Research Of Real-Time Virtualization Technology Based On Micro-Kernel Architecture

Virtualization technologies and virtual machines (VMs) recently regained attention as they can provide solutions to problems not only for high-end computing, but also for embedded systems as well. For example, network-enabled embedded systems can use virtual machines to provide hardened subsystems for banking and digital rights protection. However, current virtualization implementations have to force significant compromises to the host system architecture. Hypervisor-based VMs only provide limited abstraction of a real machine, preventing efficiency while hosted VMs mainly reuse the host's operating system services and thereby greatly increase the trusted computing base, preventing reliable and verifiable systems.In this report, we propose a new architecture of microkernel-based virtualization that allows multiple isolated operating systems to run concurrently on a microkernel system with high efficiency and real-time features supported. In this architecture, the virtual machine are constructed in a hypervisor-based way with the help of Intel's Virtualization Technologies while they are still hosted by a microkernel system so that the virtual machine can contain both fine grain abstraction and small trusted computing base. Furthermore, with the help of the advanced real-time scheduling system provided by the modern microkernel system, the virtual machine can support a hybrid runtime environment of both real-time and non-real-time applications.