Virtualization is an industry-changing software technology that is rapidly transforming the enterprise, desktop and embedded computer landscape. Pioneered in the enterprise space, virtualization refers to the abstraction of computer resources such as servers, operating systems (OS), memory, storage and I/Os. Virtualization dramatically improves efficiency and availability of the system resources. The best-known form of virtualization is hypervisor, also commonly known as virtualization manager (VM), a software technology that allows multiple operating system instances to run concurrently on a single platform.
The rapid adoption of virtualization technology is fueled by the following market factors:
The traditional approach introduces a host operating system and VM software layer to manage task processing, load balancing and hardware access of guest operating systems. Type 1 hypervisor runs on the host hardware as a hardware control and guest operating system monitor. Type 2 hypervisor runs within the conventional OS environment as a software layer, where the guest OS runs on top of the hypervisor.
The general virtualization technologies of Type 1 and Type 2 are well-proven in the enterprise domain. However, in embedded applications where real-time performance and determinism are hard requirements, the traditional VM approach falls short. The significant overhead introduced by the VM layer adversely impacts the system's real-time response, and the VM complex priority I/O assignments to the guest OSs or RTOSs degrades time-determinism of the platform.
The solution is to employ a specialized hypervisor architecture that will "Partition where you can - Virtualize where you have to". Enter Microware Hypervisor from RadiSys - an innovative "embedded" hypervisor agent that enables multiple operating systems to simultaneously run either multiple instances of a real-time operating system, or a heterogeneous mixture of operating systems on a single execution platform. Unlike traditional hypervisor architectures, real-time OSs run unmodified in assigned protected partitions that provide direct hardware access. Each operating system runs independently and at full speed, accessing assigned I/O devices without interference from the other OS, while sharing data and coordinating processes through shared memory and efficient virtual networks.
Deliver uncompromised hard real-time performance
Hypervisor-based architecture treats each OS as an independent entity, allowing Real-Time OS (RTOS) and General Purpose OS (GPOS) to run concurrently and independently on single- and multi-core processors, combining RTOS performance and GPOS rich multimedia capabilities on a single platform
Reduce system Total Cost of Ownership
Consolidating disparate OSs on a single platform reduces cost, physical size, complexity, power consumption and maintenance
Achieve unparalleled scalability and architectural innovation
Configure a multiprocessor architecture of your choice and scale system performance with evolving needs
Maximize return on tools/software investment
The Microware Hypervisor facilitates reuse of existing device drivers, development framework and application software across any project, processor, and architecture
Improve system reliability
Migrating to a hypervisor-based platform reduces the number of hardware components in the system, resulting in improved MTBF and system reliability.
The Microware Hypervisor utilizes hardware virtualization technology to support separate computing partitions-assigning CPU cores, memory, interrupts and devices to multiple operating systems. The system is partitioned at system startup, allowing each operating system and application to run at full speed without interruption. There is a 100% hardware memory separation for each operating system.
The Microware Hypervisor allows multiple operating systems and applications to communicate, exchange data and synchronize processes through shared memory and through a virtual network.
Shared memory areas are set up in the Configuration File. They allow data to be passed between cores with powerful Application Program Interface (API) functions. The shared memory API also provides OS independent locking mechanisms to help protect and maintain data integrity. Data sharing utilizes a fast internal memory bus.
The Microware Hypervisor enables operating systems to pass data through a virtual TCP/IP network assigned in a shared memory area. Applications can take advantage of standard TCP/IP protocols with the provided virtual network driver.
Instances of GPOS and RTOS can boot in any order without affecting the other operating system.
The Microware Hypervisor assigns each separate physical device to a single GPOS or RTOS instance, permitting direct hardware access; no limited virtualized or emulated devices. Direct hardware access to the devices guarantees the full speed and functionality of the assigned native hardware.
The Microware Hypervisor allows any combination of real-time and general purpose operating systems to run concurrently.
For additional product information or to schedule a free trial please contact RadiSys sales representatives or RadiSys local offices.
