU, by using either XenCenter or the xe command.

Note: The VM must be in the powered-off state in order for its vGPU configuration to be
modified or removed.

6.1.1.1. Removing a VM’s vGPU configuration by using


XenCenter
1. Set the GPU type to None in the VM’s GPU Properties, as shown in Figure 21.

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

Figure 21. Using XenCenter to remove a vGPU configuration from a


VM

2. Click OK.

6.1.1.2. Removing a VM’s vGPU configuration by using


xe
1. Use vgpu-list to discover the vGPU object UUID associated with a given VM:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-list vm-uuid=e71afda4-53f4-3a1b-6c92-a364a7f619c2
uuid ( RO) : c1c7c43d-4c99-af76-5051-119f1c2b4188
vm-uuid ( RO): e71afda4-53f4-3a1b-6c92-a364a7f619c2
gpu-group-uuid ( RO): d53526a9-3656-5c88-890b-5b24144c3d96
2. Use vgpu-destroy to delete the virtual GPU object associated with the VM:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-destroy uuid=c1c7c43d-4c99-af76-5051-119f1c2b4188
[root@xenserver ~]#

6.1.2. Removing a vSphere VM’s vGPU


Configuration
To remove a vSphere vGPU configuration from a VM:

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

1. Select Edit settings after right-clicking on the VM in the vCenter Web UI.
2. Select the Virtual Hardware tab.
3. Mouse over the PCI Device entry showing NVIDIA GRID vGPU and click on the (X) icon
to mark the device for removal.
4. Click OK to remove the device and update the VM settings.

6.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy


Citrix Hypervisor and VMware vSphere both support the breadth first and depth-first GPU
allocation policies for vGPU-enabled VMs.
breadth-first
The breadth-first allocation policy attempts to minimize the number of vGPUs running
on each physical GPU. Newly created vGPUs are placed on the physical GPU that can
support the new vGPU and that has the fewest vGPUs already resident on it. This
policy generally leads to higher performance because it attempts to minimize sharing
of physical GPUs, but it may artificially limit the total number of vGPUs that can run.
depth-first
The depth-first allocation policy attempts to maximize the number of vGPUs running
on each physical GPU. Newly created vGPUs are placed on the physical GPU that can
support the new vGPU and that has the most vGPUs already resident on it. This policy
generally leads to higher density of vGPUs, particularly when different types of vGPUs
are being run, but may result in lower performance because it attempts to maximize
sharing of physical GPUs.
Each hypervisor uses a different GPU allocation policy by default.

‣ Citrix Hypervisor uses the depth-first allocation policy.


‣ VMware vSphere ESXi uses the breadth-first allocation policy.
If the default GPU allocation policy does not meet your requirements for performance or
density of vGPUs, you can change it.

6.2.1. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on Citrix


Hypervisor
You can modify GPU allocation policy on Citrix Hypervisor by using XenCenter or the xe
command.

6.2.1.1. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy by Using xe


The allocation policy of a GPU group is stored in the allocation-algorithm parameter of
the gpu-group object.
To change the allocation policy of a GPU group, use gpu-group-param-set:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe gpu-group-param-get uuid=be825ba2-01d7-8d51-9780-f82cfaa64924 param-
name=allocation-algorithmdepth-first
[root@xenserver ~]# xe gpu-group-param-set uuid=be825ba2-01d7-8d51-9780-f82cfaa64924
allocation-algorithm=breadth-first

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

[root@xenserver ~]#

6.2.1.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy GPU by Using


XenCenter
You can modify GPU allocation policy from the GPU tab in XenCenter.

Figure 22. Modifying GPU placement policy in XenCenter

6.2.2. Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on


VMware vSphere
How to switch to a depth-first allocation scheme depends on the version of VMware
vSphere that you are using.

‣ Supported versions earlier than 6.5: Add the following parameter to /etc/vmware/
config:
vGPU.consolidation = true
‣ Version 6.5: Use the vSphere Web Client.

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

Before using the vSphere Web Client to change the allocation scheme, ensure that the
ESXi host is running and that all VMs on the host are powered off.

1. Log in to vCenter Server by using the vSphere Web Client.


2. In the navigation tree, select your ESXi host and click the Configure tab.
3. From the menu, choose Graphics and then click the Host Graphics tab.
4. On the Host Graphics tab, click Edit.

Figure 23. Breadth-first allocation scheme setting for vGPU-


enabled VMs

5. In the Edit Host Graphics Settings dialog box that opens, select these options and
click OK.
a). If not already selected, select Shared Direct.
b). Select Group VMs on GPU until full.

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

Figure 24. Host graphics settings for vGPU

After you click OK, the default graphics type changes to Shared Direct and the
allocation scheme for vGPU-enabled VMs is breadth-first.

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

Figure 25. Depth-first allocation scheme setting for vGPU-enabled


VMs

6. Restart the ESXi host or the Xorg service on the host.

See also the following topics in the VMware vSphere documentation:

‣ Log in to vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Web Client


‣ Configuring Host Graphics

6.3. Migrating a VM Configured with


vGPU
On some hypervisors, NVIDIA vGPU software supports migration of VMs that are
configured with vGPU.
Before migrating a VM configured with vGPU, ensure that the following prerequisites are
met:

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

‣ The VM is configured with vGPU.


‣ The VM is running.
‣ The VM obtained a suitable vGPU license when it was booted.
‣ The destination host has a physical GPU of the same type as the GPU where the vGPU
currently resides.
‣ ECC memory configuration (enabled or disabled) on both the source and destination
hosts must be identical.
‣ The GPU topologies (including NVLink widths) on both the source and destination
hosts must be identical.

Note: vGPU migration is disabled for a VM for which any of the following NVIDIA CUDA
Toolkit features is enabled:

‣ Unified memory
‣ Debuggers
‣ Profilers

How to migrate a VM configured with vGPU depends on the hypervisor that you are using.
After migration, the vGPU type of the vGPU remains unchanged.
The time required for migration depends on the amount of frame buffer that the vGPU
has. Migration for a vGPU with a large amount of frame buffer is slower than for a vGPU
with a small amount of frame buffer.

6.3.1. Migrating a VM Configured with vGPU on


Citrix Hypervisor
NVIDIA vGPU software supports XenMotion for VMs that are configured with vGPU.
XenMotion enables you to move a running virtual machine from one physical host
machine to another host with very little disruption or downtime. For a VM that is
configured with vGPU, the vGPU is migrated with the VM to an NVIDIA GPU on the other
host. The NVIDIA GPUs on both host machines must be of the same type.
For details about which Citrix Hypervisor versions, NVIDIA GPUs, and guest OS releases
support XenMotion with vGPU, see Virtual GPU Software for Citrix Hypervisor Release
Notes.
For best performance, the physical hosts should be configured to use the following:

‣ Shared storage, such as NFS, iSCSI, or Fiberchannel


If shared storage is not used, migration can take a very long time because vDISK must
also be migrated.
‣ 10 GB networking.

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Modifying a VM's NVIDIA vGPU Configuration

1. In Citrix XenCenter, context-click the VM and from the menu that opens, choose
Migrate.
2. From the list of available hosts, select the destination host to which you want to
migrate the VM.
The destination host must have a physical GPU of the same type as the GPU where
the vGPU currently resides. Furthermore, the physical GPU must be capable of hosting
the vGPU. If these requirements are not met, no available hosts are listed.

6.3.2. Migrating a VM Configured with vGPU on


VMware vSphere
NVIDIA vGPU software supports VMware vMotion for VMs that are configured with
vGPU. VMware vMotion enables you to move a running virtual machine from one physical
host machine to another host with very little disruption or downtime. For a VM that is
configured with vGPU, the vGPU is migrated with the VM to an NVIDIA GPU on the other
host. The NVIDIA GPUs on both host machines must be of the same type.
For details about which VMware vSphere versions, NVIDIA GPUs, and guest OS releases
support suspend and resume, see Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes.
Perform this task in the VMware vSphere web client by using the Migration wizard.
Before migrating a VM configured with vGPU on VMware vSphere, ensure that the
following prerequisites are met:

‣ Your hosts are correctly configured for VMware vMotion. See Host Configuration for
vMotion in the VMware documentation.
‣ The prerequisites listed for all supported hypervisors in Migrating a VM Configured
with vGPU are met.
‣ NVIDIA vGPU migration is configured. See Configuring VMware vMotion with vGPU for
VMware vSphere.

1. Context-click the VM and from the menu that opens, choose Migrate.
2. For the type of migration, select Change compute resource only and click Next.
If you select Change both compute resource and storage, the time required for the
migration increases.
3. Select the destination host and click Next.
The destination host must have a physical GPU of the same type as the GPU where
the vGPU currently resides. Furthermore, the physical GPU must be capable of hosting
the vGPU. If these requirements are not met, no available hosts are listed.
4. Select the destination network and click Next.
5. Select the migration priority level and click Next.
6. Review your selections and click Finish.

For more information, see the following topics in the VMware documentation:

‣ Migrate a Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource

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‣ Using vMotion to Migrate vGPU Virtual Machines


If NVIDIA vGPU migration is not configured, any attempt to migrate a VM with an NVIDIA
vGPU fails and a window containing the following error message is displayed:
Compatibility Issue/Host
Migration was temporarily disabled due to another
migration activity.
vGPU hot migration is not enabled.

The window appears as follows:

If you see this error, configure NVIDIA vGPU migration as explained in Configuring
VMware vMotion with vGPU for VMware vSphere.
If your version of VMware vSpehere ESXi does not support vMotion for VMs configured
with NVIDIA vGPU, any attempt to migrate a VM with an NVIDIA vGPU fails and a window
containing the following error message is displayed:
Compatibility Issues
...
A required migration feature is not supported on the "Source" host 'host-name'.

A warning or error occurred when migrating the virtual machine.


Virtual machine relocation, or power on after relocation or cloning can fail if
vGPU resources are not available on the destination host.

The window appears as follows:

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For details about which VMware vSphere versions, NVIDIA GPUs, and guest OS releases
support suspend and resume, see Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes.

6.3.3. Suspending and Resuming a VM


Configured with vGPU on VMware vSphere
NVIDIA vGPU software supports suspend and resume for VMs that are configured with
vGPU.
For details about which VMware vSphere versions, NVIDIA GPUs, and guest OS releases
support suspend and resume, see Virtual GPU Software for VMware vSphere Release Notes.
Perform this task in the VMware vSphere web client.

‣ To suspend a VM, context-click the VM that you want to suspend, and from the
context menu that pops up, choose Power > Suspend .
‣ To resume a VM, context-click the VM that you want to resume, and from the context
menu that pops up, choose Power > Power On .

6.4. Modifying a MIG-Backed vGPU's


Configuration
If compute instances weren't created within the GPU instances when the GPU was
configured for MIG-backed vGPUs, you can add the compute instances for an individual
vGPU from within the guest VM. If you want to replace the compute instances that were
created when the GPU was configured for MIG-backed vGPUs, you can delete them
before adding the compute instances from within the guest VM.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

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‣ You have root user privileges in the guest VM.


‣ The GPU instance is not being used by any other processes, such as CUDA
applications, monitoring applications, or the nvidia-smi command.
Perform this task in a guest VM command shell.

1. Open a command shell as the root user in the guest VM.


You can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
2. List the available GPU instance.
$ nvidia-smi mig -lgi
+----------------------------------------------------+
| GPU instances: |
| GPU Name Profile Instance Placement |
| ID ID Start:Size |
|====================================================|
| 0 MIG 2g.10gb 0 0 0:8 |
+----------------------------------------------------+
3. Optional: If compute instances were created when the GPU was configured for MIG-
backed vGPUs that you no longer require, delete them.
$ nvidia-smi mig -dci -ci compute-instance-id -gi gpu-instance-id
compute-instance-id
The ID of the compute instance that you want to delete.
gpu-instance-id
The ID of the GPU instance from which you want to delete the compute instance.

Note: If the GPU instance is being used by another process, this command fails. In this
situation, stop all processes that are using the GPU instance and retry the command.

This example deletes compute instance 0 from GPU instance 0 on GPU 0.


$ nvidia-smi mig -dci -ci 0 -gi 0
Successfully destroyed compute instance ID 0 from GPU 0 GPU instance ID 0
4. List the compute instance profiles that are available for your GPU instance.
$ nvidia-smi mig -lcip
This example shows that one MIG 2g.10gb compute instance or two MIG 1c.2g.10gb
compute instances can be created within the GPU instance.
$ nvidia-smi mig -lcip
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Compute instance profiles: |
| GPU GPU Name Profile Instances Exclusive Shared |
| Instance ID Free/Total SM DEC ENC OFA |
| ID CE JPEG |
|===============================================================================|
| 0 0 MIG 1c.2g.10gb 0 2/2 14 1 0 0 |
| 2 0 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 0 MIG 2g.10gb 1* 1/1 28 1 0 0 |
| 2 0 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
5. Create the compute instances that you need within the available GPU instance.
Create each compute instance individually by running the following command.
$ nvidia-smi mig -cci compute-instance-profile-id -gi gpu-instance-id
compute-instance-profile-id
The compute instance profile ID that specifies the compute instance.

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gpu-instance-id
The GPU instance ID that specifies the GPU instance within which you want to
create the compute instance.

Note: If the GPU instance is being used by another process, this command fails. In this
situation, stop all processes that are using the GPU and retry the command.

This example creates a MIG 2g.10gb compute instance on GPU instance 0.


$ nvidia-smi mig -cci 1 -gi 0
Successfully created compute instance ID 0 on GPU 0 GPU instance ID 0 using
profile MIG 2g.10gb (ID 1)
This example creates two MIG 1c.2g.10gb compute instances on GPU instance 0 by
running the same command twice.
$ nvidia-smi mig -cci 0 -gi 0
Successfully created compute instance ID 0 on GPU 0 GPU instance ID 0 using
profile MIG 1c.2g.10gb (ID 0)
$ nvidia-smi mig -cci 0 -gi 0
Successfully created compute instance ID 1 on GPU 0 GPU instance ID 0 using
profile MIG 1c.2g.10gb (ID 0)
6. Verify that the compute instances were created within the GPU instance.
Use the nvidia-smi command for this purpose.
This example confirms that a MIG 2g.10gb compute instance was created on GPU
instance 0.
nvidia-smi
Mon Nov 13 19:01:24 2023
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 CUDA Version: 11.4 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
| | | MIG M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 GRID A100X-2-10C On | 00000000:00:08.0 Off | On |
| N/A N/A P0 N/A / N/A | 1058MiB / 10235MiB | N/A Default |
| | | Enabled |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MIG devices: |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+
| GPU GI CI MIG | Memory-Usage | Vol| Shared |
| ID ID Dev | BAR1-Usage | SM Unc| CE ENC DEC OFA JPG|
| | | ECC| |
|==================+======================+===========+=======================|
| 0 0 0 0 | 1058MiB / 10235MiB | 28 0 | 2 0 1 0 0 |
| | 0MiB / 4096MiB | | |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: |
| GPU GI CI PID Type Process name GPU Memory |
| ID ID Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

This example confirms that two MIG 1c.2g.10gb compute instances were created on
GPU instance 0.
$ nvidia-smi

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Mon Nov 13 19:01:24 2023


+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 CUDA Version: 11.4 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
| | | MIG M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 GRID A100X-2-10C On | 00000000:00:08.0 Off | On |
| N/A N/A P0 N/A / N/A | 1058MiB / 10235MiB | N/A Default |
| | | Enabled |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MIG devices: |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+
| GPU GI CI MIG | Memory-Usage | Vol| Shared |
| ID ID Dev | BAR1-Usage | SM Unc| CE ENC DEC OFA JPG|
| | | ECC| |
|==================+======================+===========+=======================|
| 0 0 0 0 | 1058MiB / 10235MiB | 14 0 | 2 0 1 0 0 |
| | 0MiB / 4096MiB | | |
+------------------+ +-----------+-----------------------+
| 0 0 1 1 | | 14 0 | 2 0 1 0 0 |
| | | | |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------+-----------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: |
| GPU GI CI PID Type Process name GPU Memory |
| ID ID Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| No running processes found |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

6.5. Enabling Unified Memory for a


vGPU
Unified memory is disabled by default. If used, you must enable unified memory
individually for each vGPU that requires it by setting a vGPU plugin parameter. How to
enable unified memory for a vGPU depends on the hypervisor that you are using.

6.5.1. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on


Citrix Hypervisor
On Citrix Hypervisor, enable unified memory by setting the enable_uvm vGPU plugin
parameter.
Perform this task for each vGPU that requires unified memory by using the xe command.
Set the enable_uvm vGPU plugin parameter for the vGPU to 1 as explained in Setting
vGPU Plugin Parameters on Citrix Hypervisor.
This example enables unified memory for the vGPU that has the UUID
d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-param-set uuid=d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b
extra_args='enable_uvm=1'

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6.5.2. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on


Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM
On Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, enable unified memory by setting the enable_uvm
vGPU plugin parameter.
Ensure that the mdev device file that represents the vGPU has been created as explained
in Creating an NVIDIA vGPU on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.
Perform this task for each vGPU that requires unified memory.
Set the enable_uvm vGPU plugin parameter for the mdev device file that represents
the vGPU to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on a Linux with KVM
Hypervisor.

6.5.3. Enabling Unified Memory for a vGPU on


VMware vSphere
On VMware vSphere, enable unified memory by setting the pciPassthruvgpu-
id.cfg.enable_uvm configuration parameter in advanced VM attributes.
Ensure that the VM to which the vGPU is assigned is powered off.
Perform this task in the vSphere Client for each vGPU that requires unified memory.
In advanced VM attributes, set the pciPassthruvgpu-id.cfg.enable_uvm vGPU plugin
parameter for the vGPU to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on VMware
vSphere.
vgpu-id
A positive integer that identifies the vGPU assigned to a VM. For the first vGPU
assigned to a VM, vgpu-id is 0. For example, if two vGPUs are assigned to a VM and you
are enabling unified memory for both vGPUs, set pciPassthru0.cfg.enable_uvm and
pciPassthru1.cfg.enable_uvm to 1.

6.6. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit


Development Tools for NVIDIA
vGPU
By default, NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit development tools are disabled on NVIDIA vGPU. If
used, you must enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit development tools individually for each VM
that requires them by setting vGPU plugin parameters. One parameter must be set for
enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers and a different parameter must be set for
enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers.

