Visual C++ 2008 Express SP1 includes MASM 9.0

For much distress of those interested in compiling assembler instructions alongside with c++ code VC++ 2008 Express was incompatible with MASM 9.0 installer until last December 2008.

MASM was only possible to use alongside with VC++ 2005 Express and some developers were kepth from upgrading to the most recent version since inline ASM is not supported in 64 bit compilation and the only choice is to use assembler or compiler intrinsics.

Visual C++ 2008 Express SP1

My notes on processor virtualization and Intel VT-x

+ Pacifica/AMD-V is present in every "AMD Athlon 64 with stepping "F" and "G", Athlon 64 X2 with stepping "F" and "G", Turion 64 X2, Opteron, Phenom, and all newer processors";

+ IVT/Intel VT exists as IA-32 VT-x (Vanderpool) and IA-64 VT-i (Silvervale);

+ Intel VT "is available on certain Pentium 4 6x1 and 6x2 models, Pentium D 9x0, Xeon 3xxx/5xxx/7xxx, Core Duo (excluding the T2300E and T2x50

models) and Core 2 Duo processors (excluding the T52x0, T5300, T54x0, T5500 with stepping "B2", E2xx0, E4x00 and E8190 models)";

+ VT-x adds root and non-root operation to IA-32;

+ In non-root operation processor operation is "changed substantially", as some instructions and events cause a "VM Exit";

+ The VM-execution control fields allow to specify the instructions and events that cause VM exits.

+ Instructions HLT, INVLPG, MOV CR8, MOV DR, MWAIT, RDPMC, and RDTSC (plus CR0, CR3, and CR4) can be trapped;

Excerpt:

For example, if the MOV CR instruction causes a VM exit, the exit reason would indicate “control-register access”; the exit qualification would indicate:

(1) the identity of the control register (for example, CR0);
(2) whether the MOV was to or from the control register; and
(3) which general-purpose register was the source or destination of the instruction.


+ VT-x and VT-i provide means for Address-Space Compression, Ring Aliasing/Compression, Nonfaulting Access to priveldged state, Guest system calls (SYSENTER, SYSEXIT) & Interrupt virtualization.

[...]

References:
http://softwarecommunity.intel.com/articles/eng/2722.htm
http://download.intel.com/technology/itj/2006/v10i3/v10_iss03.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization