Microkernel-based Operating Systems

Due to the ongoing COVID19 situation, this lecture will be offered as downloadable videos. We start in the week of October 26, 2020. We will announce new content and details of upcoming exercises on the mailing list. Please subscribe via your TU Dresden email address.

Content

This lecture introduces various aspects and concepts regarding the construction and implementation of microkernel-based operating system. In the first part, we introduce fundamental mechanisms that are required for efficient construction of an operating system on top of a microkernel. In the second part of the lecture, we show you real systems that have been built using these concepts. While strongly focussing on the microkernel work done at TU Dresden, we also take a look at alternatives.

Having attended the lecture on microkernel construction might help you to understand some concepts easier, but it is not necessary. In fact, we recommend to attend this lecture here first.

In addition to the lecture, we also have a practical course in which you will built parts of an operating system on top of a L4 microkernel. You are encouraged to take this practical course, too.

The lecture will cover the following aspects:

• The TU Dresden Operating System (TUD:OS)
• Basic services provided by the L4 Runtime Environment (L4Re)
• Resource Management and Real-Time
• Virtualization concepts, especially para-virtualizing Linux (L⁴Linux)
• Building secure systems
• Reusing commodity software in a microkernel environment

Slides

• Introduction: Slides, Video
• Threads: Slides, Video (Part 02.1, Part 02.2)
• Inter-Process Communication: Slides, Video (Part 03.1, Part 03.2)
• Memory: Slides, Video (Part 04.1, Part 04.2)
• Device Drivers: Slides, Video (Part 05.1, Part 05.2)

Exercises

We will have two types of exercises. Practical exercises give you the opportunity to get hands-on experience using the software presented during the lecture. Paper Reading exercises let you practice reading scientific papers and shall inspire discussion on research ideas. All topics covered during the exercises may be content of your exam.

Paper Reading

In preparation for these exercises you are required to read the paper to be presented in the exercise. Prepare at least three questionsregarding topics of the paper. These may cover things you don't understand as well as arguments you do not believe in or ideas that arose from your reading. You will be expected to sum up the paper during the exercise as well as discuss your questions.

• 10 Nov 2020, 14:50: Brinch Hansen: "The nucleus of a multiprogramming system"
• 17 Nov 2020, 14:50: Hunt et al.: "Singularity: Rethinking the Software Stack"
• 01 Dec 2020, 14:50: Porter et al.: "Rethinking the Library OS from the Top Down"

Practical Exercises

Practical exercises take place in the PC pools. Students may bring their own laptops running Linux, but the amount of support our tutors can give to fix Linux toolchain problems is limited in this case.

Coming soon ...