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6.6.1. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Debuggers


for NVIDIA vGPU
By default, NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers are disabled. If used, you must enable them
for each vGPU VM that requires them by setting a vGPU plugin parameter. How to set
the parameter to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers for a vGPU VM depends on the
hypervisor that you are using.
You can enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers for any number of VMs configured with
vGPUs on the same GPU. When NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers are enabled for a VM, the
VM cannot be migrated.
Perform this task for each VM for which you want to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit
debuggers.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Debuggers for NVIDIA vGPU on Citrix


Hypervisor
Set the enable_debugging vGPU plugin parameter for the vGPU that is assigned to the
VM to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on Citrix Hypervisor.
This example enables NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers for the vGPU that has the UUID
d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-param-set uuid=d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b
extra_args='enable_debugging=1'

The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted and after the
hypervisor host is restarted.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Debuggers for NVIDIA vGPU on Red Hat
Enterprise Linux KVM
Set the enable_debugging vGPU plugin parameter for the mdev device file that
represents the vGPU that is assigned to the VM to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin
Parameters on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.
The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted. However, this
parameter is reset to its default value after the hypervisor host is restarted.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Debuggers for NVIDIA vGPU on on VMware


vSphere
Ensure that the VM for which you want to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit debuggers is
powered off.
In advanced VM attributes, set the pciPassthruvgpu-id.cfg.enable_debugging vGPU
plugin parameter for the vGPU that is assigned to the VM to 1 as explained in Setting
vGPU Plugin Parameters on VMware vSphere.

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vgpu-id
A positive integer that identifies the vGPU assigned to the VM. For the first vGPU
assigned to a VM, vgpu-id is 0. For example, if two vGPUs are assigned to a VM and you
are enabling debuggers for both vGPUs, set pciPassthru0.cfg.enable_debugging
and pciPassthru1.cfg.enable_debugging to 1.
The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted. However, this
parameter is reset to its default value after the hypervisor host is restarted.

6.6.2. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for


NVIDIA vGPU
By default, only GPU workload trace is enabled. If you want to use all NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit
profiler features that NVIDIA vGPU supports, you must enable them for each vGPU VM
that requires them.

Note: Enabling profiling for a VM gives the VM access to the GPU’s global performance
counters, which may include activity from other VMs executing on the same GPU. Enabling
profiling for a VM also allows the VM to lock clocks on the GPU, which impacts all other
VMs executing on the same GPU.

6.6.2.1. Supported NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profiler


Features
You can enable the following NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profiler features for a vGPU VM:

‣ NVIDIA Nsight Compute


‣ NVIDIA Nsight Systems


‣ CUDA Profiling Tools Interface (CUPTI)

6.6.2.2. Clock Management for a vGPU VM for Which


NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers Are Enabled
Clocks are not locked for periodic sampling use cases such as NVIDIA Nsight Systems
profiling.
Clocks are locked for multipass profiling such as:

‣ NVIDIA Nsight Compute kernel profiling


‣ CUPTI range profiling
Clocks are locked automatically when profiling starts and are unlocked automatically
when profiling ends.

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6.6.2.3. Limitations on the Use of NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit


Profilers with NVIDIA vGPU
The following limitations apply when NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers are enabled for NVIDIA
vGPU:

‣ NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers can be used on only one VM at a time.


‣ Multiple CUDA contexts cannot be profiled simultaneously.
‣ Profiling data is collected separately for each context.
‣ A VM for which NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers are enabled cannot be migrated.

Because NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers can be used on only one VM at a time, you should
enable them for only one VM assigned a vGPU on a GPU. However, NVIDIA vGPU software
cannot enforce this requirement. If NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers are enabled on more
than one VM assigned a vGPU on a GPU, profiling data is collected only for the first VM to
start the profiler.

6.6.2.4. Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for a


vGPU VM
You enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers for a vGPU VM by setting a vGPU plugin
parameter. How to set the parameter to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers for a vGPU
VM depends on the hypervisor that you are using.
Perform this task for the VM for which you want to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for NVIDIA vGPU on Citrix


Hypervisor
Set the enable_profiling vGPU plugin parameter for the vGPU that is assigned to the
VM to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin Parameters on Citrix Hypervisor.
This example enables NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers for the vGPU that has the UUID
d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b.
[root@xenserver ~] xe vgpu-param-set uuid=d15083f8-5c59-7474-d0cb-fbc3f7284f1b
extra_args='enable_profiling=1'

The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted and after the
hypervisor host is restarted.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for NVIDIA vGPU on Red Hat
Enterprise Linux KVM
Set the enable_profiling vGPU plugin parameter for the mdev device file that
represents the vGPU that is assigned to the VM to 1 as explained in Setting vGPU Plugin
Parameters on a Linux with KVM Hypervisor.

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The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted. However, this
parameter is reset to its default value after the hypervisor host is restarted.

Enabling NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit Profilers for NVIDIA vGPU on on VMware


vSphere
Ensure that the VM for which you want to enable NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit profilers is
powered off.
In advanced VM attributes, set the pciPassthruvgpu-id.cfg.enable_profiling vGPU
plugin parameter for the vGPU that is assigned to the VM to 1 as explained in Setting
vGPU Plugin Parameters on VMware vSphere.
vgpu-id
A positive integer that identifies the vGPU assigned to the VM. For the first vGPU
assigned to a VM, vgpu-id is 0. For example, if two vGPUs are assigned to a VM and you
are enabling profilers for the second vGPU, set pciPassthru1.cfg.enable_profiling
to 1.
The setting of this parameter is preserved after a guest VM is restarted. However, this
parameter is reset to its default value after the hypervisor host is restarted.

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Chapter 7. Monitoring GPU
Performance

NVIDIA vGPU software enables you to monitor the performance of physical GPUs and
virtual GPUs from the hypervisor and from within individual guest VMs.
You can use several tools for monitoring GPU performance:

‣ From any supported hypervisor, and from a guest VM that is running a 64-bit edition
of Windows or Linux, you can use NVIDIA System Management Interface, nvidia-smi.
‣ From Citrix Hypervisor, you can use Citrix XenCenter.
‣ From a Windows guest VM, you can use these tools:
‣ Windows Performance Monitor
‣ Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

7.1. NVIDIA System Management


Interface nvidia-smi
NVIDIA System Management Interface, nvidia-smi, is a command-line tool that reports
management information for NVIDIA GPUs.
The nvidia-smi tool is included in the following packages:

‣ NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager package for each supported hypervisor


‣ NVIDIA driver package for each supported guest OS
The scope of the reported management information depends on where you run nvidia-
smi from:

‣ From a hypervisor command shell, such as the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 shell or VMware
ESXi host shell, nvidia-smi reports management information for NVIDIA physical
GPUs and virtual GPUs present in the system.

Note: When run from a hypervisor command shell, nvidia-smi will not list any GPU
that is currently allocated for GPU pass-through.

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Monitoring GPU Performance

‣ From a guest VM, nvidia-smi retrieves usage statistics for vGPUs or pass-through
GPUs that are assigned to the VM.
From a Windows guest VM, you can run nvidia-smi from a command prompt by
changing to the C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NVSMI folder and running
the nvidia-smi.exe command.

7.2. Monitoring GPU Performance from


a Hypervisor
You can monitor GPU performance from any supported hypervisor by using the NVIDIA
System Management Interface nvidia-smi command-line utility. On Citrix Hypervisor
platforms, you can also use Citrix XenCenter to monitor GPU performance.

Note: You cannot monitor from the hypervisor the performance of GPUs that are being
used for GPU pass-through. You can monitor the performance of pass-through GPUs only
from within the guest VM that is using them.

7.2.1. Using nvidia-smi to Monitor GPU


Performance from a Hypervisor
You can get management information for the NVIDIA physical GPUs and virtual GPUs
present in the system by running nvidia-smi from a hypervisor command shell such as
the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 shell or the VMware ESXi host shell.
Without a subcommand, nvidia-smi provides management information for physical
GPUs. To examine virtual GPUs in more detail, use nvidia-smi with the vgpu
subcommand.
From the command line, you can get help information about the nvidia-smi tool and the
vgpu subcommand.

Help Information Command


A list of subcommands supported by the nvidia-smi tool. Note nvidia-smi -h
that not all subcommands apply to GPUs that support NVIDIA
vGPU software.
A list of all options supported by the vgpu subcommand. nvidia-smi vgpu –h

7.2.1.1. Getting a Summary of all Physical GPUs in the


System
To get a summary of all physical GPUs in the system, along with PCI bus IDs, power
state, temperature, current memory usage, and so on, run nvidia-smi without additional
arguments.

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Monitoring GPU Performance

Each vGPU instance is reported in the Compute processes section, together with its
physical GPU index and the amount of frame-buffer memory assigned to it.
In the example that follows, three vGPUs are running in the system: One vGPU is running
on each of the physical GPUs 0, 1, and 2.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi
Fri Nov 10 09:26:18 2023
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| GPU Name Persistence-M| Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap| Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |
|===============================+======================+======================|
| 0 Tesla M60 On | 0000:83:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 31C P8 23W / 150W | 1889MiB / 8191MiB | 7% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 On | 0000:84:00.0 Off | Off |
| N/A 26C P8 23W / 150W | 926MiB / 8191MiB | 9% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2 Tesla M10 On | 0000:8A:00.0 Off | N/A |
| N/A 23C P8 10W / 53W | 1882MiB / 8191MiB | 12% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 3 Tesla M10 On | 0000:8B:00.0 Off | N/A |
| N/A 26C P8 10W / 53W | 10MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 4 Tesla M10 On | 0000:8C:00.0 Off | N/A |
| N/A 34C P8 10W / 53W | 10MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 5 Tesla M10 On | 0000:8D:00.0 Off | N/A |
| N/A 32C P8 10W / 53W | 10MiB / 8191MiB | 0% Default |
+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Processes: GPU Memory |
| GPU PID Type Process name Usage |
|=============================================================================|
| 0 11924 C+G /usr/lib64/xen/bin/vgpu 1856MiB |
| 1 11903 C+G /usr/lib64/xen/bin/vgpu 896MiB |
| 2 11908 C+G /usr/lib64/xen/bin/vgpu 1856MiB |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.2. Getting a Summary of all vGPUs in the System


To get a summary of the vGPUs currently that are currently running on each physical GPU
in the system, run nvidia-smi vgpu without additional arguments.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu
Fri Nov 10 09:27:06 2023
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 470.223.02 Driver Version: 470.223.02 |
|-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| GPU Name | Bus-Id | GPU-Util |
| vGPU ID Name | VM ID VM Name | vGPU-Util |
|===============================+================================+============|
| 0 Tesla M60 | 0000:83:00.0 | 7% |
| 11924 GRID M60-2Q | 3 Win7-64 GRID test 2 | 6% |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| 1 Tesla M60 | 0000:84:00.0 | 9% |
| 11903 GRID M60-1B | 1 Win8.1-64 GRID test 3 | 8% |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| 2 Tesla M10 | 0000:8A:00.0 | 12% |
| 11908 GRID M10-2Q | 2 Win7-64 GRID test 1 | 10% |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| 3 Tesla M10 | 0000:8B:00.0 | 0% |

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+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| 4 Tesla M10 | 0000:8C:00.0 | 0% |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
| 5 Tesla M10 | 0000:8D:00.0 | 0% |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+------------+
[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.3. Getting vGPU Details


To get detailed information about all the vGPUs on the platform, run nvidia-smi vgpu
with the –q or --query option.
To limit the information retrieved to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or
--id option to select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -q -i 1
GPU 00000000:86:00.0
Active vGPUs : 1
vGPU ID : 3251634178
VM ID : 1
VM Name : Win7
vGPU Name : GRID M60-8Q
vGPU Type : 22
vGPU UUID : b8c6d0e1-d167-11e8-b8c9-55705e5a54a6
Guest Driver Version : 411.81
License Status : Unlicensed
Accounting Mode : Disabled
Accounting Buffer Size: 4000
Frame Rate Limit : 3 FPS
FB Memory Usage :
Total : 8192 MiB
Used : 675 MiB
Free : 7517 MiB
Utilization :
Gpu : 3 %
Memory : 0 %
Encoder : 0 %
Decoder : 0 %
Encoder Stats :
Active Sessions : 0
Average FPS : 0
Average Latency : 0
FBC Stats :
Active Sessions : 1
Average FPS : 227
Average Latency : 4403
[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.4. Monitoring vGPU engine usage


To monitor vGPU engine usage across multiple vGPUs, run nvidia-smi vgpu with the –u
or --utilization option.
For each vGPU, the usage statistics in the following table are reported once every second.
The table also shows the name of the column in the command output under which each
statistic is reported.

Statistic Column
3D/Compute sm

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Statistic Column
Memory controller bandwidth mem

Video encoder enc

Video decoder dec

Each reported percentage is the percentage of the physical GPU’s capacity that a vGPU
is using. For example, a vGPU that uses 20% of the GPU’s graphics engine’s capacity will
report 20%.
To modify the reporting frequency, use the –l or --loop option.
To limit monitoring to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or --id option to
select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -u
# gpu vgpu sm mem enc dec
# Idx Id % % % %
0 11924 6 3 0 0
1 11903 8 3 0 0
2 11908 10 4 0 0
3 - - - - -
4 - - - - -
5 - - - - -
0 11924 6 3 0 0
1 11903 9 3 0 0
2 11908 10 4 0 0
3 - - - - -
4 - - - - -
5 - - - - -
0 11924 6 3 0 0
1 11903 8 3 0 0
2 11908 10 4 0 0
3 - - - - -
4 - - - - -
5 - - - - -
^C[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.5. Monitoring vGPU engine usage by applications


To monitor vGPU engine usage by applications across multiple vGPUs, run nvidia-smi
vgpu with the –p option.

For each application on each vGPU, the usage statistics in the following table are reported
once every second. Each application is identified by its process ID and process name.
The table also shows the name of the column in the command output under which each
statistic is reported.

Statistic Column
3D/Compute sm

Memory controller bandwidth mem

Video encoder enc

Video decoder dec

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Each reported percentage is the percentage of the physical GPU’s capacity used by
an application running on a vGPU that resides on the physical GPU. For example, an
application that uses 20% of the GPU’s graphics engine’s capacity will report 20%.
To modify the reporting frequency, use the –l or --loop option.
To limit monitoring to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or --id option to
select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -p
# GPU vGPU process process sm mem enc dec
# Idx Id Id name % % % %
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 37408 4232 DolphinVS.exe 32 25 0 0
1 257869 4432 FurMark.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 48 37 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 37408 4232 DolphinVS.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257911 656 DolphinVS.exe 32 24 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 48 37 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 257869 4432 FurMark.exe 38 30 0 0
1 257911 656 DolphinVS.exe 19 14 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 38 30 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 257848 3220 Balls64.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257869 4432 FurMark.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257911 656 DolphinVS.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 48 37 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 257911 656 DolphinVS.exe 32 25 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 64 50 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 37408 4232 DolphinVS.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257911 656 DolphinVS.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 64 49 0 0
0 38127 1528 dwm.exe 0 0 0 0
1 37408 4232 DolphinVS.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257869 4432 FurMark.exe 16 12 0 0
1 257969 4552 FurMark.exe 64 49 0 0
[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.6. Monitoring Encoder Sessions


Note: Encoder sessions can be monitored only for vGPUs assigned to Windows VMs. No
encoder session statistics are reported for vGPUs assigned to Linux VMs.

To monitor the encoder sessions for processes running on multiple vGPUs, run nvidia-
smi vgpu with the –es or --encodersessions option.

For each encoder session, the following statistics are reported once every second:

‣ GPU ID
‣ vGPU ID
‣ Encoder session ID
‣ PID of the process in the VM that created the encoder session
‣ Codec type, for example, H.264 or H.265

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‣ Encode horizontal resolution


‣ Encode vertical resolution
‣ One-second trailing average encoded FPS
‣ One-second trailing average encode latency in microseconds
To modify the reporting frequency, use the –l or --loop option.
To limit monitoring to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or --id option to
select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -es
# GPU vGPU Session Process Codec H V Average Average
# Idx Id Id Id Type Res Res FPS Latency(us)
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 424 1977
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 0 0
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 374 1589
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 360 807
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 325 1474
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 313 1005
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 329 1732
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 352 1415
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 434 1894
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 362 1818
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 296 1072
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 416 1994
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 444 1912
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 330 1261
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 436 1644
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 344 1500
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 393 1727
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 364 1945
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 555 1653
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 295 925
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 372 1869
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 326 2206
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 318 1366
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 464 2015
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 305 1167
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 445 1892
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 361 906
1 21211 2 2308 H.264 1920 1080 353 1436
1 21206 3 2424 H.264 1920 1080 354 1798
1 22011 1 3676 H.264 1920 1080 373 1310
^C[root@vgpu ~]#

7.2.1.7. Monitoring Frame Buffer Capture (FBC)


Sessions
To monitor the FBC sessions for processes running on multiple vGPUs, run nvidia-smi
vgpu with the -fs or --fbcsessions option.

For each FBC session, the following statistics are reported once every second:

‣ GPU ID
‣ vGPU ID
‣ FBC session ID
‣ PID of the process in the VM that created the FBC session

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‣ Display ordinal associated with the FBC session.


‣ FBC session type
‣ FBC session flags
‣ Capture mode
‣ Maximum horizontal resolution supported by the session
‣ Maximum vertical resolution supported by the session
‣ Horizontal resolution requested by the caller in the capture call
‣ Vertical resolution requested by the caller in the capture call
‣ Moving average of new frames captured per second by the session
‣ Moving average new frame capture latency in microseconds for the session
To modify the reporting frequency, use the –l or --loop option.
To limit monitoring to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or --id option to
select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -fs
# GPU vGPU Session Process Display Session Diff. Map Class. Map
Capture Max H Max V H V Average Average
# Idx Id Id Id Ordinal Type State State
Mode Res Res Res Res FPS Latency(us)
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -

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1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled


Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
# GPU vGPU Session Process Display Session Diff. Map Class. Map
Capture Max H Max V H V Average Average
# Idx Id Id Id Ordinal Type State State
Mode Res Res Res Res FPS Latency(us)
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Unknown 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 1600 900 25 39964
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 1600 900 25 39964
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0

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2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
# GPU vGPU Session Process Display Session Diff. Map Class. Map
Capture Max H Max V H V Average Average
# Idx Id Id Id Ordinal Type State State
Mode Res Res Res Res FPS Latency(us)
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 1600 900 135 7400
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 1600 900 227 4403
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 1600 900 227 4403
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -

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# GPU vGPU Session Process Display Session Diff. Map Class. Map
Capture Max H Max V H V Average Average
# Idx Id Id Id Ordinal Type State State
Mode Res Res Res Res FPS Latency(us)
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
0 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
1 3251634178 1 3984 0 ToSys Disabled Disabled
Blocking 4096 2160 0 0 0 0
2 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
^C[root@vgpu ~]#

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7.2.1.8. Listing Supported vGPU Types


To list the virtual GPU types that the GPUs in the system support, run nvidia-smi vgpu
with the –s or --supported option.
To limit the retrieved information to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or
--id option to select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -s -i 0
GPU 0000:83:00.0
GRID M60-0B
GRID M60-0Q
GRID M60-1A
GRID M60-1B
GRID M60-1Q
GRID M60-2A
GRID M60-2Q
GRID M60-4A
GRID M60-4Q
GRID M60-8A
GRID M60-8Q
[root@vgpu ~]#

To view detailed information about the supported vGPU types, add the –v or --verbose
option:
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -s -i 0 -v | less
GPU 00000000:83:00.0
vGPU Type ID : 0xb
Name : GRID M60-0B
Class : NVS
Max Instances : 16
Device ID : 0x13f210de
Sub System ID : 0x13f21176
FB Memory : 512 MiB
Display Heads : 2
Maximum X Resolution : 2560
Maximum Y Resolution : 1600
Frame Rate Limit : 45 FPS
GRID License : GRID-Virtual-PC,2.0;GRID-Virtual-WS,2.0;GRID-
Virtual-WS-Ext,2.0;Quadro-Virtual-DWS,5.0
vGPU Type ID : 0xc
Name : GRID M60-0Q
Class : Quadro
Max Instances : 16
Device ID : 0x13f210de
Sub System ID : 0x13f2114c
FB Memory : 512 MiB
Display Heads : 2
Maximum X Resolution : 2560
Maximum Y Resolution : 1600
Frame Rate Limit : 60 FPS
GRID License : GRID-Virtual-WS,2.0;GRID-Virtual-WS-Ext,2.0;Quadro-
Virtual-DWS,5.0
vGPU Type ID : 0xd
Name : GRID M60-1A
Class : NVS
Max Instances : 8

[root@vgpu ~]#

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7.2.1.9. Listing the vGPU Types that Can Currently Be


Created
To list the virtual GPU types that can currently be created on GPUs in the system, run
nvidia-smi vgpu with the –c or --creatable option.

This property is a dynamic property that varies for each GPU depending on whether MIG
mode is enabled for the GPU.

‣ If MIG mode is not enabled for the GPU, or if the GPU does not support MIG, this
property reflects the number and type of vGPUs that are already running on the GPU.

‣ If no vGPUs are running on the GPU, all vGPU types that the GPU supports are
listed.
‣ If one or more vGPUs are running on the GPU, but the GPU is not fully loaded, only
the type of the vGPUs that are already running is listed.
‣ If the GPU is fully loaded, no vGPU types are listed.
‣ If MIG mode is enabled for the GPU, the result reflects the number and type of GPU
instances on which no vGPUs are already running.

‣ If no GPU instances have been created, no vGPU types are listed.


‣ If GPU instances have been created, only the vGPU types that correspond to GPU
instances on which no vGPU is running are listed.
‣ If a vGPU is running on every GPU instance, no vGPU types are listed.
To limit the retrieved information to a subset of the GPUs on the platform, use the –i or
--id option to select one or more vGPUs.
[root@vgpu ~]# nvidia-smi vgpu -c -i 0
GPU 0000:83:00.0
GRID M60-2Q
[root@vgpu ~]#

To view detailed information about the vGPU types that can currently be created, add the
–v or --verbose option.

7.2.2. Using Citrix XenCenter to monitor GPU


performance
If you are using Citrix Hypervisor as your hypervisor, you can monitor GPU performance in
XenCenter.

1. Click on a server’s Performance tab.


2. Right-click on the graph window, then select Actions and New Graph.
3. Provide a name for the graph.
4. In the list of available counter resources, select one or more GPU counters.

Counters are listed for each physical GPU not currently being used for GPU pass-through.

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Figure 26. Using Citrix XenCenter to monitor GPU performance

7.3. Monitoring GPU Performance from


a Guest VM
You can use monitoring tools within an individual guest VM to monitor the performance
of vGPUs or pass-through GPUs that are assigned to the VM. The scope of these tools
is limited to the guest VM within which you use them. You cannot use monitoring tools
within an individual guest VM to monitor any other GPUs in the platform.
For a vGPU, only these metrics are reported in a guest VM:

‣ 3D/Compute
‣ Memory controller
‣ Video encoder
‣ Video decoder
‣ Frame buffer usage

Other metrics normally present in a GPU are not applicable to a vGPU and are reported as
zero or N/A, depending on the tool that you are using.

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7.3.1. Using nvidia-smi to Monitor GPU


Performance from a Guest VM
In guest VMs, you can use the nvidia-smi command to retrieve statistics for the total
usage by all applications running in the VM and usage by individual applications of the
following resources:

‣ GPU
‣ Video encoder
‣ Video decoder
‣ Frame buffer
To use nvidia-smi to retrieve statistics for the total resource usage by all applications
running in the VM, run the following command:
nvidia-smi dmon

The following example shows the result of running nvidia-smi dmon from within a
Windows guest VM.

Figure 27. Using nvidia-smi from a Windows guest VM to get total


resource usage by all applications

To use nvidia-smi to retrieve statistics for resource usage by individual applications


running in the VM, run the following command:
nvidia-smi pmon

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Figure 28. Using nvidia-smi from a Windows guest VM to get


resource usage by individual applications

7.3.2. Using Windows Performance Counters to


monitor GPU performance
In Windows VMs, GPU metrics are available as Windows Performance Counters through
the NVIDIA GPU object.
Any application that is enabled to read performance counters can access these metrics.
You can access these metrics directly through the Windows Performance Monitor
application that is included with the Windows OS.
The following example shows GPU metrics in the Performance Monitor application.

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Figure 29. Using Windows Performance Monitor to monitor GPU


performance

On vGPUs, the following GPU performance counters read as 0 because they are not
applicable to vGPUs:

‣ % Bus Usage
‣ % Cooler rate
‣ Core Clock MHz
‣ Fan Speed
‣ Memory Clock MHz
‣ PCI-E current speed to GPU Mbps
‣ PCI-E current width to GPU
‣ PCI-E downstream width to GPU
‣ Power Consumption mW
‣ Temperature C

7.3.3. Using NVWMI to monitor GPU


performance
In Windows VMs, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) exposes GPU metrics
in the ROOT\CIMV2\NV namespace through NVWMI. NVWMI is included with the NVIDIA

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driver package. After the driver is installed, NVWMI help information in Windows Help
format is available as follows:
C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NVIDIA WMI Provider>nvwmi.chm

Any WMI-enabled application can access these metrics. The following example shows
GPU metrics in the third-party application WMI Explorer, which is available for download
from the from the CodePlex WMI Explorer page.

Figure 30. Using WMI Explorer to monitor GPU performance

On vGPUs, some instance properties of the following classes do not apply to vGPUs:

‣ Gpu
‣ PcieLink

Gpu instance properties that do not apply to vGPUs

Gpu Instance Property Value reported on vGPU


gpuCoreClockCurrent -1
memoryClockCurrent -1

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Gpu Instance Property Value reported on vGPU


pciDownstreamWidth 0
pcieGpu.curGen 0
pcieGpu.curSpeed 0
pcieGpu.curWidth 0
pcieGpu.maxGen 1
pcieGpu.maxSpeed 2500
pcieGpu.maxWidth 0
power -1
powerSampleCount -1
powerSamplingPeriod -1
verVBIOS.orderedValue 0
verVBIOS.strValue -
verVBIOS.value 0

PcieLink instance properties that do not apply to vGPUs


No instances of PcieLink are reported for vGPU.

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Chapter 8. Changing Scheduling
Behavior for Time-Sliced
vGPUs

NVIDIA GPUs based on the NVIDIA Maxwell™ graphic architecture implement a best
effort vGPU scheduler that aims to balance performance across vGPUs. The best effort
scheduler allows a vGPU to use GPU processing cycles that are not being used by other
vGPUs. Under some circumstances, a VM running a graphics-intensive application may
adversely affect the performance of graphics-light applications running in other VMs.
GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell architecture additionally
support equal share and fixed share vGPU schedulers. These schedulers impose a limit on
GPU processing cycles used by a vGPU, which prevents graphics-intensive applications
running in one VM from affecting the performance of graphics-light applications running
in other VMs. On GPUs that support multiple vGPU schedulers, you can select the vGPU
scheduler to use. You can also set the length of the time slice for the equal share and
fixed share vGPU schedulers.

Note: If you use the equal share or fixed share vGPU scheduler, the frame-rate limiter
(FRL) is disabled.

The best effort scheduler is the default scheduler for all supported GPU architectures.
If you are unsure of the NVIDIA GPU architecture of your GPU, consult the release notes
for your hypervisor at NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software Documentation.

8.1. Scheduling Policies for Time-Sliced


vGPUs
In addition to the default best effort scheduler, GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures
after the Maxwell architecture support equal share and fixed share vGPU schedulers.
Equal share scheduler
The physical GPU is shared equally amongst the running vGPUs that reside on it. As
vGPUs are added to or removed from a GPU, the share of the GPU's processing cycles
allocated to each vGPU changes accordingly. As a result, the performance of a vGPU

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Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs

may increase as other vGPUs on the same GPU are stopped, or decrease as other
vGPUs are started on the same GPU.
Fixed share scheduler
Each vGPU is given a fixed share of the physical GPU's processing cycles, the amount
of which depends on the vGPU type, which in turn determines the maximum number
of vGPUs per physical GPU. For example, the maximum number of T4-4C vGPUs per
physical GPU is 4. When the scheduling policy is fixed share, each T4-4C vGPU is given
one quarter, or 25%, the physical GPU's processing cycles. As vGPUs are added to or
removed from a GPU, the share of the GPU's processing cycles allocated to each vGPU
remains constant. As a result, the performance of a vGPU remains unchanged as other
vGPUs are stopped or started on the same GPU.

8.2. Scheduler Time Slice for Time-


Sliced vGPUs
When multiple VMs access the vGPUs on a single GPU, the GPU performs the work for
each VM serially. The vGPU scheduler time slice represents the amount of time that the
work of a VM is allowed to run on the GPU before it is preempted and the work of the
next VM is performed.
For the equal share and fixed share vGPU schedulers, you can set the length of the time
slice. The length of the time slice affects latency and throughput. The optimal length of
the time slice depends the workload that the GPU is handling.

‣ For workloads that require low latency, a shorter time slice is optimal. Typically, these
workloads are applications that must generate output at a fixed interval, such as
graphics applications that generate output at a frame rate of 60 FPS. These workloads
are sensitive to latency and should be allowed to run at least once per interval. A
shorter time slice reduces latency and improves responsiveness by causing the
scheduler to switch more frequently between VMs.
‣ For workloads that require maximum throughput, a longer time slice is optimal.
Typically, these workloads are applications that must complete their work as quickly as
possible and do not require responsiveness, such as CUDA applications. A longer time
slice increases throughput by preventing frequent switching between VMs.

8.3. RmPVMRL Registry Key


The RmPVMRL registry key controls the scheduling behavior for NVIDIA vGPUs by setting
the scheduling policy and the length of the time slice.

Note: You can change the vGPU scheduling behavior only on GPUs that support multiple
vGPU schedulers, that is, GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell
architecture.

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Type
Dword

Contents
Value Meaning
0x00 (default) Best effort scheduler
0x01 Equal share scheduler with the default time slice length
0x00TT0001 Equal share scheduler with a user-defined time slice length TT
0x11 Fixed share scheduler with the default time slice length
0x00TT0011 Fixed share scheduler with a user-defined time slice length TT

The default time slice length depends on the maximum number of vGPUs per physical
GPU allowed for the vGPU type.

Maximum Number of vGPUs Default Time Slice Length


Less than or equal to 8 2 ms
Greater than 8 1 ms

TT
Two hexadecimal digits in the range 01 to 1E that set the length of the time slice in
milliseconds (ms) for the equal share and fixed share schedulers. The minimum length
is 1 ms and the maximum length is 30 ms.
If TT is 00, the length is set to the default length for the vGPU type.
If TT is greater than 1E, the length is set to 30 ms.

Examples
This example sets the vGPU scheduler to equal share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
RmPVMRL=0x01

This example sets the vGPU scheduler to equal share scheduler with a time slice that is 3
ms long.
RmPVMRL=0x00030001

This example sets the vGPU scheduler to fixed share scheduler with the default time slice
length.
RmPVMRL=0x11

This example sets the vGPU scheduler to fixed share scheduler with a time slice that is 24
(0x18) ms long.
RmPVMRL=0x00180011

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Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs

8.4. Getting the Current Time-Sliced


vGPU Scheduling Behavior for All
GPUs
Get the current scheduling behavior before changing the scheduling behavior of one
or more GPUs to determine if you need to change it or after changing it to confirm the
change.
Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell on your hypervisor host machine.


On all supported hypervisors, you can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
Individual hypervisors may provide additional means for logging in. For details, refer to
the documentation for your hypervisor.
2. Use the dmesg command to display messages from the kernel that contain the strings
NVRM and scheduler.
$ dmesg | grep NVRM | grep scheduler

The scheduling behavior is indicated in these messages by the following strings:

‣ BEST_EFFORT

‣ EQUAL_SHARE

‣ FIXED_SHARE

If the scheduling behavior is equal share or fixed share, the scheduler time slice in ms
is also displayed.
This example gets the scheduling behavior of the GPUs in a system in which the
behavior of one GPU is set to best effort, one GPU is set to equal share, and one GPU
is set to fixed share.
$ dmesg | grep NVRM | grep scheduler
2020-10-05T02:58:08.928Z cpu79:2100753)NVRM: GPU at 0000:3d:00.0 has software
scheduler DISABLED with policy BEST_EFFORT.
2020-10-05T02:58:09.818Z cpu79:2100753)NVRM: GPU at 0000:5e:00.0 has software
scheduler ENABLED with policy EQUAL_SHARE.
NVRM: Software scheduler timeslice set to 1 ms.
2020-10-05T02:58:12.115Z cpu79:2100753)NVRM: GPU at 0000:88:00.0 has software
scheduler ENABLED with policy FIXED_SHARE.
NVRM: Software scheduler timeslice set to 1 ms.

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Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs

8.5. Changing the Time-Sliced vGPU


Scheduling Behavior for All GPUs
Note: You can change the vGPU scheduling behavior only on GPUs that support multiple
vGPU schedulers, that is, GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell
architecture.

Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell on your hypervisor host machine.


On all supported hypervisors, you can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
Individual hypervisors may provide additional means for logging in. For details, refer to
the documentation for your hypervisor.
2. Set the RmPVMRL registry key to the value that sets the GPU scheduling policy and the
length of the time slice that you want.

‣ On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, or Red Hat Virtualization
(RHV), add the following entry to the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file.
options nvidia NVreg_RegistryDwords="RmPVMRL=value"

If the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file does not already exist, create it.


‣ On VMware vSphere, use the esxcli set command.
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia -p
"NVreg_RegistryDwords=RmPVMRL=value"

value
The value that sets the GPU scheduling policy and the length of the time slice that
you want, for example:
0x01
Sets the vGPU scheduling policy to equal share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
0x00030001
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to equal share scheduler with a time slice that is
3 ms long.
0x11
Sets the vGPU scheduling policy to fixed share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
0x00180011
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to fixed share scheduler with a time slice that is
24 (0x18) ms long.
For all supported values, see RmPVMRL Registry Key.
3. Reboot your hypervisor host machine.

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Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs

Confirm that the scheduling behavior was changed as required as explained in Getting
the Current Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduling Behavior for All GPUs.

8.6. Changing the Time-Sliced vGPU


Scheduling Behavior for Select
GPUs
Note: You can change the vGPU scheduling behavior only on GPUs that support multiple
vGPU schedulers, that is, GPUs based on NVIDIA GPU architectures after the Maxwell
architecture.

Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell on your hypervisor host machine.


On all supported hypervisors, you can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
Individual hypervisors may provide additional means for logging in. For details, refer to
the documentation for your hypervisor.
2. Use the lspci command to obtain the PCI domain and bus/device/function (BDF) of
each GPU for which you want to change the scheduling behavior.

‣ On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, or Red Hat Virtualization
(RHV), add the -D option to display the PCI domain and the -d 10de: option to
display information only for NVIDIA GPUs.
# lspci -D -d 10de:
‣ On VMware vSphere, pipe the output of lspci to the grep command to display
information only for NVIDIA GPUs.
# lspci | grep NVIDIA

The NVIDIA GPU listed in this example has the PCI domain 0000 and BDF 86:00.0.
0000:86:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP104GL [Tesla P4] (rev a1)
3. Use the module parameter NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice to set the pci and
RmPVMRL registry keys for each GPU.

‣ On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, or RHV, add the following
entry to the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file.
options nvidia NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice="pci=pci-domain:pci-
bdf;RmPVMRL=value
[;pci=pci-domain:pci-bdf;RmPVMRL=value...]"

If the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file does not already exist, create it.


‣ On VMware vSphere, use the esxcli set command.
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia \
-p "NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice=pci=pci-domain:pci-bdf;RmPVMRL=value\
[;pci=pci-domain:pci-bdf;RmPVMRL=value...]"

For each GPU, provide the following information:

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Changing Scheduling Behavior for Time-Sliced vGPUs

pci-domain
The PCI domain of the GPU.
pci-bdf
The PCI device BDF of the GPU.
value
The value that sets the GPU scheduling policy and the length of the time slice that
you want, for example:
0x01
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to equal share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
0x00030001
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to equal share scheduler with a time slice that is
3 ms long.
0x11
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to fixed share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
0x00180011
Sets the GPU scheduling policy to fixed share scheduler with a time slice that is
24 (0x18) ms long.
For all supported values, see RmPVMRL Registry Key.
This example adds an entry to the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file to change the
scheduling behavior of a single GPU. The entry sets the GPU scheduling policy of the
GPU at PCI domain 0000 and BDF 86:00.0 to fixed share scheduler with the default
time slice length.
options nvidia NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice=
"pci=0000:86:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x11"

This example adds an entry to the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file to change the


scheduling behavior of a single GPU. The entry sets the scheduling policy of the GPU
at PCI domain 0000 and BDF 86:00.0 to fixed share scheduler with a time slice that is
24 (0x18) ms long.
options nvidia NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice=
"pci=0000:86:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x00180011"

This example changes the scheduling behavior of a single GPU on a hypervisor host
that is running VMware vSphere. The command sets the scheduling policy of the GPU
at PCI domain 0000 and BDF 15:00.0 to fixed share scheduler with the default time
slice length.
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia -p \
"NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice=pci=0000:15:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x11[;pci=0000:15:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x11]"

This example changes the scheduling behavior of a single GPU on a hypervisor host
that is running VMware vSphere. The command sets the scheduling policy of the GPU
at PCI domain 0000 and BDF 15:00.0 to fixed share scheduler with a time slice that is
24 (0x18) ms long.
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia -p \
"NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice=pci=0000:15:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x11[;pci=0000:15:00.0;RmPVMRL=0x00180011]"
4. Reboot your hypervisor host machine.

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Confirm that the scheduling behavior was changed as required as explained in Getting
the Current Time-Sliced vGPU Scheduling Behavior for All GPUs.

8.7. Restoring Default Time-Sliced


vGPU Scheduler Settings
Perform this task in your hypervisor command shell.

1. Open a command shell on your hypervisor host machine.


On all supported hypervisors, you can use secure shell (SSH) for this purpose.
Individual hypervisors may provide additional means for logging in. For details, refer to
the documentation for your hypervisor.
2. Unset the RmPVMRL registry key.

‣ On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, or Red Hat Virtualization
(RHV), comment out the entries in the /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf file that set
RmPVMRL by prefixing each entry with the # character.
‣ On VMware vSphere, set the module parameter to an empty string.
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia -p "module-parameter="
module-parameter
The module parameter to set, which depends on whether the scheduling
behavior was changed for all GPUs or select GPUs:

‣ For all GPUs, set the NVreg_RegistryDwords module parameter.


‣ For select GPUs, set the NVreg_RegistryDwordsPerDevice module
parameter.
For example, to restore default vGPU scheduler settings after they were changed
for all GPUs, enter this command:
# esxcli system module parameters set -m nvidia -p "NVreg_RegistryDwords="
3. Reboot your hypervisor host machine.

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Chapter 9. Troubleshooting

This chapter describes basic troubleshooting steps for NVIDIA vGPU on Citrix Hypervisor,
Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Red Hat Virtualization (RHV), and VMware vSphere, and
how to collect debug information when filing a bug report.

9.1. Known issues


Before troubleshooting or filing a bug report, review the release notes that accompany
each driver release, for information about known issues with the current release, and
potential workarounds.

9.2. Troubleshooting steps


If a vGPU-enabled VM fails to start, or doesn’t display any output when it does start,
follow these steps to narrow down the probable cause.

9.2.1. Verifying the NVIDIA Kernel Driver Is


Loaded
1. Use the command that your hypervisor provides to verify that the kernel driver is
loaded:

‣ On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, and RHV, use lsmod:
[root@xenserver ~]# lsmod|grep nvidia
nvidia 9604895 84
i2c_core 20294 2 nvidia,i2c_i801
[root@xenserver ~]#
‣ On VMware vSphere, use vmkload_mod:
[root@esxi:~] vmkload_mod -l | grep nvidia
nvidia 5 8420
2. If the nvidia driver is not listed in the output, check dmesg for any load-time errors
reported by the driver (see Examining NVIDIA kernel driver output).
3. On Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, and RHV, also use the rpm -q
command to verify that the NVIDIA GPU Manager package is correctly installed.
rpm -q vgpu-manager-rpm-package-name

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Troubleshooting

vgpu-manager-rpm-package-name
The RPM package name of the NVIDIA GPU Manager package, for example NVIDIA-
vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02 for Citrix Hypervisor.
This example verifies that the NVIDIA GPU Manager package for Citrix Hypervisor is
correctly installed.
[root@xenserver ~]# rpm –q NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02
[root@xenserver ~]#
If an existing NVIDIA GRID package is already installed and you don’t select the
upgrade (-U) option when installing a newer GRID package, the rpm command will
return many conflict errors.
Preparing packages for installation...
file /usr/bin/nvidia-smi from install of NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64 conflicts with file from package NVIDIA-
vGPU-xenserver-8.2-470.199.03.x86_64
file /usr/lib/libnvidia-ml.so from install of NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64 conflicts with file from package NVIDIA-
vGPU-xenserver-8.2-470.199.03.x86_64
...

9.2.2. Verifying that nvidia-smi works


If the NVIDIA kernel driver is correctly loaded on the physical GPU, run nvidia-smi and
verify that all physical GPUs not currently being used for GPU pass-through are listed in
the output. For details on expected output, see NVIDIA System Management Interface
nvidia-smi.
If nvidia-smi fails to report the expected output, check dmesg for NVIDIA kernel driver
messages.

9.2.3. Examining NVIDIA kernel driver output


Information and debug messages from the NVIDIA kernel driver are logged in kernel logs,
prefixed with NVRM or nvidia.
Run dmesg on Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, RHV, and VMware vSphere
and check for the NVRM and nvidia prefixes:
[root@xenserver ~]# dmesg | grep -E "NVRM|nvidia"
[ 22.054928] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[ 22.390414] NVRM: loading
[ 22.829226] nvidia 0000:04:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0003)
[ 22.829236] nvidia 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 32 (level, low) -> IRQ 32
[ 22.829240] NVRM: This PCI I/O region assigned to your NVIDIA device is invalid:
[ 22.829241] NVRM: BAR0 is 0M @ 0x0 (PCI:0000:00:04.0)
[ 22.829243] NVRM: The system BIOS may have misconfigured your GPU.

9.2.4. Examining NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager


Messages
Information and debug messages from the NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager are logged to the
hypervisor’s log files, prefixed with vmiop.

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Troubleshooting

9.2.4.1. Examining Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Manager


Messages
For Citrix Hypervisor, NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager messages are written to /var/log/
messages.

Look in the /var/log/messages file for the vmiop prefix:


[root@xenserver ~]# grep vmiop /var/log/messages
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: gpu-pci-id :
0000:05:00.0
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: vgpu_type : quadro
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Framebuffer: 0x74000000
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Virtual Device Id:
0xl3F2:0xll4E
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: ######## vGPU Manager
Information: ########
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Driver
Version: 470.223.02
Nov 13 10:34:03 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Init frame copy engine:
syncing...
Nov 13 10:35:31 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: ######## Guest NVIDIA
Driver Information: ########
Nov 13 10:35:31 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Driver Version: 474.44
Nov 13 10:35:36 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Current max guest pfn =
0xllbc84!
Nov 13 10:35:40 localhost vgpu-ll[25698]: notice: vmiop_log: Current max guest pfn =
0xlleff0!
[root@xenserver ~]#

9.2.4.2. Examining Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM vGPU


Manager Messages
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM and RHV, NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager messages are
written to /var/log/messages.
Look in these files for the vmiop_log: prefix:
# grep vmiop_log: /var/log/messages
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop-env:
guest_max_gpfn:0x11f7ff
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: pluginconfig: /usr/
share/nvidia/vgx/grid_m60-1q.conf,gpu-pci-id=0000:06:00.0
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: Loading Plugin0:
libnvidia-vgpu
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: Successfully update
the env symbols!
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log: gpu-pci-
id : 0000:06:00.0
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log:
vgpu_type : quadro
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log:
Framebuffer: 0x38000000
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log: Virtual
Device Id: 0x13F2:0x114D
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log: ########
vGPU Manager Information: ########
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log: Driver
Version: 470.223.02
[2023-11-10 04:46:12] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 04:46:12] notice: vmiop_log: Init frame
copy engine: syncing...

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Troubleshooting

[2023-11-10 05:09:14] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 05:09:14] notice: vmiop_log: ########


Guest NVIDIA Driver Information: ########
[2023-11-10 05:09:14] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 05:09:14] notice: vmiop_log: Driver
Version: 474.44
[2023-11-10 05:09:14] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 05:09:14] notice: vmiop_log: Current
max guest pfn = 0x11a71f!
[2023-11-10 05:12:09] vmiop_log: [2023-11-10 05:12:09] notice: vmiop_log: vGPU
license state: (0x00000001)
#

9.2.4.3. Examining VMware vSphere vGPU Manager


Messages
For VMware vSphere, NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager messages are written to the
vmware.log file in the guest VM’s storage directory.

Look in the vmware.log file for the vmiop prefix:


[root@esxi:~] grep vmiop /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/win7-vgpu-test1/vmware.log
2023-11-10T14:02:21.275Z| vmx| I120: DICT pciPassthru0.virtualDev = "vmiop"
2023-11-10T14:02:21.344Z| vmx| I120: GetPluginPath testing /usr/lib64/vmware/plugin/
libvmx-vmiop.so
2023-11-10T14:02:21.344Z| vmx| I120: PluginLdr_LoadShared: Loaded shared plugin
libvmx-vmiop.so from /usr/lib64/vmware/plugin/libvmx-vmiop.so
2023-11-10T14:02:21.344Z| vmx| I120: VMIOP: Loaded plugin libvmx-
vmiop.so:VMIOP_InitModule
2023-11-10T14:02:21.359Z| vmx| I120: VMIOP: Initializing plugin vmiop-display
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: gpu-pci-id : 0000:04:00.0
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: vgpu_type : quadro
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: Framebuffer: 0x74000000
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: Virtual Device Id: 0x11B0:0x101B
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: ######## vGPU Manager Information:
########
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: Driver Version: 470.223.02
2023-11-10T14:02:21.365Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: VGX Version: 13.9
2023-11-10T14:02:21.445Z| vmx| I120: vmiop_log: Init frame copy engine: syncing...
2023-11-10T14:02:37.031Z| vthread-12| I120: vmiop_log: ######## Guest NVIDIA Driver
Information: ########
2023-11-10T14:02:37.031Z| vthread-12| I120: vmiop_log: Driver Version: 474.44
2023-11-10T14:02:37.031Z| vthread-12| I120: vmiop_log: VGX Version: 13.9
2023-11-10T14:02:37.093Z| vthread-12| I120: vmiop_log: Clearing BAR1 mapping
2023-11-13T23:39:55.726Z| vmx| I120: VMIOP: Shutting down plugin vmiop-display
[root@esxi:~]

9.3. Capturing configuration data for


filing a bug report
When filing a bug report with NVIDIA, capture relevant configuration data from the
platform exhibiting the bug in one of the following ways:

‣ On any supported hypervisor, run nvidia-bug-report.sh.


‣ On Citrix Citrix Hypervisor, create a Citrix Hypervisor server status report.

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Troubleshooting

9.3.1. Capturing configuration data by running


nvidia-bug-report.sh
The nvidia-bug-report.sh script captures debug information into a gzip-compressed
log file on the server.
Run nvidia-bug-report.sh from the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 shell, the Red Hat
Enterprise Linux KVM host shell, the Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) host shell, or the
VMware ESXi host shell.
This example runs nvidia-bug-report.sh on Citrix Hypervisor, but the procedure is the
same on Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, RHV, or VMware vSphere ESXi.
[root@xenserver ~]# nvidia-bug-report.sh

nvidia-bug-report.sh will now collect information about your


system and create the file 'nvidia-bug-report.log.gz' in the current
directory. It may take several seconds to run. In some
cases, it may hang trying to capture data generated dynamically
by the Linux kernel and/or the NVIDIA kernel module. While
the bug report log file will be incomplete if this happens, it
may still contain enough data to diagnose your problem.

For Xen open source/XCP users, if you are reporting a domain issue,
please run: nvidia-bug-report.sh --domain-name <"domain_name">

Please include the 'nvidia-bug-report.log.gz' log file when reporting


your bug via the NVIDIA Linux forum (see devtalk.nvidia.com)
or by sending email to 'linux-bugs@nvidia.com'.

Running nvidia-bug-report.sh...

If the bug report script hangs after this point consider running with
--safe-mode command line argument.

complete

[root@xenserver ~]#

9.3.2. Capturing Configuration Data by Creating a


Citrix Hypervisor Status Report
1. In XenCenter, from the Tools menu, choose Server Status Report.
2. Select the Citrix Hypervisor instance from which you want to collect a status report.
3. Select the data to include in the report.
4. To include NVIDIA vGPU debug information, select NVIDIA-logs in the Report Content
Item list.
5. Generate the report.

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Troubleshooting

Figure 31. Including NVIDIA logs in a Citrix Hypervisor status report

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | 154


Appendix A. Virtual GPU Types
Reference

A.1. Virtual GPU Types for Supported


GPUs
NVIDIA vGPU is available as a licensed product on supported NVIDIA GPUs. For a list
of recommended server platforms and supported GPUs, consult the release notes for
supported hypervisors at NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software Documentation.

A.1.1. NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1
This GPU supports MIG-backed virtual GPUs and time-sliced virtual GPUs.

MIG-Backed C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
For details of GPU instance profiles, see NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A100-7-40C Training 40960 1 7 7 MIG 7g.40gb
Workloads
A100-4-20C Training 20480 1 4 4 MIG 4g.20gb
Workloads
A100-3-20C Training 20480 2 3 3 MIG 3g.20gb
Workloads
A100-2-10C Training 10240 3 2 2 MIG 2g.10gb
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A100-1-5C Inference 5120 7 1 1 MIG 1g.5gb
Workloads
A100-1-5CME Inference 5120 1 1 1 MIG 1g.5gb+me
Workloads

Time-Sliced C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A100-40C 40960 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100-20C 20480 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100-10C 10240 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100-8C 8192 5 5 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100-5C 5120 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100-4C 4096 10 10 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A.1.2. NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1
This GPU supports MIG-backed virtual GPUs and time-sliced virtual GPUs.

MIG-Backed C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
For details of GPU instance profiles, see NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A100X-7-40C Training 40960 1 7 7 MIG 7g.40gb
Workloads
A100X-4-20C Training 20480 1 4 4 MIG 4g.20gb
Workloads
A100X-3-20C Training 20480 2 3 3 MIG 3g.20gb
Workloads
A100X-2-10C Training 10240 3 2 2 MIG 2g.10gb
Workloads
A100X-1-5C Inference 5120 7 1 1 MIG 1g.5gb
Workloads
A100X-1-5CME Inference 5120 1 1 1 MIG 1g.5gb+me
Workloads

Time-Sliced C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 HGX 40GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A100X-40C 40960 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100X-20C 20480 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100X-10C 10240 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100X-8C 8192 5 5 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100X-5C 5120 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100X-4C 4096 10 10 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

A.1.3. NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1
This GPU supports MIG-backed virtual GPUs and time-sliced virtual GPUs.

MIG-Backed C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
For details of GPU instance profiles, see NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A100D-7-80C Training 81920 1 7 7 MIG 7g.80gb
Workloads
A100D-4-40C Training 40960 1 4 4 MIG 4g.40gb
Workloads
A100D-3-40C Training 40960 2 3 3 MIG 3g.40gb
Workloads
A100D-2-20C Training 20480 3 2 2 MIG 2g.20gb
Workloads
A100D-1-10C Training 10240 7 1 1 MIG 1g.10gb
Workloads
A100D-1-10CME Training 10240 1 1 1 MIG 1g.10gb+me
Workloads

Time-Sliced C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A100D-80C 81920 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100D-40C 40960 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100D-20C 20480 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Inference 2
A100D-16C 16384 5 5 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100D-10C 10240 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100D-8C 8192 10 10 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100D-4C 4096 20 20 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A.1.4. NVIDIA A100 HGX 80GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1
This GPU supports MIG-backed virtual GPUs and time-sliced virtual GPUs.

MIG-Backed C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 HGX 80GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
For details of GPU instance profiles, see NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A100DX-7-80C Training 81920 1 7 7 MIG 7g.80gb
Workloads
A100DX-4-40C Training 40960 1 4 4 MIG 4g.40gb
Workloads
A100DX-3-40C Training 40960 2 3 3 MIG 3g.40gb
Workloads
A100DX-2-20C Training 20480 3 2 2 MIG 2g.20gb
Workloads
A100DX-1-10C Training 10240 7 1 1 MIG 1g.10gb
Workloads
A100DX-1-10CME Training 10240 1 1 1 MIG 1g.10gb+me
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Time-Sliced C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A100 HGX 80GB
Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A100DX-80C 81920 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100DX-40C 40960 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100DX-20C 20480 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100DX-16C 16384 5 5 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100DX-10C 10240 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A100DX-8C 8192 10 10 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A100DX-4C 4096 20 20 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A.1.5. NVIDIA A40 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A40


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A40-48Q 49152 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A40-24Q 24576 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A40-16Q 16384 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A40-12Q 12288 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A40-8Q 8192 6 6 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
A40-6Q 6144 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
A40-4Q 4096 12 12 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
A40-3Q 3072 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
A40-2Q 2048 24 24 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower

Virtual 5120×2880 1
A40-1Q 1024 7 32 17694720
32
Workstations 4096×2160 2

7
The maximum vGPUs per GPU is limited to 32.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 2
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A40


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
A40-2B 2048 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
A40-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A40


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A40-48C 49152 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A40-24C 24576 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A40-16C 16384 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A40-12C 12288 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A40-8C 8192 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A40-6C 6144 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 3 2
A40-4C 4096 12 12 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A40


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A40-48A 49152 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-24A 24576 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-16A 16384 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-12A 12288 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-8A 8192 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-6A 6144 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A40-4A 4096 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-3A 3072 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A40-2A 2048 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 7 6 6
A40-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.6. NVIDIA A30 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1
This GPU supports MIG-backed virtual GPUs and time-sliced virtual GPUs.

