{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/23119"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/23119","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Popcorn Linux: enabling efficient inter-core communication in a Linux-based multikernel operating system","abstract":"As manufacturers introduce new machines with more cores, more NUMA-like architectures, and more tightly integrated heterogeneous processors, the traditional abstraction of a monolithic OS running on a SMP system is encountering new challenges. One proposed path forward is the multikernel operating system. Previous efforts have shown promising results both in scalability and in support for heterogeneity. However, one effort\\'s source code is not freely available (FOS), and the other effort is not self-hosting and does not support a majority of existing applications (Barrelfish). In this thesis, we present Popcorn, a Linux-based multikernel operating system. While Popcorn was a group effort, the boot layer code and the memory partitioning code are the author\\'s work, and we present them in detail here. To our knowledge, we are the first to support multiple instances of the Linux kernel on a 64-bit x86 machine and to support more than 4 kernels running simultaneously. We demonstrate that existing subsystems within Linux can be leveraged to meet the design goals of a multikernel OS. Taking this approach, we developed a fast inter-kernel network driver and messaging layer. We demonstrate that the network driver can share a 1 Gbit/s link without degraded performance and that in combination with guest kernels, it meets or exceeds the performance of SMP Linux with an event-based web server. We evaluate the messaging layer with microbenchmarks and conclude that it performs well given the limitations of current x86-64 hardware. Finally, we use the messaging layer to provide live process migration between cores.","abstract_html":"As manufacturers introduce new machines with more cores, more NUMA-like architectures, and more tightly integrated heterogeneous processors, the traditional abstraction of a monolithic OS running on a SMP system is encountering new challenges. One proposed path forward is the multikernel operating system. Previous efforts have shown promising results both in scalability and in support for heterogeneity. However, one effort\\'s source code is not freely available (FOS), and the other effort is not self-hosting and does not support a majority of existing applications (Barrelfish). In this thesis, we present Popcorn, a Linux-based multikernel operating system. While Popcorn was a group effort, the boot layer code and the memory partitioning code are the author\\'s work, and we present them in detail here. To our knowledge, we are the first to support multiple instances of the Linux kernel on a 64-bit x86 machine and to support more than 4 kernels running simultaneously. We demonstrate that existing subsystems within Linux can be leveraged to meet the design goals of a multikernel OS. Taking this approach, we developed a fast inter-kernel network driver and messaging layer. We demonstrate that the network driver can share a 1 Gbit/s link without degraded performance and that in combination with guest kernels, it meets or exceeds the performance of SMP Linux with an event-based web server. We evaluate the messaging layer with microbenchmarks and conclude that it performs well given the limitations of current x86-64 hardware. Finally, we use the messaging layer to provide live process migration between cores.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shelton, Benjamin H."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Computer Engineering","degree_department":"Electrical and Computer Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Ravindran, Binoy"],"committee_members":["Plassmann, Paul E.","White, Christopher Jules"],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-05-31","date_published":"2013-05-31","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:04Z","subjects":["Operating systems","multikernel","high-performance computing","heterogeneous computing","multicore","scalability","message passing"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:1039"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:1039","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/23119","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Ravindran, Binoy"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Plassmann, Paul E.","White, Christopher Jules"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shelton, Benjamin H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2013-06-01T08:00:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-06-01T08:00:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-05-31"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Operating systems","multikernel","high-performance computing","heterogeneous computing","multicore","scalability","message passing"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:1039"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/23119"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["As manufacturers introduce new machines with more cores, more NUMA-like architectures, and more tightly integrated heterogeneous processors, the traditional abstraction of a monolithic OS running on a SMP system is encountering new challenges. One proposed path forward is the multikernel operating system. Previous efforts have shown promising results both in scalability and in support for heterogeneity. However, one effort\\'s source code is not freely available (FOS), and the other effort is not self-hosting and does not support a majority of existing applications (Barrelfish). In this thesis, we present Popcorn, a Linux-based multikernel operating system. While Popcorn was a group effort, the boot layer code and the memory partitioning code are the author\\'s work, and we present them in detail here. To our knowledge, we are the first to support multiple instances of the Linux kernel on a 64-bit x86 machine and to support more than 4 kernels running simultaneously. We demonstrate that existing subsystems within Linux can be leveraged to meet the design goals of a multikernel OS. Taking this approach, we developed a fast inter-kernel network driver and messaging layer. We demonstrate that the network driver can share a 1 Gbit/s link without degraded performance and that in combination with guest kernels, it meets or exceeds the performance of SMP Linux with an event-based web server. We evaluate the messaging layer with microbenchmarks and conclude that it performs well given the limitations of current x86-64 hardware. Finally, we use the messaging layer to provide live process migration between cores."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Popcorn Linux: enabling efficient inter-core communication in a Linux-based multikernel operating system"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Ravindran, Binoy"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Plassmann, Paul E.","White, Christopher Jules"],"dc:contributor.department":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Shelton, Benjamin H."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2013-06-01T08:00:14Z"],"dc:date.available":["2013-06-01T08:00:14Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-05-31"],"dc:description.abstract":["As manufacturers introduce new machines with more cores, more NUMA-like architectures, and more tightly integrated heterogeneous processors, the traditional abstraction of a monolithic OS running on a SMP system is encountering new challenges. One proposed path forward is the multikernel operating system. Previous efforts have shown promising results both in scalability and in support for heterogeneity. However, one effort\\'s source code is not freely available (FOS), and the other effort is not self-hosting and does not support a majority of existing applications (Barrelfish). In this thesis, we present Popcorn, a Linux-based multikernel operating system. While Popcorn was a group effort, the boot layer code and the memory partitioning code are the author\\'s work, and we present them in detail here. To our knowledge, we are the first to support multiple instances of the Linux kernel on a 64-bit x86 machine and to support more than 4 kernels running simultaneously. We demonstrate that existing subsystems within Linux can be leveraged to meet the design goals of a multikernel OS. Taking this approach, we developed a fast inter-kernel network driver and messaging layer. We demonstrate that the network driver can share a 1 Gbit/s link without degraded performance and that in combination with guest kernels, it meets or exceeds the performance of SMP Linux with an event-based web server. We evaluate the messaging layer with microbenchmarks and conclude that it performs well given the limitations of current x86-64 hardware. Finally, we use the messaging layer to provide live process migration between cores."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:1039"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/23119"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Operating systems","multikernel","high-performance computing","heterogeneous computing","multicore","scalability","message passing"],"dc:title":["Popcorn Linux: enabling efficient inter-core communication in a Linux-based multikernel operating system"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Computer Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:04Z"}