Isolation, Resource Management, and Sharing in Java
Processes in KaffeOS: Isolation, Resource Management, and Sharing in Java Godmar Back, Wilson C. Hsieh, Jay Lepreau School of Computing University of Utah Abstract many environments for executing untrusted code: for example, applets, servlets, active packets [41], database Single-language runtime systems, in the form of Java queries [15], and kernel extensions [6]. Current systems virtual machines, are widely deployed platforms for ex- (such as Java) provide memory protection through the ecuting untrusted mobile code. These runtimes pro- enforcement of type safety and secure system services vide some of the features that operating systems pro- through a number of mechanisms, including namespace vide: inter-application memory protection and basic sys- and access control. Unfortunately, malicious or buggy tem services. They do not, however, provide the ability applications can deny service to other applications. For to isolate applications from each other, or limit their re- example, a Java applet can generate excessive amounts source consumption. This paper describes KaffeOS, a of garbage and cause a Web browser to spend all of its Java runtime system that provides these features. The time collecting it. KaffeOS architecture takes many lessons from operating To support the execution of untrusted code, type-safe system design, such as the use of a user/kernel bound- language runtimes need to provide a mechanism to iso- ary, and employs garbage collection techniques, such as late and manage the resources of applications, analogous write barriers. to that provided by operating systems. Although other re- The KaffeOS architecture supports the OS abstraction source management abstractions exist [4], the classic OS of a process in a Java virtual machine.
[Show full text]