MIG-Backed C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A30


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
For details of GPU instance profiles, see NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU User Guide.

Frame Maximum Slices Compute Corresponding


Virtual GPU Intended Use Buffer vGPUs per Instances GPU Instance
Type Case (MB) per GPU vGPU per vGPU Profile
A30-4-24C Training 24576 1 4 4 MIG 4g.24gb
Workloads
A30-2-12C Training 12288 2 2 2 MIG 2g.12gb
Workloads
A30-1-6C Inference 6144 4 1 1 MIG 1g.6gb
Workloads
A30-1-6CME Inference 6144 1 1 1 MIG 1g.6gb+me
Workloads

Time-Sliced C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A30


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A30-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A30-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A30-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A30-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A30-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A.1.7. NVIDIA A16 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 4

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A16


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A16-16Q 16384 1 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A16-8Q 8192 2 8 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual
A16-4Q 4096 4 16 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
A16-2Q 2048 8 32 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
A16-1Q 1024 16 64 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A16


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
A16-2B 2048 8 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

Virtual 5120×2880 1
A16-1B 1024 16 64 16384000
Desktops 4096×2160 1

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 1
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A16


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A16-16C 16384 1 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A16-8C 8192 2 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A16-4C 4096 4 16 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A16


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A16-16A 16384 1 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A16-8A 8192 2 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A16-4A 4096 4 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A16-2A 2048 8 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A16-1A 1024 16 64 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.8. NVIDIA A10 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A10


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A10-24Q 24576 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A10-12Q 12288 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
A10-8Q 8192 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
A10-6Q 6144 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
A10-4Q 4096 6 6 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
A10-3Q 3072 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
A10-2Q 2048 12 12 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
A10-1Q 1024 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A10


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
A10-2B 2048 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
A10-1B 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A10


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
A10-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A10-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A10-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
A10-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
A10-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA A10


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A10-24A 24576 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
A10-12A 12288 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-8A 8192 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-6A 6144 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-4A 4096 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-3A 3072 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-2A 2048 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
A10-1A 1024 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.9. NVIDIA RTX A6000 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A6000


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-48Q 49152 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-24Q 24576 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-16Q 16384 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-12Q 12288 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-8Q 8192 6 6 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTXA6000-6Q 6144 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTXA6000-4Q 4096 12 12 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTXA6000-3Q 3072 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTXA6000-2Q 2048 24 24 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual 8
RTXA6000-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

8
The maximum vGPUs per GPU is limited to 32.

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B-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A6000


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTXA6000-2B 2048 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTXA6000-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A6000


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTXA6000-48C 49152 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA6000-24C 24576 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTXA6000-16C 16384 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA6000-12C 12288 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA6000-8C 8192 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA6000-6C 6144 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 3 2
RTXA6000-4C 4096 12 12 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A6000


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-48A 49152 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-24A 24576 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-16A 16384 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-12A 12288 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-8A 8192 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-6A 6144 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-4A 4096 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-3A 3072 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTXA6000-2A 2048 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 8 6 6
RTXA6000-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.10. NVIDIA RTX A5000 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A5000


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA5000-24Q 24576 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA5000-12Q 12288 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTXA5000-8Q 8192 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTXA5000-6Q 6144 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTXA5000-4Q 4096 6 6 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTXA5000-3Q 3072 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTXA5000-2Q 2048 12 12 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTXA5000-1Q 1024 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A5000


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
Virtual
RTXA5000-2B 2048 12 12 17694720 4096×2160 2
Desktops
3840×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTXA5000-1B 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A5000


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTXA5000-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA5000-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA5000-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTXA5000-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
RTXA5000-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for NVIDIA RTX A5000


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-24A 24576 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-12A 12288 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-8A 8192 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-6A 6144 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-4A 4096 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-3A 3072 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-2A 2048 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTXA5000-1A 1024 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.11. Tesla M60 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 2

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M60


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
Virtual
M60-8Q 8192 1 2 35389440 5120×2880 2
Workstations

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M60-4Q 4096 2 4 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M60-2Q 2048 4 8 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
M60-1Q 1024 8 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower
Virtual
Desktops, 1
M60-0Q 512 16 32 8192000 2560×1600 2
Virtual
Workstations

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M60


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
Virtual
M60-2B 2048 4 8 17694720 4096×2160 2
Desktops
3840×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
M60-2B4 2048 4 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
M60-1B 1024 8 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
M60-1B4 1024 8 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
Virtual 1
M60-0B 512 16 32 8192000 2560×1600 2
Desktops

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M60


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
M60-8A 8192 1 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M60-4A 4096 2 4 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
M60-2A 2048 4 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M60-1A 1024 8 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.12. Tesla M10 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 4

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M10


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M10-8Q 8192 1 4 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M10-4Q 4096 2 8 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M10-2Q 2048 4 16 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
Virtual 5120×2880 1
Desktops,
M10-1Q 1024 8 32 17694720 4096×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 3840×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600
4
or lower
Virtual
Desktops, 1
M10-0Q 512 16 64 8192000 2560×1600 2
Virtual
Workstations

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M10


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
M10-2B 2048 4 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
M10-2B4 2048 4 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
M10-1B 1024 8 32 16384000 4096×2160 1
Desktops
3840×2160 1

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
M10-1B4 1024 8 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
Virtual 1
M10-0B 512 16 64 8192000 2560×1600 2
Desktops

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M10


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
M10-8A 8192 1 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M10-4A 4096 2 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M10-2A 2048 4 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M10-1A 1024 8 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.13. Tesla M6 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M6


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between

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using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M6-8Q 8192 1 1 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M6-4Q 4096 2 2 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 2
Virtual
M6-2Q 2048 4 4 35389440 4096×2160
Workstations 4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
M6-1Q 1024 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower
Virtual
Desktops, 1
M6-0Q 512 16 16 8192000 2560×1600 2
Virtual
Workstations

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M6


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
M6-2B 2048 4 4 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
M6-2B4 2048 4 4 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
M6-1B 1024 8 8 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
M6-1B4 1024 8 8 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
Virtual 1
M6-0B 512 16 16 8192000 2560×1600 2
Desktops

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla M6


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
M6-8A 8192 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
M6-4A 4096 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M6-2A 2048 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
M6-1A 1024 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.14. Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P100C-12Q 12288 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P100C-6Q 6144 2 2 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P100C-4Q 4096 3 3 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

Virtual 7680×4320 1
P100C-2Q 2048 6 6 35389440
Workstations 5120×2880 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P100C-1Q 1024 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
P100C-2B 2048 6 6 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
P100C-2B4 2048 6 6 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

Virtual 5120×2880 1
P100C-1B 1024 12 12 16384000
Desktops 4096×2160 1

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 1
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P100C-1B4 1024 12 12 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P100C-12C 12288 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P100C-6C 6144 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P100C-4C 4096 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 12GB


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P100C-12A 12288 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P100C-6A 6144 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100C-4A 4096 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100C-2A 2048 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100C-1A 1024 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.15. Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P100-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P100-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P100-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P100-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P100-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
P100-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
P100-2B4 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
P100-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P100-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P100-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P100-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P100-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 PCIe 16GB


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P100-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.16. Tesla P100 SXM2 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 SXM2


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P100X-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P100X-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P100X-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P100X-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P100X-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 SXM2


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
P100X-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

Virtual 5120×2880 1
4 2048 8 8 17694720
P100X-2B4
Desktops 4096×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 2
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
P100X-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P100X-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 SXM2


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P100X-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P100X-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P100X-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P100 SXM2


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P100X-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100X-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100X-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100X-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P100X-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.17. Tesla P40 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P40


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P40-24Q 24576 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P40-12Q 12288 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P40-8Q 8192 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P40-6Q 6144 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P40-4Q 4096 6 6 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P40-3Q 3072 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P40-2Q 2048 12 12 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P40-1Q 1024 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P40


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
P40-2B 2048 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
P40-2B4 2048 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
P40-1B 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P40-1B4 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P40


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P40-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P40-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P40-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P40-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P40-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P40


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P40-24A 24576 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-12A 12288 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-8A 8192 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-6A 6144 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-4A 4096 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-3A 3072 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-2A 2048 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P40-1A 1024 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.18. Tesla P6 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

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Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P6


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P6-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P6-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P6-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P6-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P6-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P6


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between

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using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
P6-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
P6-2B4 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
P6-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P6-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P6


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P6-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
P6-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P6-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P6


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P6-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P6-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P6-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P6-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P6-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.19. Tesla P4 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P4


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based

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on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
P4-8Q 8192 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
P4-4Q 4096 2 2 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
P4-2Q 2048 4 4 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
P4-1Q 1024 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P4


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
Virtual
P4-2B 2048 4 4 17694720 5120×2880 1
Desktops

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
4096×2160 2
3840×2160 2
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
P4-2B4 2048 4 4 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
P4-1B 1024 8 8 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
P4-1B4 1024 8 8 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P4


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
P4-8C 8192 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
P4-4C 4096 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla P4


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
P4-8A 8192 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P4-4A 4096 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P4-2A 2048 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
P4-1A 1024 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.20. Tesla T4 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla T4


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
T4-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
Virtual
T4-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 7680×4320 2
Workstations

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
T4-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
T4-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
T4-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla T4


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
T4-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
T4-2B4 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
T4-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
T4-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla T4


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
T4-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
T4-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
T4-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla T4


Required license edition: vApps

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These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
T4-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
T4-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
T4-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
T4-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
T4-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.21. Tesla V100 SXM2 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100X-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100X-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100X-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100X-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100X-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
V100X-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

Virtual 5120×2880 1
4 2048 8 8 17694720
V100X-2B4
Desktops 4096×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 2
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100X-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
V100X-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100X-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100X-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
V100X-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100X-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100X-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100X-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100X-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100X-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.22. Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100DX-32Q 32768 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100DX-16Q 16384 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100DX-8Q 8192 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100DX-4Q 4096 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100DX-2Q 2048 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100DX-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
Virtual
V100DX-2B 2048 16 16 17694720 4096×2160 2
Desktops
3840×2160 2

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
V100DX-2B4 2048 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100DX-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
V100DX-1B4 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100DX-32C 32768 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100DX-16C 16384 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100DX-8C 8192 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Inference 2
V100DX-4C 4096 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-32A 32768 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-16A 16384 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-8A 8192 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-4A 4096 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-2A 2048 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100DX-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.23. Tesla V100 PCIe Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of

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configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
V100-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
V100-2B4 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
V100-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Inference 2
V100-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.24. Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100D-32Q 32768 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100D-16Q 16384 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100D-8Q 8192 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100D-4Q 4096 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100D-2Q 2048 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100D-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
V100D-2B 2048 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
V100D-2B4 2048 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100D-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
V100D-1B4 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100D-32C 32768 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100D-16C 16384 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100D-8C 8192 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
V100D-4C 4096 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100D-32A 32768 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100D-16A 16384 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100D-8A 8192 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100D-4A 4096 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100D-2A 2048 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100D-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.25. Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based

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on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100S-32Q 32768 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100S-16Q 16384 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100S-8Q 8192 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100S-4Q 4096 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100S-2Q 2048 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100S-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
V100S-2B 2048 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100S-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100S-32C 32768 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100S-16C 16384 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100S-8C 8192 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
V100S-4C 4096 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100S PCIe 32GB


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100S-32A 32768 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100S-16A 16384 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100S-8A 8192 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100S-4A 4096 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100S-2A 2048 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100S-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.26. Tesla V100 FHHL Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 FHHL


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
V100L-16Q 16384 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
Virtual
V100L-8Q 8192 2 2 66355200 7680×4320 2
Workstations

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
V100L-4Q 4096 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
V100L-2Q 2048 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
4096×2160 2
Desktops,
V100L-1Q 1024 16 16 17694720 3840×2160 2
Virtual
Workstations 2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 FHHL


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
V100L-2B 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower

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Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
4
Virtual
V100L-2B4 2048 8 8 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
V100L-1B 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
4
Virtual
V100L-1B4 1024 16 16 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 FHHL


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
V100L-16C 16384 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
V100L-8C 8192 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
V100L-4C 4096 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Tesla V100 FHHL


Required license edition: vApps

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
V100L-16A 16384 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100L-8A 8192 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100L-4A 4096 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100L-2A 2048 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
V100L-1A 1024 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.27. Quadro RTX 8000 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000-48Q 49152 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000-24Q 24576 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000-16Q 16384 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000-12Q 12288 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000-8Q 8192 6 6 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX8000-6Q 6144 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX8000-4Q 4096 12 12 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX8000-3Q 3072 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX8000-2Q 2048 24 24 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual 9
RTX8000-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000


Required license edition: vPC or vWS

9
The maximum vGPUs per GPU is limited to 32.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTX8000-2B 2048 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTX8000-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTX8000-48C 49152 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000-24C 24576 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000-16C 16384 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000-12C 12288 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTX8000-8C 8192 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000-6C 6144 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 3 2
RTX8000-4C 4096 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-48A 49152 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-24A 24576 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-16A 16384 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-12A 12288 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-8A 8192 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-6A 6144 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-4A 4096 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-3A 3072 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000-2A 2048 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 9 6 6
RTX8000-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

A.1.28. Quadro RTX 8000 Passive Virtual GPU


Types
Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000 Passive


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000P-48Q 49152 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000P-24Q 24576 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000P-16Q 16384 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000P-12Q 12288 4 4 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX8000P-8Q 8192 6 6 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX8000P-6Q 6144 8 8 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX8000P-4Q 4096 12 12 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX8000P-3Q 3072 16 16 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX8000P-2Q 2048 24 24 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual 10
RTX8000P-1Q 1024 32 32 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000 Passive


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
Virtual 5120×2880 1
RTX8000P-2B 2048 24 24 17694720
Desktops 4096×2160 2

10
The maximum vGPUs per GPU is limited to 32.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
3840×2160 2
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTX8000P-1B 1024 32 32 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000 Passive


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTX8000P-48C 49152 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000P-24C 24576 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000P-16C 16384 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000P-12C 12288 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000P-8C 8192 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX8000P-6C 6144 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 3 2
RTX8000P-4C 4096 8 8 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 8000 Passive


Required license edition: vApps

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-48A 49152 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-24A 24576 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-16A 16384 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-12A 12288 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-8A 8192 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-6A 6144 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-4A 4096 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-3A 3072 16 16 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX8000P-2A 2048 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 10 6 6
RTX8000P-1A 1024 32 32 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.29. Quadro RTX 6000 Virtual GPU Types


Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000


Required license edition: vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000-24Q 24576 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000-12Q 12288 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000-8Q 8192 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX6000-6Q 6144 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX6000-4Q 4096 6 6 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX6000-3Q 3072 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX6000-2Q 2048 12 12 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTX6000-1Q 1024 24 24 17694720 3840×2160 2
Workstations
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000


Required license edition: vPC or vWS

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | 233


Virtual GPU Types Reference

These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTX6000-2B 2048 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTX6000-1B 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTX6000-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Inference 2
RTX6000-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-24A 24576 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-12A 12288 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-8A 8192 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-6A 6144 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-4A 4096 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-3A 3072 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-2A 2048 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000-1A 1024 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications

A.1.30. Quadro RTX 6000 Passive Virtual GPU


Types
Physical GPUs per board: 1

Q-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000 Passive


Required license edition: vWS

Virtual GPU Software DU-06920-001 _v13.0 through 13.9 | 235


Virtual GPU Types Reference

These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000P-24Q 24576 1 1 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000P-12Q 12288 2 2 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 2
Virtual
RTX6000P-8Q 8192 3 3 66355200 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX6000P-6Q 6144 4 4 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual
RTX6000P-4Q 4096 6 6 58982400 5120×2880
Workstations 4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX6000P-3Q 3072 8 8 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
7680×4320 1
Virtual 5120×2880 2
RTX6000P-2Q 2048 12 12 35389440
Workstations 4096×2160
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
Virtual
RTX6000P-1Q 1024 24 24 17694720 4096×2160 2
Workstations
3840×2160 2

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
2560×1600
4
or lower

B-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000 Passive


Required license edition: vPC or vWS
These vGPU types support a maximum combined resolution based on the number of
available pixels, which is determined by their frame buffer size. You can choose between
using a small number of high resolution displays or a larger number of lower resolution
displays with these vGPU types. The maximum number of displays per vGPU is based
on a configuration in which all displays have the same resolution. For examples of
configurations with a mixture of display resolutions, see Mixed Display Configurations for
B-Series and Q-Series vGPUs.

Maximum Virtual
Frame Maximum
Virtual Intended vGPUs Available Display Displays
Buffer vGPUs
GPU Type Use Case per Pixels Resolution per
(MB) per GPU
Board vGPU
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 2
Virtual
RTX6000P-2B 2048 12 12 17694720 3840×2160 2
Desktops
2560×1600
4
or lower
5120×2880 1
4096×2160 1
Virtual
RTX6000P-1B 1024 24 24 16384000 3840×2160 1
Desktops
2560×1600 5
4
or lower

C-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000 Passive


Required license edition: vCS or vWS
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Training 2
RTX6000P-24C 24576 1 1 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000P-12C 12288 2 2 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000P-8C 8192 3 3 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Training 2
RTX6000P-6C 6144 4 4 4096×2160 1
Workloads
Inference 2
RTX6000P-4C 4096 6 6 4096×2160 1
Workloads

A-Series Virtual GPU Types for Quadro RTX 6000 Passive


Required license edition: vApps
These vGPU types support a single display with a fixed maximum resolution.

Virtual
Frame Maximum Maximum Maximum
Virtual Intended Displays
Buffer vGPUs vGPUs Display
GPU Type Use Case per
(MB) per GPU per Board Resolution
vGPU
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-24A 24576 1 1 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-12A 12288 2 2 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-8A 8192 3 3 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-6A 6144 4 4 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-4A 4096 6 6 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-3A 3072 8 8 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-2A 2048 12 12 1280×1024 1
Applications
Virtual 6 6
RTX6000P-1A 1024 24 24 1280×1024 1
Applications

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

A.2. Mixed Display Configurations for B-


Series and Q-Series vGPUs
A.2.1. Mixed Display Configurations for B-Series
vGPUs
Virtual
GPU Available Available Pixel Maximum Sample Mixed Display
Type Pixels Basis Displays Configurations
-2B 17694720 2 4096×2160 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 2 2560×1600
displays displays
-2B4 17694720 2 4096×2160 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 2 2560×1600
displays displays
-1B 16384000 4 2560×1600 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 1 2560×1600
displays display
-1B4 16384000 4 2560×1600 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 1 2560×1600
displays display
-0B 8192000 2 2560×1600 2 1 2560×1600 display plus 1 1280×1024
displays display

A.2.2. Mixed Display Configurations for Q-Series


vGPUs Based on the NVIDIA Maxwell
Architecture
Virtual
GPU Available Available Pixel Maximum Sample Mixed Display
Type Pixels Basis Displays Configurations
-8Q 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus 2 4096×2160
displays displays
-4Q 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus 2 4096×2160
displays displays
-2Q 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus 2 4096×2160
displays displays
-1Q 17694720 2 4096×2160 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 2 2560×1600
displays displays
-0Q 8192000 2 2560×1600 2 1 2560×1600 display plus 1 1280×1024
displays display

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Virtual GPU Types Reference

A.2.3. Mixed Display Configurations for Q-Series


vGPUs Based on Architectures after
NVIDIA Maxwell
Virtual
GPU Available Available Pixel Maximum Sample Mixed Display
Type Pixels Basis Displays Configurations
-8Q and 66355200 2 7680×4320 4 1 7680×4320 display plus 2 5120×2880
above displays displays
1 7680×4320 display plus 3 4096×2160
displays
-6Q 58982400 4 5120×2880 4 1 7680×4320 display plus 1 5120×2880
displays display
-4Q 58982400 4 5120×2880 4 1 7680×4320 display plus 1 5120×2880
displays display
-3Q 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus 2 4096×2160
displays displays
-2Q 35389440 4 4096×2160 4 1 5120×2880 display plus 2 4096×2160
displays displays
-1Q 17694720 2 4096×2160 4 1 4096×2160 display plus 2 2560×1600
displays displays

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Appendix B. Allocation Strategies

Strategies for allocating physical hardware resources to VMs and vGPUs can improve
the performance of VMs running with NVIDIA vGPU. They include strategies for pinning
VM CPU cores to physical cores on Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) platforms,
allocating VMs to CPUs, and allocating vGPUs to physical GPUs. These allocation
strategies are supported by Citrix Hypervisor and VMware vSphere.

B.1. NUMA Considerations


Server platforms typically implement multiple CPU sockets, with system memory and PCI
Express expansion slots local to each CPU socket, as illustrated in Figure 32:

Figure 32. A NUMA Server Platform

These platforms are typically configured to operate in Non-Uniform Memory Access


(NUMA) mode; physical memory is arranged sequentially in the address space, with all the
memory attached to each socket appearing in a single contiguous block of addresses.
The cost of accessing a range of memory from a CPU or GPU varies; memory attached
to the same socket as the CPU or GPU is accessible at lower latency than memory on
another CPU socket, because accesses to remote memory must additionally traverse the
interconnect between CPU sockets.

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Allocation Strategies

B.1.1. Obtaining Best Performance on a NUMA


Platform with Citrix Hypervisor
To obtain best performance on a NUMA platform, NVIDIA recommends pinning VM vCPU
cores to physical cores on the same CPU socket to which the physical GPU hosting the
VM’s vGPU is attached. For example, using as a reference, a VM with a vGPU allocated on
physical GPU 0 or 1 should have its vCPUs pinned to CPU cores on CPU socket 0. Similarly,
a VM with a vGPU allocated on physical GPU 2 or 3 should have its vCPUs pinned to CPU
cores on socket 1.
See Pinning VMs to a specific CPU socket and cores for guidance on pinning vCPUs, and
How GPU locality is determined for guidance on determining which CPU socket a GPU is
connected to. Controlling the vGPU types enabled on specific physical GPUs describes
how to precisely control which physical GPU is used to host a vGPU, by creating GPU
groups for specific physical GPUs.

B.1.2. Obtaining Best Performance on a NUMA


Platform with VMware vSphere ESXi
For some types of workloads or system configurations, you can optimize performance
by specifying the placement of VMs explicitly. For best performance, pin each VM to the
NUMA node to which the physical GPU hosting the VM’s vGPU is attached.
The following types of workloads and system configurations benefit from explicit
placement of VMs:

‣ Memory-intensive workloads, such as an in-memory database or an HPC application


with a large data set
‣ A hypervisor host configured with a small number of virtual machines
VMware vSphere ESXi provides the NUMA Node Affinity option for specifying the
placement of VMs explicitly. For general information about the options in VMware
vSphere ESXi for NUMA placement, see Specifying NUMA Controls in the VMware
documentation.
Before setting the NUMA Node Affinity option, run the nvidia-smi topo -m command in
the ESXi host shell to determine the NUMA affinity of the GPU device.
After determining the NUMA affinity of the GPU device, set the NUMA Node Affinity
option as explained in Associate Virtual Machines with Specified NUMA Nodes in the
VMware documentation.

B.2. Maximizing Performance


To maximize performance as the number of vGPU-enabled VMs on the platform
increases, NVIDIA recommends adopting a breadth-first allocation: allocate new VMs on

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Allocation Strategies

the least-loaded CPU socket, and allocate the VM’s vGPU on an available, least-loaded,
physical GPU connected via that socket.
Citrix Hypervisor and VMware vSphere ESXi use a different GPU allocation policy by
default.

‣ Citrix Hypervisor creates GPU groups with a default allocation policy of depth-first.
See Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on Citrix Hypervisor for details on switching the
allocation policy to breadth-first.
‣ VMware vSphere ESXi creates GPU groups with a default allocation policy of breadth-
first.
See Modifying GPU Allocation Policy on VMware vSphere for details on switching the
allocation policy to depth-first.

Note: Due to vGPU’s requirement that only one type of vGPU can run on a physical GPU at
any given time, not all physical GPUs may be available to host the vGPU type required by
the new VM.

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Appendix C. Configuring x11vnc for
Checking the GPU in a
Linux Server

x11vnc is a virtual network computing (VNC) server that provides remote access to an
existing X session with any VNC viewer. You can use x11vnc to confirm that the NVIDIA
GPU in a Linux server to which no display devices are directly connected is working as
expected. Examples of servers to which no display devices are directly connected include
a VM that is configured with NVIDIA vGPU, a VM that is configured with a pass-through
GPU, and a headless physical host in a bare-metal deployment.
Before you begin, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

‣ The NVIDIA vGPU software software graphics driver for Linux is installed on the server.
‣ A secure shell (SSH) client is installed on your local system:
‣ On Windows, you must use a third-party SSH client such as PuTTY.
‣ On Linux, you can run the SSH client that is included with the OS from a shell or
terminal window.
Configuring x11vnc involves following the sequence of instructions in these sections:
1. Configuring the Xorg Server on the Linux Server
2. Installing and Configuring x11vnc on the Linux Server
3. Using a VNC Client to Connect to the Linux Server
After connecting to the server, you can use NVIDIA X Server Settings to confirm that the
NVIDIA GPU is working as expected.

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Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server

C.1. Configuring the Xorg Server on the


Linux Server
You must configure the Xorg server to specify which GPU or vGPU is to be used by the
Xorg server if multiple GPUs are installed in your server and to allow the Xorg server to
start even if no connected display devices can be detected.

1. Log in to the Linux server.


2. Determine the PCI bus identifier of the GPUs or vGPUs on the server.
# nvidia-xconfig --query-gpu-info
Number of GPUs: 1

GPU #0:
Name : GRID T4-2Q
UUID : GPU-ea80de2d-1dd8-11b2-8305-c955f034e718
PCI BusID : PCI:2:2:0

Number of Display Devices: 0


3. In a plain text editor, edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to specify the GPU is to be
used by the Xorg server and allow the Xorg server to start even if no connected
display devices can be detected.
a). In the Device section, add the PCI bus identifier of GPU to be used by the Xorg
server.
Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BusID "PCI:2:2:0"
EndSection

Note: The three numbers in the PCI BusID obtained by nvidia-xconfig in the
previous step are hexadecimal numbers. They must be converted to decimal
numbers in the PCI bus identifier in the Device section. For example, if the PCI
bus identifier obtained in the previous step is PCI:A:10:0, it must be specified as
PCI:10:16:0 in the PCI bus identifier in the Device section.

b). In the Screen section, ensure that the AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration option


is set to True.
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Option "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration" "True"
EndSection
4. Restart the Xorg server in one of the following ways:

‣ Restart the server.


‣ Run the startx command.
‣ If the Linux server is in run level 3, run the init 5 command to run the server in
graphical mode.
5. Confirm that the Xorg server is running.

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Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server

# ps -ef | grep X

On Ubuntu, this command displays output similar to the following example.


root 16500 16499 2 03:01 tty2 00:00:00 /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg -nolisten
tcp :0 -auth /tmp/serverauth.s7CE4mMeIz
root 1140 1126 0 18:46 tty1 00:00:00 /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg vt1 -displayfd
3 -auth /run/user/121/gdm/Xauthority -background none -noreset -keeptty -verbose
3
root 17011 17108 0 18:50 pts/0 00:00:00 grep --color=auto X

On Red Hat Enterprise Linux, this command displays output similar to the following
example.
root 5285 5181 0 16:29 pts/0 00:00:00 grep --color=auto X
root 5880 1 0 Jun13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/abrt-watch-log -F
Backtrace /var/log/Xorg.0.log -- /usr/bin/abrt-dump-xorg -xD
root 7039 6289 0 Jun13 tty1 00:00:03 /usr/bin/X :0 -background none -
noreset -audit 4 -verbose -auth /run/gdm/auth-for-gdm-vr4MFC/database -seat seat0
vt1

C.2. Installing and Configuring x11vnc


on the Linux Server
Unlike other VNC servers, such as TigerVNC or Vino, x11vnc does not create an extra
X session for remote access. Instead, x11vnc provides remote access to the existing X
session on the Linux server.

1. Install the required x11vnc package and any dependent packages.

‣ For distributions based on Red Hat, use the yum package manager to install the
x11vnc package.
# yum install x11vnc
‣ For distributions based on Debian, use the apt package manager to install the
x11vnc package.
# sudo apt install x11vnc
‣ For SuSE Linux distributions, install x11vnc from the x11vnc openSUSE Software
page.
2. Get the display numbers of the servers for the Xorg server.
# cat /proc/*/environ 2>/dev/null | tr '\0' '\n' | grep '^DISPLAY=:' | uniq
DISPLAY=:0
DISPLAY=:100
3. Start the x11vnc server, specifying the display number to use.
The following example starts the x11vnc server on display 0 on a Linux server that is
running the Gnome desktop.
# x11vnc -display :0 -auth /run/user/121/gdm/Xauthority -forever \
-shared -ncache -bg

Note: If you are using a C-series vGPU, omit the -ncache option.

The x11vnc server starts on display hostname:0, for example, my-linux-host:0.


26/03/20200 04:23:13
The VNC desktop is: my-linux-host:0

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Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server

PORT=5900

C.3. Using a VNC Client to Connect to


the Linux Server
1. On your client computer, install a VNC client such as TightVNC.
2. Start the VNC client and connect to the Linux server.

The X session on the server opens in the VNC client.

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Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server

Troubleshooting: If your VNC client cannot connect to the server, change permissions on
the Linux server as follows:
1. Allow the VNC client to connect to the server by making one of the following changes:

‣ Disable the firewall and the iptables service.


‣ Open the VNC port in the firewall.
2. Ensure that permissive mode is enabled for Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux).
After connecting to the server, you can use NVIDIA X Server Settings to confirm that the
NVIDIA GPU is working as expected.

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Configuring x11vnc for Checking the GPU in a Linux Server

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Appendix D. Disabling NVIDIA
Notification Icon for Citrix
Published Application User
Sessions

By default on Windows Server operating systems, the NVIDIA Notification Icon


application is started with every Citrix Published Application user session. This application
might prevent the Citrix Published Application user session from being logged off even
after the user has quit all other applications.
The NVIDIA Notification Icon application appears in Citrix Connection Center on the
endpoint client that is running Citrix Receiver or Citrix Workspace.
The following image shows the NVIDIA Notification Icon in Citrix Connection Center for a
user session in which the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Google Chrome applications are
published.

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Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for Citrix Published Application User Sessions

Administrators can disable the NVIDIA Notification Icon application for all users'
sessions as explained in Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for All Users' Citrix Published
Application Sessions.
Individual users can disable the NVIDIA Notification Icon application for their own
sessions as explained in Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for your Citrix Published
Application User Sessions.

Note: If an administrator has enabled the NVIDIA Notification Icon application for the
administrator's own session, the application is enabled for all users' sessions, even the
sessions of users who have previously disabled the application.

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Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for Citrix Published Application User Sessions

D.1. Disabling NVIDIA Notification


Icon for All Users' Citrix Published
Application Sessions
Administrators can set a registry key to disable the NVIDIA Notification Icon application
for all users' Citrix Published Application sessions on a VM. To ensure that the NVIDIA
Notification Icon application is disabled on any virtual delivery agent (VDA) that is created
from a master image, set this key in the master image.
Perform this task from the VM on which the Citrix Published Application sessions will be
created.
Before you begin, ensure that the NVIDIA vGPU software graphics driver is installed in the
VM.

1. Set the system-level StartOnLogin Windows registry key to 0.


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\nvlddmkm\NvTray]
Value: "StartOnLogin"
Type: DWORD
Data: 00000000

The data value 0 disables the NVIDIA Notification Icon, and the data value 1 enables
it.
2. Restart the VM.
You must restart the VM to ensure that the registry key is set before the NVIDIA
service in the user session starts.

D.2. Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon


for your Citrix Published Application
User Sessions
Individual users can disable the NVIDIA Notification Icon for their own Citrix Published
Application sessions.
Before you begin, ensure that you are logged on to a Citrix Published Application session.

1. Set the current user's StartOnLogin Windows registry key to 0.


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\NvTray\]
Value: "StartOnLogin"
Type: DWORD
Data: 00000000

The data value 0 disables the NVIDIA Notification Icon, and the data value 1 enables
it.
2. Log off and log on again or restart the VM.

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Disabling NVIDIA Notification Icon for Citrix Published Application User Sessions

You must log on and log off again or restart the VM to ensure that the registry key is
set before the NVIDIA service in the user session starts.

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Appendix E. Citrix Hypervisor Basics

To install and configure NVIDIA vGPU software and optimize Citrix Hypervisor operation
with vGPU, some basic operations on Citrix Hypervisor are needed.

E.1. Opening a dom0 shell


Most configuration commands must be run in a command shell in the Citrix Hypervisor
dom0 domain. You can open a shell in the Citrix Hypervisor dom0 domain in any of the
following ways:

‣ Using the console window in XenCenter


‣ Using a standalone secure shell (SSH) client

E.1.1. Accessing the dom0 shell through


XenCenter
1. In the left pane of the XenCenter window, select the Citrix Hypervisor host that you
want to connect to.
2. Click on the Console tab to open the Citrix Hypervisor console.
3. Press Enter to start a shell prompt.

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Citrix Hypervisor Basics

Figure 33. Connecting to the dom0 shell by using XenCenter

E.1.2. Accessing the dom0 shell through an SSH


client
1. Ensure that you have an SSH client suite such as PuTTY on Windows, or the SSH client
from OpenSSH on Linux.
2. Connect your SSH client to the management IP address of the Citrix Hypervisor host.
3. Log in as the root user.

E.2. Copying files to dom0


You can easily copy files to and from Citrix Hypervisor dom0 in any of the following ways:

‣ Using a Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) client


‣ Using a network-mounted file system

E.2.1. Copying files by using an SCP client


The SCP client to use for copying files to dom0 depends on where you are running the
client from.

‣ If you are running the client from dom0, use the secure copy command scp.

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Citrix Hypervisor Basics

The scp command is part of the SSH suite of applications. It is implemented in dom0
and can be used to copy from a remote SSH-enabled server:
[root@xenserver ~]# scp root@10.31.213.96:/tmp/somefile .
The authenticity of host '10.31.213.96 (10.31.213.96)' can't be established.
RSA key fingerprint is 26:2d:9b:b9:bf:6c:81:70:36:76:13:02:c1:82:3d:3c.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added '10.31.213.96' (RSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@10.31.213.96's password:
somefile 100% 532 0.5KB/s 00:00
[root@xenserver ~]#
‣ If you are running the client from Windows, use the pscp program.
The pscp program is part of the PuTTY suite and can be used to copy files from a
remote Windows system to Citrix Hypervisor:
C:\Users\nvidia>pscp somefile root@10.31.213.98:/tmp
root@10.31.213.98's password:
somefile | 80 kB | 80.1 kB/s | ETA: 00:00:00 | 100%

C:\Users\nvidia>

E.2.2. Copying files by using a CIFS-mounted file


system
You can copy files to and from a CIFS/SMB file share by mounting the share from dom0.
The following example shows how to mount a network share \\myserver.example.com
\myshare at /mnt/myshare on dom0 and how to copy files to and from the share.
The example assumes that the file share is part of an Active Directory domain called
example.com and that user myuser has permissions to access the share.

1. Create the directory /mnt/myshare on dom0.


[root@xenserver ~]# mkdir /mnt/myshare
2. Mount the network share \\myserver.example.com\myshare at /mnt/myshare on
dom0.
[root@xenserver ~]# mount -t cifs -o username=myuser,workgroup=example.com //
myserver.example.com/myshare /mnt/myshare
Password:
[root@xenserver ~]#
3. When prompted for a password, enter the password for myuser in the example.com
domain.
4. After the share has been mounted, copy files to and from the file share by using the
cp command to copy them to and from /mnt/myshare:
[root@xenserver ~]# cp /mnt/myshare/NVIDIA-vGPU-NVIDIA-vGPU-
CitrixHypervisor-8.2-470.223.02.x86_64.rpm .
[root@xenserver ~]#

E.3. Determining a VM’s UUID


You can determine a virtual machine’s UUID in any of the following ways:

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Citrix Hypervisor Basics

‣ Using the xe vm-list command in a dom0 shell


‣ Using XenCenter

E.3.1. Determining a VM’s UUID by using xe vm-


list
Use the xe vm-list command to list all VMs and their associated UUIDs or to find the
UUID of a specific named VM.

