Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 20:12:39 GMT Server: Apache/1.1.1+ Content-type: text/html Content-length: 5126 Last-modified: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 19:34:34 GMT Flux Project Home Page

The Flux Operating System Project


The Fluke Nested Process Architecture


The Flux Project's objectives are (i) to provide infrastructure (the "flux") for highly efficient component-based systems, with flexible degrees of inter-component trust, initially oriented to hardware-enforced protection; (ii) to provide transparent and flexible control of all the resources used by arbitrary subsystems; and (iii) to distribute free and usable versions of the developed software.

We have recently developed an entirely new kernel and OS structure on which future work will be based. A new paper, "Microkernels Meet Recursive Virtual Machines" describes how this system efficiently supports recursive virtual machines. That paper as well as a paper on "CPU Inheritance Scheduling" appeared at OSDI '96. The draft API for Fluke, the new kernel, is available in html format, 1-up postscript and 2-up postscript. Beware: it's currently 110 pages long (but mostly white space). A design and rationale document will be forthcoming later this year.

One of the design features which should provide large performance gains is safely storing portions of normal kernel objects in user space, as outlined in these slides from a work-in-progress talk at December '95 SOSP. This avoids kernel entry/exit in many common cases.

Artist's renditions of the Fluke Nested Process Architecture and of the Fluke OS providing encapsulated environments for untrusted applications.

Project Members

Papers

Available Software

Related Utah Projects

Computing Resources

Support

The group's research in operating systems and related language work is sponsored by grants from ARPA, NSF, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM. The Center for Software Science is a Utah State Center for Excellence.

Job Openings

Directions and Hotel Information

Directions from the Salt Lake Airport to the Computer Science Department at the University, and information on Salt Lake Hotels.

University of Utah Department of Computer Science home page


lepreau@cs.utah.edu
Last modified on Fri Nov 1 1996