Microkernel Virtualization at FOSDEM 🚀

by Alexander Boettcher

At: FOSDEM 2019
https://video.fosdem.org/2019/AW1.121/microkernel_virtualization.webm


Today's off-the-shell virtualization solution is ridden with complexity. Application of virtualization call for trustworthy solutions. Complexity defeats trust.

Microkernels with virtualization extensions and user-level VMMs on top are a approach to mitigate complexity. Modern microkernels like seL4, the NOVA microhypervisor, Genode's -hw- kernel or Fiasco.OC are such promising candidates. Fortunately and unfortunately, the diversity come with fragmentation of the small microkernel community. There are several VMMs for each platform tight to a specific microkernel, rendering it unusable across various kernels.

Genode supports several kernels already, so that unification of virtualization interfaces for VMMs across kernels seem to come into reach. Does it ? The talk will cover the venture and current state of harmonization hardware-assisted virtualization interfaces to fit into the Genode OS framework.

Room: AW1.121
Scheduled start: 2019-02-03 09:55:00+01