A Microkernel Based Operating System for PARAM 9000
Abstract
High performance computing requires the use of massively parallel processing
systems containing thousands of powerful CPUs. Every node in these parallel
systems requires an operating system (radically different from current
ones) to manage its resources. To meet this requirement, we have developed
an OS kernel called PARAS Microkernel for the PARAM family of parallel
systems (being developed by C-DAC) based on state-of-the-art microkernel
technology. It supports most essential services such as process, memory,
and interprocess communication management. In the design of the PARAS microkernel,
we have adopted the philosophy of migrating traditional operating system
services into user-level processes. It removes the concept of using application
ignorant systems and allows the user to build subsystems suitable to the
application. Various subsystems such as CORE, PVM, and MPI layered on top
of the PARAS microkernel have demonstrated the simplicity and extensibility
features of this design approach.
Keywords: Microkernel, MPP, PARAM, PARAS, IPC, subsystems.
Click here to download the Microkernel Paper
(which is in Postscript format) or PDF version
Appeared in: The 4th International Conference on Avanced Computing,
1996.