CSR --- EHS: The Design and Self-Organization of Component-based Systems for Dependable and Predictable Embedded Computing Environments

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

This research addresses several key deficiencies of existing systems used in real-time and embedded computing. These deficiencies include: (1) a rigid system structure, leading to inflexibility in the way system services are organized and isolated from each other, (2) a semantic gap between the needs of applications and the services offered by the system, and (3) a lack of support for managing time as a first-class resource. The research addresses these deficiencies by developing a component-based system for safe, predictable and efficient execution of application-specific services on a range of hardware platforms. In terms of safety the research seeks to ensure the dependability of a collection of software components, so that system integrity is not compromised, and the extent to which errant or untrustworthy code may impact the resource usage of other components is limited. The research is developing a system that is flexible in its placement of isolation boundaries around component services. The uses of hardware isolation features (e.g., paging, segmentation, virtualization technologies) on processors such as the x86 and ARM are investigated. Trade-offs in the communication overheads between components are studied, along with mechanisms and policies that dynamically adjust the isolation granularity of component services (hence inter-component communication costs) to ensure predictable service delays. This work is expected to form the basis for ongoing research into the design of systems that ensure a high degree of software dependability, including fault isolation at a minimum, while guaranteeing their timely execution. It is expected this will lay foundations for implementing future systems in a wide range of embedded computing domains, particularly those that encompass cyber-physical systems.