Hybrid operating system

• US 8,615,766 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Concurix Corporation
• Inventors: Gounares, Alexander G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing
• Application Number:
  US13/461,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/02 Addressing or allocation; Relocation program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0284 Multiple user address space allocation, e.g. using different base addresses interprocessor communication G06F15/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/152 Virtualized environment, e.g. logically partitioned system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A hybrid operating system may allocate two sets of resources, one to a first operating system and one to a second operating system. Each operating system may have a memory manager, process scheduler, and other components that are aware of each other and cooperate. The hybrid operating system may allow one operating system to provide one set of services and a second operating system to provide a second set of services. For example, the first operating system may have monitoring applications, user interfaces, and other services, while the second operating system may be a lightweight, high performance operating system that may not provide the same services as the first operating system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

loading a first operating system onto a computer system having a plurality of processors;

operating said computer system using said first operating system, said first operating system having direct access to memory on said computer system;

allocating a first subset of said memory to said first operating system;

allocating a first processor to said first operating system;

loading a second operating system onto said computer system;

allocating a second subset of said memory to said second operating system;

allocating a second processor to said second operating system; and

operating said first operating system and said second operating system simultaneously on said computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

operating a first process scheduler for said first operating system; and

operating a second process scheduler for said second operating system.

3. The method of claim 2, said first process scheduler and said second process scheduler receiving a common timer input.

4. The method of claim 3, said second operating system having access to said memory, including said first subset of said memory.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to said loading said second operating system, operating said computer system using said first operating system, said first operating system operating on all of said multiple processors.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

shrinking said first operating system to operate on said first subset of memory.

7. The method of claim 1, said first operating system being allocated one of said processors.

8. The method of claim 1, said first operating system starting on a third processor, then moving said first operating system to said first processor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to said loading said second operating system, operating said computer system using said first operating system, said first operating system operating on all of said memory.