Microsoft Accelerates Software Readiness with Pre-Silicon Virtualization Validation

As Microsoft develops next-generation AI accelerator platforms, validating complex virtualization environments before silicon availability has become critical to accelerating software readiness.

This session explores how Microsoft leveraged Synopsys ZeBu emulation and Virtual Host Solution (VHS) to create a realistic pre-silicon validation environment capable of running production firmware, operating systems, hypervisors, and driver stacks months before tape-out.

Learn how Microsoft validated PCIe SR-IOV, nested virtualization, DMA operations, MSI-X interrupts, and production driver functionality in a multi-layer virtualization architecture using RTL-based hardware models. This success story will highlight the resulting shift-left benefits, reduced silicon bring-up risk, and accelerated software and firmware development achieved through early system validation.

What You Will Learn

• How to establish a pre-silicon validation environment using Synopsys ZeBu and Virtual Host Solution (VHS).
  
  
• Best practices for validating PCIe SR-IOV, virtual functions, DMA operations, and interrupt handling before hardware availability.
  
  
• Methods for enabling realistic, nested virtualization and production software stack validation on emulated hardware.
  
  
• How shift-left validation improves software readiness, reduces bring-up risk, and accelerates deployment timelines for complex AI accelerator platforms.