Formalising the L4 microkernel API
نویسندگان
چکیده
This paper gives an overview of a pilot project on the specification and verification of the L4 highperformance microkernel. Of the three aspects examined in the project, we describe one in more detail: the formalisation of the kernel’s Application Programming Interface using the B Method. We conclude that machine-supported formal verification of software is at a turning point; that it is now feasible, and desirable, to formally verify production-quality operating systems.
منابع مشابه
Formalising a High-Performance Microkernel
This paper argues that a pragmatic approach is needed for integrating design and formalisation of complex systems. We report on our approach to designing the seL4 operating system microkernel API and its formalisation in Isabelle/HOL. The formalisation consists of the systematic translation of significant parts of the functional programming language Haskell into Isabelle/HOL, including monadbas...
متن کاملHigh-Performance Microkernels and Virtualisation on ARM and Segmented Architectures
This paper describes the techniques used to achieve high context-switching performance on ARM processors for the L4 microkernel and a para-virtualised Linux running on top. We examine how the previously-published techniques can be used in L4 with minimal changes to the kernel API. We also propose future API changes which make it easier to maximise memory-management performance, not only on ARM ...
متن کاملTowards the Property-Based Testing of an L4 Microkernel API
Software testing has been a significant part of the software development process for the last 30 years and is gaining even more importance with the increasing complexity of software products. As each application has its own requirements, multiple software testing methodologies exist. It is the decision of the developers to choose the best suited types of testing methodologies for their product....
متن کاملL4-Based Real Virtual Machines: An API Proposal
Virtual machines (VMs) recently regained attention as a solution to problems not only in high-performance computing, servers, and desktops, but in embedded systems as well. For example, network-enabled embedded systems use virtual machines to provide hardened subsystems for banking, encryption, and digital rights management. Virtual machine systems and microkernels share a common set of goals s...
متن کاملThe B-Method for the Construction of Microkernel-Based Systems
Microkernels have been developed to minimize the size of software that needs to run in privileged CPU-Mode. They provide only a set of general hardware abstractions, which then can be used to implement an operating system with a high level of reliability and security on top. L4 is a second generation microkernel based on the principles of minimalism, flexibility and efficiency. Its small size (...
متن کامل