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Applicability of Virtualization to Embedded Systems

Tackling Complexity by “Divide and Conquer”

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Solutions on Embedded Systems

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 81))

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Abstract

The increasing complexity of embedded system software in combination with the frequent requirement for safety and/or security calls for a new approach towards embedded system software architecture. Similar to server systems, which went through the problems of escalating software complexity years ago, virtualization could also prove useful in the context of embedded systems since it allows to divide complex systems into sets of smaller and thus manageable subsystems. In this article, various approaches to virtualization are examined with respect to their applicability to embedded systems and the more suitable among them are identified. However, even these approaches suffer from shortcomings with respect to their real-time capabilities, so methods are proposed which could remedy these shortcomings.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Integrated Modular Avionics.

  2. 2.

    Where the definition of “timely” as well as the degree to which it has to be ensured may vary largely.

  3. 3.

    Bochs is primarily intended as a tool for test and debug purposes, but not for productive systems.

  4. 4.

    So-called hypercalls.

  5. 5.

    In principle, any of the processes hosted by a guest operating system could recursively host multiple processes, so the hierarchy could in fact have any number of levels.

  6. 6.

    Note that the quantum axis in Fig. 15.1 is scaled logarithmically.

  7. 7.

    Xen, however, does feature a pluggable scheduler architecture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bingen University of Applied Sciences, Bingen, Germany

    Robert Kaiser

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  1. Robert Kaiser
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Correspondence to Robert Kaiser .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipt di Ingegneria Biomed, Elettronica e, DIBET, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via brecce bianche 12, Ancona, 60131, Italy

    Massimo Conti

  2. , DIBET, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via brecce bianche 12, Ancona, 60131, Italy

    Simone Orcioni

  3. , Computer Science, Reutlingen University, Alteburgstr. 150, Reutlingen, 72762, Germany

    Natividad Martínez Madrid

  4. Hochschule für Technik,, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung (HTWG), Hochschule Konstanz, Brauneggerstrasse 55, Konstanz, 78462, Germany

    Ralf E.D. Seepold

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Kaiser, R. (2011). Applicability of Virtualization to Embedded Systems. In: Conti, M., Orcioni, S., Martínez Madrid, N., Seepold, R. (eds) Solutions on Embedded Systems. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 81. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0638-5_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0638-5_15

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0638-5

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