‣ To list all VMs and their associated UUIDs, use xe vm-list without any parameters:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-list
uuid ( RO) : 6b5585f6-bd74-2e3e-0e11-03b9281c3ade
name-label ( RW): vgx-base-image-win7-64
power-state ( RO): halted

uuid ( RO) : fa3d15c7-7e88-4886-c36a-cdb23ed8e275


name-label ( RW): test-image-win7-32
power-state ( RO): halted

uuid ( RO) : 501bb598-a9b3-4afc-9143-ff85635d5dc3


name-label ( RW): Control domain on host: xenserver
power-state ( RO): running

uuid ( RO) : 8495adf7-be9d-eee1-327f-02e4f40714fc


name-label ( RW): vgx-base-image-win7-32
power-state ( RO): halted
‣ To find the UUID of a specific named VM, use the name-label parameter to xe vm-
list:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-list name-label=test-image-win7-32
uuid ( RO) : fa3d15c7-7e88-4886-c36a-cdb23ed8e275
name-label ( RW): test-image-win7-32
power-state ( RO): halted

E.3.2. Determining a VM’s UUID by using


XenCenter
1. In the left pane of the XenCenter window, select the VM whose UUID you want to
determine.
2. In the right pane of the XenCenter window, click the General tab.

The UUID is listed in the VM’s General Properties.

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Citrix Hypervisor Basics

Figure 34. Using XenCenter to determine a VM's UUID

E.4. Using more than two vCPUs with


Windows client VMs
Windows client operating systems support a maximum of two CPU sockets. When
allocating vCPUs to virtual sockets within a guest VM, Citrix Hypervisor defaults to
allocating one vCPU per socket. Any more than two vCPUs allocated to the VM won’t be
recognized by the Windows client OS.
To ensure that all allocated vCPUs are recognized, set platform:cores-per-socket to
the number of vCPUs that are allocated to the VM:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid platform:cores-per-socket=4 VCPUs-max=4
VCPUs-at-startup=4

vm-uuid is the VM’s UUID, which you can obtain as explained in Determining a VM’s UUID.

E.5. Pinning VMs to a specific CPU


socket and cores
1. Use xe host-cpu-info to determine the number of CPU sockets and logical CPU
cores in the server platform.
In this example the server implements 32 logical CPU cores across two sockets:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe host-cpu-info
cpu_count : 32
socket_count: 2

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Citrix Hypervisor Basics

vendor: GenuineIntel
speed: 2600.064
modelname: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2670 0 @ 2.60GHz
family: 6
model: 45
stepping: 7
flags: fpu de tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr mca cmov pat
clflush acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht nx constant_tsc nonstop_tsc aperfmperf
pni pclmulqdq vmx est ssse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt aes hypervisor ida arat
tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
features: 17bee3ff-bfebfbff-00000001-2c100800
features_after_reboot: 17bee3ff-bfebfbff-00000001-2c100800
physical_features: 17bee3ff-bfebfbff-00000001-2c100800
maskable: full
2. Set VCPUs-params:mask to pin a VM’s vCPUs to a specific socket or to specific cores
within a socket.
This setting persists over VM reboots and shutdowns. In a dual socket platform with
32 total cores, cores 0-15 are on socket 0, and cores 16-31 are on socket 1.
In the examples that follow, vm-uuid is the VM’s UUID, which you can obtain as
explained in Determining a VM’s UUID.

‣ To restrict a VM to only run on socket 0, set the mask to specify cores 0-15:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid VCPUs-
params:mask=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15

‣ To restrict a VM to only run on socket 1, set the mask to specify cores 16-31:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid VCPUs-
params:mask=16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31

‣ To pin vCPUs to specific cores within a socket, set the mask to specify the cores
directly:

[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid VCPUs-params:mask=16,17,18,19


3. Use xl vcpu-list to list the current assignment of vCPUs to physical CPUs:
[root@xenserver ~]# xl vcpu-list
Name ID VCPU CPU State Time(s) CPU Affinity
Domain-0 0 0 25 -b- 9188.4 any cpu
Domain-0 0 1 19 r-- 8908.4 any cpu
Domain-0 0 2 30 -b- 6815.1 any cpu
Domain-0 0 3 17 -b- 4881.4 any cpu
Domain-0 0 4 22 -b- 4956.9 any cpu
Domain-0 0 5 20 -b- 4319.2 any cpu
Domain-0 0 6 28 -b- 5720.0 any cpu
Domain-0 0 7 26 -b- 5736.0 any cpu
test-image-win7-32 34 0 9 -b- 17.0 4-15
test-image-win7-32 34 1 4 -b- 13.7 4-15

E.6. Changing dom0 vCPU Default


configuration
By default, dom0 vCPUs are configured as follows:

‣ The number of vCPUs assigned to dom0 is 8.


‣ The dom0 shell’s vCPUs are unpinned and able to run on any physical CPU in the
system.

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E.6.1. Changing the number of dom0 vCPUs


The default number of vCPUs assigned to dom0 is 8.

1. Modify the dom0_max_vcpus parameter in the Xen boot line.


For example:
[root@xenserver ~]# /opt/xensource/libexec/xen-cmdline --set-xen dom0_max_vcpus=4
2. After applying this setting, reboot the system for the setting to take effect by doing
one of the following:

‣ Run the following command:


shutdown –r

‣ Reboot the system from XenCenter.

E.6.2. Pinning dom0 vCPUs


By default, dom0’s vCPUs are unpinned, and able to run on any physical CPU in the
system.

1. To pin dom0 vCPUs to specific physical CPUs, use xl vcpu-pin.


For example, to pin dom0’s vCPU 0 to physical CPU 18, use the following command:
[root@xenserver ~]# xl vcpu-pin Domain-0 0 18
CPU pinnings applied this way take effect immediately but do not persist over
reboots.
2. To make settings persistent, add xl vcpu-pin commands into /etc/rc.local.
For example:
xl vcpu-pin 0 0 0-15
xl vcpu-pin 0 1 0-15
xl vcpu-pin 0 2 0-15
xl vcpu-pin 0 3 0-15
xl vcpu-pin 0 4 16-31
xl vcpu-pin 0 5 16-31
xl vcpu-pin 0 6 16-31
xl vcpu-pin 0 7 16-31

E.7. How GPU locality is determined


As noted in NUMA Considerations, current multi-socket servers typically implement PCIe
expansion slots local to each CPU socket and it is advantageous to pin VMs to the same
socket that their associated physical GPU is connected to.
For current Intel platforms, CPU socket 0 typically has its PCIe root ports located on bus
0, so any GPU below a root port located on bus 0 is connected to socket 0. CPU socket 1
has its root ports on a higher bus number, typically bus 0x20 or bus 0x80 depending on
the specific server platform.

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Appendix F. Citrix Hypervisor vGPU
Management

You can perform Citrix Hypervisor advanced vGPU management techniques by using
XenCenter and by using xe command line operations.

F.1. Management objects for GPUs


Citrix Hypervisor uses four underlying management objects for GPUs: physical GPUs,
vGPU types, GPU groups, and vGPUs. These objects are used directly when managing
vGPU by using xe, and indirectly when managing vGPU by using XenCenter.

F.1.1. pgpu - Physical GPU


A pgpu object represents a physical GPU, such as one of the multiple GPUs present on a
Tesla M60 or M10 card. Citrix Hypervisor automatically creates pgpu objects at startup to
represent each physical GPU present on the platform.

F.1.1.1. Listing the pgpu Objects Present on a Platform


To list the physical GPU objects present on a platform, use xe pgpu-list.
For example, this platform contains a Tesla P40 card with a single physical GPU and a
Tesla M60 card with two physical GPUs:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-list
uuid ( RO) : f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GP102GL [Tesla P40]
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3

uuid ( RO) : 4c5e05d9-60fa-4fe5-9cfc-c641e95c8e85


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GM204GL [Tesla M60]
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): 3df80574-c303-f020-efb3-342f969da5de

uuid ( RO) : 4960e63c-c9fe-4a25-add4-ee697263e04c


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GM204GL [Tesla M60]
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): d32560f2-2158-42f9-d201-511691e1cb2b
[root@xenserver ~]#

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F.1.1.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a pgpu


Object
To view detailed information about a pgpu, use xe pgpu-param-list:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-param-list uuid=4960e63c-c9fe-4a25-add4-ee697263e04c
uuid ( RO) : 4960e63c-c9fe-4a25-add4-ee697263e04c
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GM204GL [Tesla M60]
dom0-access ( RO): enabled
is-system-display-device ( RO): false
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): d32560f2-2158-42f9-d201-511691e1cb2b
gpu-group-name-label ( RO): 86:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA
Corporation GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev a1)
host-uuid ( RO): b55452df-1ee4-4e4e-bd97-3aee97b2123a
host-name-label ( RO): xs7.1
pci-id ( RO): 0000:86:00.0
dependencies (SRO):
other-config (MRW):
supported-VGPU-types ( RO): 5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c;
16326fcb-543f-4473-a4ae-2d30516a2779; 0f9fc39a-0758-43c8-88cc-54c8491aa4d4;
cecb2033-3b4a-437c-a0c0-c9dfdb692d9b; 095d8939-5f84-405d-a39a-684738f9b957;
56c335be-4036-4a38-816c-c246a60556ac; ef0a94fd-2230-4fd4-aee0-d6d3f6ced4ef;
11615f73-47b8-4494-806e-2a7b5e1d7bea; dbd8f2ac-f548-4c40-804b-9133cfda8090;
a33189f1-1417-4593-aa7d-978c4f25b953; 3f437337-3682-4897-a7ba-6334519f4c19;
99900aab-42b0-4cc4-8832-560ff6b60231
enabled-VGPU-types (SRW): 5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c;
16326fcb-543f-4473-a4ae-2d30516a2779; 0f9fc39a-0758-43c8-88cc-54c8491aa4d4;
cecb2033-3b4a-437c-a0c0-c9dfdb692d9b; 095d8939-5f84-405d-a39a-684738f9b957;
56c335be-4036-4a38-816c-c246a60556ac; ef0a94fd-2230-4fd4-aee0-d6d3f6ced4ef;
11615f73-47b8-4494-806e-2a7b5e1d7bea; dbd8f2ac-f548-4c40-804b-9133cfda8090;
a33189f1-1417-4593-aa7d-978c4f25b953; 3f437337-3682-4897-a7ba-6334519f4c19;
99900aab-42b0-4cc4-8832-560ff6b60231
resident-VGPUs ( RO):
[root@xenserver ~]#

F.1.1.3. Viewing physical GPUs in XenCenter


To view physical GPUs in XenCenter, click on the server’s GPU tab:

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Figure 35. Physical GPU display in XenCenter

F.1.2. vgpu-type - Virtual GPU Type


A vgpu-type represents a type of virtual GPU, such as M60-0B, P40-8A, and P100-16Q.
An additional, pass-through vGPU type is defined to represent a physical GPU that is
directly assignable to a single guest VM.
Citrix Hypervisor automatically creates vgpu-type objects at startup to represent each
virtual type supported by the physical GPUs present on the platform.

F.1.2.1. Listing the vgpu-type Objects Present on a


Platform
To list the vgpu-type objects present on a platform, use xe vgpu-type-list.
For example, as this platform contains Tesla P100, Tesla P40, and Tesla M60 cards, the
vGPU types reported are the types supported by these cards:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-type-list
uuid ( RO) : d27f84a2-53f8-4430-ad15-0eca225cd974
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-12A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 57bb231f-f61b-408e-a0c0-106bddd91019


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-3Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

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uuid ( RO) : 9b2eaba5-565f-4cb4-ad9b-6347cfb03e93


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-2Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : af593219-0800-42da-a51d-d13b35f589e1


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-4A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c


vendor-name ( RO):
model-name ( RO): passthrough
max-heads ( RO): 0
max-resolution ( RO): 0x0

uuid ( RO) : af121387-0b58-498a-8d04-fe0305e4308f


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-3A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 3b28a628-fd6c-4cda-b0fb-80165699229e


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P100-4Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 99900aab-42b0-4cc4-8832-560ff6b60231


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-1Q
max-heads ( RO): 2
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 0f9fc39a-0758-43c8-88cc-54c8491aa4d4


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-4A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 4017c9dd-373f-431a-b36f-50e4e5c9f0c0


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-6A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 125fbbdf-406e-4d7c-9de8-a7536aa1a838


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-24A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 88162a34-1151-49d3-98ae-afcd963f3105


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-2A
max-heads ( RO): 1

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max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : ad00a95c-d066-4158-b361-487abf57dd30


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-1A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 11615f73-47b8-4494-806e-2a7b5e1d7bea


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-0Q
max-heads ( RO): 2
max-resolution ( RO): 2560x1600

uuid ( RO) : 6ea0cd56-526c-4966-8f53-7e1721b95a5c


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-4Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 095d8939-5f84-405d-a39a-684738f9b957


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-4Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 9626e649-6802-4396-976d-94c0ead1f835


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-12Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : a33189f1-1417-4593-aa7d-978c4f25b953


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-0B
max-heads ( RO): 2
max-resolution ( RO): 2560x1600

uuid ( RO) : dbd8f2ac-f548-4c40-804b-9133cfda8090


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-1A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : ef0a94fd-2230-4fd4-aee0-d6d3f6ced4ef


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-8Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 67fa06ab-554e-452b-a66e-a4048a5bfdf7


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-6Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 739d7b8e-50e2-48a1-ae0d-5047aa490f0e

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vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation


model-name ( RO): GRID P40-8A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 9fb62f31-7dfb-46f8-a4a9-cca8db48147e


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P100-8Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 56c335be-4036-4a38-816c-c246a60556ac


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-1B
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 2560x1600

uuid ( RO) : 3f437337-3682-4897-a7ba-6334519f4c19


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-8A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 25dbb2d3-a074-4f9f-92ce-b42d8b3d1de2


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-1B
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 2560x1600

uuid ( RO) : cecb2033-3b4a-437c-a0c0-c9dfdb692d9b


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-2Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 16326fcb-543f-4473-a4ae-2d30516a2779


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID M60-2A
max-heads ( RO): 1
max-resolution ( RO): 1280x1024

uuid ( RO) : 7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-24Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : 9611a3f4-d130-4a66-a61b-21d4a2ca4663


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-8Q
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

uuid ( RO) : d0e4a116-a944-42ef-a8dc-62a54c4d2d77


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-1Q
max-heads ( RO): 2
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160

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[root@xenserver ~]#

F.1.2.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a vgpu-type


Object
To see detailed information about a vgpu-type, use xe vgpu-type-param-list:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe xe vgpu-type-param-list uuid=7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc
uuid ( RO) : 7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
model-name ( RO): GRID P40-24Q
framebuffer-size ( RO): 24092082176
max-heads ( RO): 4
max-resolution ( RO): 4096x2160
supported-on-PGPUs ( RO): f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68
enabled-on-PGPUs ( RO): f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68
supported-on-GPU-groups ( RO): 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
enabled-on-GPU-groups ( RO): 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
VGPU-uuids ( RO):
experimental ( RO): false
[root@xenserver ~]#

F.1.3. gpu-group - collection of physical GPUs


A gpu-group is a collection of physical GPUs, all of the same type. Citrix Hypervisor
automatically creates gpu-group objects at startup to represent the distinct types of
physical GPU present on the platform.

F.1.3.1. Listing the gpu-group Objects Present on a


Platform
To list the gpu-group objects present on a platform, use xe gpu-group-list.
For example, a system with a single Tesla P100 card, a single Tesla P40 card, and two Tesla
M60 cards contains a single GPU group of type Tesla P100, a single GPU group of type
Tesla P40, and two GPU groups of type Tesla M60:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe gpu-group-list
uuid ( RO) : 3d652a59-beaf-ddb3-3b19-c8c77ef60605
name-label ( RW): Group of NVIDIA Corporation GP100GL [Tesla P100 PCIe
16GB] GPUs
name-description ( RW):

uuid ( RO) : 3df80574-c303-f020-efb3-342f969da5de


name-label ( RW): 85:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation
GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev a1)
name-description ( RW): 85:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation
GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev a1)

uuid ( RO) : 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3


name-label ( RW): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP102GL [TESLA
P40] (rev a1)
name-description ( RW): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP102GL [TESLA
P40] (rev a1)

uuid ( RO) : d32560f2-2158-42f9-d201-511691e1cb2b


name-label ( RW): 86:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation
GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev a1)

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name-description ( RW): 86:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation


GM204GL [Tesla M60] (rev a1)
[root@xenserver ~]#

F.1.3.2. Viewing Detailed Information About a gpu-group


Object
To view detailed information about a gpu-group, use xe gpu-group-param-list:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe gpu-group-param-list uuid=134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
uuid ( RO) : 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
name-label ( RW): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP102GL
[TESLA P40] (rev a1)
name-description ( RW): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP102GL
[TESLA P40] (rev a1)
VGPU-uuids (SRO): 101fb062-427f-1999-9e90-5a914075e9ca
PGPU-uuids (SRO): f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68
other-config (MRW):
enabled-VGPU-types ( RO): d0e4a116-a944-42ef-a8dc-62a54c4d2d77;
9611a3f4-d130-4a66-a61b-21d4a2ca4663; 7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc;
25dbb2d3-a074-4f9f-92ce-b42d8b3d1de2; 739d7b8e-50e2-48a1-ae0d-5047aa490f0e;
67fa06ab-554e-452b-a66e-a4048a5bfdf7; 9626e649-6802-4396-976d-94c0ead1f835;
6ea0cd56-526c-4966-8f53-7e1721b95a5c; ad00a95c-d066-4158-b361-487abf57dd30;
88162a34-1151-49d3-98ae-afcd963f3105; 125fbbdf-406e-4d7c-9de8-a7536aa1a838;
4017c9dd-373f-431a-b36f-50e4e5c9f0c0; af121387-0b58-498a-8d04-fe0305e4308f;
5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c; af593219-0800-42da-a51d-d13b35f589e1;
9b2eaba5-565f-4cb4-ad9b-6347cfb03e93; 57bb231f-f61b-408e-a0c0-106bddd91019;
d27f84a2-53f8-4430-ad15-0eca225cd974
supported-VGPU-types ( RO): d0e4a116-a944-42ef-a8dc-62a54c4d2d77;
9611a3f4-d130-4a66-a61b-21d4a2ca4663; 7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc;
25dbb2d3-a074-4f9f-92ce-b42d8b3d1de2; 739d7b8e-50e2-48a1-ae0d-5047aa490f0e;
67fa06ab-554e-452b-a66e-a4048a5bfdf7; 9626e649-6802-4396-976d-94c0ead1f835;
6ea0cd56-526c-4966-8f53-7e1721b95a5c; ad00a95c-d066-4158-b361-487abf57dd30;
88162a34-1151-49d3-98ae-afcd963f3105; 125fbbdf-406e-4d7c-9de8-a7536aa1a838;
4017c9dd-373f-431a-b36f-50e4e5c9f0c0; af121387-0b58-498a-8d04-fe0305e4308f;
5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c; af593219-0800-42da-a51d-d13b35f589e1;
9b2eaba5-565f-4cb4-ad9b-6347cfb03e93; 57bb231f-f61b-408e-a0c0-106bddd91019;
d27f84a2-53f8-4430-ad15-0eca225cd974
allocation-algorithm ( RW): depth-first
[root@xenserver ~]

F.1.4. vgpu - Virtual GPU


A vgpu object represents a virtual GPU. Unlike the other GPU management objects, vgpu
objects are not created automatically by Citrix Hypervisor. Instead, they are created as
follows:

‣ When a VM is configured through XenCenter or through xe to use a vGPU


‣ By cloning a VM that is configured to use vGPU, as explained in Cloning vGPU-Enabled
VMs

F.2. Creating a vGPU Using xe


Use xe vgpu-create to create a vgpu object, specifying the type of vGPU required, the
GPU group it will be allocated from, and the VM it is associated with:

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[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-create vm-uuid=e71afda4-53f4-3a1b-6c92-a364a7f619c2


gpu-group-uuid=be825ba2-01d7-8d51-9780-f82cfaa64924 vgpu-type-uuid=3f318889-7508-
c9fd-7134-003d4d05ae56b73cbd30-096f-8a9a-523e-a800062f4ca7
[root@xenserver ~]#

Creating the vgpu object for a VM does not immediately cause a virtual GPU to be created
on a physical GPU. Instead, the vgpu object is created whenever its associated VM is
started. For more details on how vGPUs are created at VM startup, see Controlling vGPU
allocation.

Note:

The owning VM must be in the powered-off state in order for the vgpu-create command
to succeed.

A vgpu object’s owning VM, associated GPU group, and vGPU type are fixed at creation and
cannot be subsequently changed. To change the type of vGPU allocated to a VM, delete
the existing vgpu object and create another one.

F.3. Controlling vGPU allocation


Configuring a VM to use a vGPU in XenCenter, or creating a vgpu object for a VM using xe,
does not immediately cause a virtual GPU to be created; rather, the virtual GPU is created
at the time the VM is next booted, using the following steps:

‣ The GPU group that the vgpu object is associated with is checked for a physical GPU
that can host a vGPU of the required type (i.e. the vgpu object’s associated vgpu-
type). Because vGPU types cannot be mixed on a single physical GPU, the new vGPU
can only be created on a physical GPU that has no vGPUs resident on it, or only vGPUs
of the same type, and less than the limit of vGPUs of that type that the physical GPU
can support.
‣ If no such physical GPUs exist in the group, the vgpu creation fails and the VM startup
is aborted.
‣ Otherwise, if more than one such physical GPU exists in the group, a physical GPU is
selected according to the GPU group’s allocation policy, as described in Modifying GPU
Allocation Policy.

F.3.1. Determining the Physical GPU on Which a


Virtual GPU is Resident
The vgpu object’s resident-on parameter returns the UUID of the pgpu object for the
physical GPU the vGPU is resident on.
To determine the physical GPU that a virtual GPU is resident on, use vgpu-param-get:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-param-get uuid=101fb062-427f-1999-9e90-5a914075e9ca param-
name=resident-on
f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68

[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-param-list uuid=f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68

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uuid ( RO) : f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68


vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GP102GL [Tesla P40]
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
gpu-group-name-label ( RO): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation
GP102GL [TESLA P40] (rev a1)
host-uuid ( RO): b55452df-1ee4-4e4e-bd97-3aee97b2123a
host-name-label ( RO): xs7.1-krish
pci-id ( RO): 0000:87:00.0
dependencies (SRO):
other-config (MRW):
supported-VGPU-types ( RO): 5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c;
88162a34-1151-49d3-98ae-afcd963f3105; 9b2eaba5-565f-4cb4-ad9b-6347cfb03e93;
739d7b8e-50e2-48a1-ae0d-5047aa490f0e; d0e4a116-a944-42ef-a8dc-62a54c4d2d77;
7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc; 67fa06ab-554e-452b-a66e-a4048a5bfdf7;
9611a3f4-d130-4a66-a61b-21d4a2ca4663; d27f84a2-53f8-4430-ad15-0eca225cd974;
125fbbdf-406e-4d7c-9de8-a7536aa1a838; 4017c9dd-373f-431a-b36f-50e4e5c9f0c0;
6ea0cd56-526c-4966-8f53-7e1721b95a5c; af121387-0b58-498a-8d04-fe0305e4308f;
9626e649-6802-4396-976d-94c0ead1f835; ad00a95c-d066-4158-b361-487abf57dd30;
af593219-0800-42da-a51d-d13b35f589e1; 25dbb2d3-a074-4f9f-92ce-b42d8b3d1de2;
57bb231f-f61b-408e-a0c0-106bddd91019
enabled-VGPU-types (SRW): 5b9acd25-06fa-43e1-8b53-c35bceb8515c;
88162a34-1151-49d3-98ae-afcd963f3105; 9b2eaba5-565f-4cb4-ad9b-6347cfb03e93;
739d7b8e-50e2-48a1-ae0d-5047aa490f0e; d0e4a116-a944-42ef-a8dc-62a54c4d2d77;
7ca2399f-89ab-49dd-bf96-75071ced28fc; 67fa06ab-554e-452b-a66e-a4048a5bfdf7;
9611a3f4-d130-4a66-a61b-21d4a2ca4663; d27f84a2-53f8-4430-ad15-0eca225cd974;
125fbbdf-406e-4d7c-9de8-a7536aa1a838; 4017c9dd-373f-431a-b36f-50e4e5c9f0c0;
6ea0cd56-526c-4966-8f53-7e1721b95a5c; af121387-0b58-498a-8d04-fe0305e4308f;
9626e649-6802-4396-976d-94c0ead1f835; ad00a95c-d066-4158-b361-487abf57dd30;
af593219-0800-42da-a51d-d13b35f589e1; 25dbb2d3-a074-4f9f-92ce-b42d8b3d1de2;
57bb231f-f61b-408e-a0c0-106bddd91019
resident-VGPUs ( RO): 101fb062-427f-1999-9e90-5a914075e9ca
[root@xenserver ~]#

Note: If the vGPU is not currently running, the resident-on parameter is not instantiated
for the vGPU, and the vgpu-param-get operation returns:
<not in database>

F.3.2. Controlling the vGPU types enabled on


specific physical GPUs
Physical GPUs support several vGPU types, as defined in Virtual GPU Types for Supported
GPUs and the “pass-through” type that is used to assign an entire physical GPU to a VM
(see Using GPU Pass-Through on Citrix Hypervisor).

F.3.2.1. Controlling vGPU types enabled on specific


physical GPUs by using XenCenter
To limit the types of vGPU that may be created on a specific physical GPU:

1. Open the server’s GPU tab in XenCenter.


2. Select the box beside one or more GPUs on which you want to limit the types of vGPU.
3. Select Edit Selected GPUs.

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Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management

Figure 36. Editing a GPU’s enabled vGPU types using XenCenter

F.3.2.2. Controlling vGPU Types Enabled on Specific


Physical GPUs by Using xe
The physical GPU’s pgpu object’s enabled-vGPU-types parameter controls the vGPU
types enabled on specific physical GPUs.
To modify the pgpu object’s enabled-vGPU-types parameter , use xe pgpu-param-set:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-param-list uuid=cb08aaae-8e5a-47cb-888e-60dcc73c01d3
uuid ( RO) : cb08aaae-8e5a-47cb-888e-60dcc73c01d3
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GP102GL [Tesla P40]
domO-access ( RO): enabled
is-system-display-device ( RO): false
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): bfel603d-c526-05f3-e64f-951485ef3b49
gpu-group-name-label ( RO): 87:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP102GL
[Tesla P40] (rev al)
host-uuid ( RO): fdeb6bbb-e460-4cfl-ad43-49ac81c20540
host-name-label ( RO): xs-72
pci-id ( RO): 0000:87:00.0
dependencies (SRO):
other-config (MRW):
supported-VGPU-types ( RO): 23e6b80b-le5e-4c33-bedb-e6dlae472fec;
f5583e39-2540-440d-a0ee-dde9f0783abf; al8e46ff-4d05-4322-b040-667ce77d78a8;
adell9a9-84el-435f-b0e9-14cl62e212fb; 2560d066-054a-48a9-a44d-3f3f90493a00;
47858f38-045d-4a05-9blc-9128fee6b0ab; Ifb527f6-493f-442b-abe2-94a6fafd49ce;
78b8e044-09ae-4a4c-8a96-b20c7a585842; 18ed7e7e-f8b7-496e-9784-8ba4e35acaa3;
48681d88-c4e5-4e39-85ff-c9bal2e8e484 ; cc3dbbfb-4b83-400d-8c52-811948b7f8c4;
8elad75a-ed5f-4609-83ff-5f9bca9aaca2; 840389a0-f511-4f90-8153-8a749d85b09e;
a2042742-da67-4613-a538-ldl7d30dccb9; 299e47c2-8fcl-4edf-aa31-e29db84168c6;
e95c636e-06e6-4 47e-8b49-14b37d308922; 0524a5d0-7160-48c5-a9el-cc33e76dc0de;
09043fb2-6d67-4443-b312-25688f13e012

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Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management

enabled-VGPU-types (SRW): 23e6b80b-le5e-4c33-bedb-e6dlae472fec;


f5583e39-2540-440d-a0ee-dde9f0783abf; al8e46ff-4d05-4322-b040-667ce77d78a8;
adell9a9-84el-435f-b0e9-14cl62e212fb; 2560d066-054a-48a9-a44d-3f3f90493a00;
47858f38-045d-4a05-9blc-9128fee6b0ab; Ifb527f6-493f-442b-abe2-94a6fafd49ce;
78b8e044-09ae-4a4c-8a96-b20c7a585842; 18ed7e7e-f8b7-496e-9784-8ba4e35acaa3;
48681d88-c4e5-4e39-85ff-c9bal2e8e484 ; cc3dbbfb-4b83-400d-8c52-811948b7f8c4;
8elad75a-ed5f-4609-83ff-5f9bca9aaca2; 840389a0-f511-4f90-8153-8a749d85b09e;
a2042742-da67-4613-a538-ldl7d30dccb9; 299e47c2-8fcl-4edf-aa31-e29db84168c6;
e95c636e-06e6-4 47e-8b49-14b37d308922; 0524a5d0-7160-48c5-a9el-cc33e76dc0de;
09043fb2-6d67-4443-b312-25688f13e012
resident-VGPUs ( RO):

[root@xenserver-vgx-test ~]# xe pgpu-param-set uuid=cb08aaae-8e5a-47cb-888e-60dcc73c01d3


enabled-VGPU-types=23e6b80b-le5e-4c33-bedb-e6dlae472fec

F.3.3. Creating vGPUs on Specific Physical GPUs


To precisely control allocation of vGPUs on specific physical GPUs, create separate GPU
groups for the physical GPUs you wish to allocate vGPUs on. When creating a virtual GPU,
create it on the GPU group containing the physical GPU you want it to be allocated on.
For example, to create a new GPU group for the physical GPU at PCI bus ID 0000:87:00.0,
follow these steps:

1. Create the new GPU group with an appropriate name:


[root@xenserver ~]# xe gpu-group-create name-label="GRID P40 87:0.0"
3f870244-41da-469f-71f3-22bc6d700e71
[root@xenserver ~]#
2. Find the UUID of the physical GPU at 0000:87:0.0 that you want to assign to the new
GPU group:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-list pci-id=0000:87:00.0
uuid ( RO) : f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68
vendor-name ( RO): NVIDIA Corporation
device-name ( RO): GP102GL [Tesla P40]
gpu-group-uuid ( RW): 134a7b71-5ceb-8066-ef1b-3b319fb2bef3
[root@xenserver ~]

Note: The pci-id parameter passed to the pgpu-list command must be in the exact
format shown, with the PCI domain fully specified (for example, 0000) and the PCI bus
and devices numbers each being two digits (for example, 87:00.0).

3. Ensure that no vGPUs are currently operating on the physical GPU by checking the
resident-VGPUs parameter:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-param-get uuid=f76d1c90-e443-4bfc-8f26-7959a7c85c68 param-
name=resident-VGPUs
[root@xenserver ~]#
4. If any vGPUs are listed, shut down the VMs associated with them.
5. Change the gpu-group-uuid parameter of the physical GPU to the UUID of the newly-
created GPU group:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe pgpu-param-set uuid=7c1e3cff-1429-0544-df3d-bf8a086fb70a gpu-
group-uuid=585877ef-5a6c-66af-fc56-7bd525bdc2f6
[root@xenserver ~]#

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Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management

Any vgpu object now created that specifies this GPU group UUID will always have its
vGPUs created on the GPU at PCI bus ID 0000:05:0.0.

Note: You can add more than one physical GPU to a manually-created GPU group – for
example, to represent all the GPUs attached to the same CPU socket in a multi-socket
server platform - but as for automatically-created GPU groups, all the physical GPUs in the
group must be of the same type.

In XenCenter, manually-created GPU groups appear in the GPU type listing in a VM’s
GPU Properties. Select a GPU type within the group from which you wish the vGPU to be
allocated:

Figure 37. Using a custom GPU group within XenCenter

F.4. Cloning vGPU-Enabled VMs


The fast-clone or copying feature of Citrix Hypervisor can be used to rapidly create new
VMs from a “golden” base VM image that has been configured with NVIDIA vGPU, the
NVIDIA driver, applications, and remote graphics software.
When a VM is cloned, any vGPU configuration associated with the base VM is copied to
the cloned VM. Starting the cloned VM will create a vGPU instance of the same type as
the original VM, from the same GPU group as the original vGPU.

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Citrix Hypervisor vGPU Management

F.4.1. Cloning a vGPU-enabled VM by using xe


To clone a vGPU-enabled VM from the dom0 shell, use vm-clone:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-clone new-name-label="new-vm" vm="base-vm-name"
7f7035cb-388d-1537-1465-1857fb6498e7
[root@xenserver ~]#

F.4.2. Cloning a vGPU-enabled VM by using


XenCenter
To clone a vGPU-enabled VM by using XenCenter, use the VM’s Copy VM command as
shown in Figure 38.

Figure 38. Cloning a VM using XenCenter

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Appendix G. Citrix Hypervisor
Performance Tuning

This chapter provides recommendations on optimizing performance for VMs running with
NVIDIA vGPU on Citrix Hypervisor.

G.1. Citrix Hypervisor Tools


To get maximum performance out of a VM running on Citrix Hypervisor, regardless of
whether you are using NVIDIA vGPU, you must install Citrix Hypervisor tools within the
VM. Without the optimized networking and storage drivers that the Citrix Hypervisor
tools provide, remote graphics applications running on NVIDIA vGPU will not deliver
maximum performance.

G.2. Using Remote Graphics


NVIDIA vGPU implements a console VGA interface that permits the VM’s graphics output
to be viewed through XenCenter’s console tab. This feature allows the desktop of a vGPU-
enabled VM to be visible in XenCenter before any NVIDIA graphics driver is loaded in the
virtual machine, but it is intended solely as a management convenience; it only supports
output of vGPU’s primary display and isn’t designed or optimized to deliver high frame
rates.
To deliver high frames from multiple heads on vGPU, NVIDIA recommends that you install
a high-performance remote graphics stack such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops with
HDX 3D Pro remote graphics and, after the stack is installed, disable vGPU’s console VGA.

G.2.1. Disabling Console VGA


The console VGA interface in vGPU is optimized to consume minimal resources, but
when a system is loaded with a high number of VMs, disabling the console VGA interface
entirely may yield some performance benefit.

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Citrix Hypervisor Performance Tuning

Once you have installed an alternate means of accessing a VM (such as Citrix Virtual Apps
and Desktops or a VNC server), its vGPU console VGA interface can be disabled as follows,
depending on the version of Citrix Hypervisor that you are using:

‣ Citrix Hypervisor 8.1 or later: Create the vGPU by using the xe command, and specify
plugin parameters for the group to which the vGPU belongs:
1. Create the vGPU.
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-create gpu-group-uuid=gpu-group-uuid vgpu-type-
uuid=vgpu-type-uuid vm-uuid=vm-uuid
This command returns vgpu-uuid as stored in XAPI.
2. Specify plugin parameters for the group to which the vGPU belongs.
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-param-set uuid=vgpu-uuid extra_args=disable_vnc=1
‣ Citrix Hypervisor earlier than 8.1: Specify disable_vnc=1 in the VM’s
platform:vgpu_extra_args parameter:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid
platform:vgpu_extra_args="disable_vnc=1"
The new console VGA setting takes effect the next time the VM is started or
rebooted. With console VGA disabled, the Citrix Hypervisor console will display the
Windows boot splash screen for the VM, but nothing beyond that.

CAUTION:

If you disable console VGA before you have installed or enabled an alternate mechanism to
access the VM (such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops), you will not be able to interact
with the VM once it has booted.

You can recover console VGA access by making one of the following changes:

‣ Removing the vGPU plugin's parameters:


‣ Citrix Hypervisor 8.1 or later: Removing the extra_args key the from group to
which the vGPU belongs
‣ Citrix Hypervisor earlier than 8.1: Removing the vgpu_extra_args key from the
platform parameter
‣ Removing disable_vnc=1 from the extra_args or vgpu_extra_args key
‣ Setting disable_vnc=0, for example:
‣ Citrix Hypervisor 8.1 or later:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vgpu-param-set uuid=vgpu-uuid extra_args=disable_vnc=0
‣ Citrix Hypervisor earlier than 8.1:
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-param-set uuid=vm-uuid
platform:vgpu_extra_args="disable_vnc=0"

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