Unikernels: The Next Stage of Linux’s Dominance

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Citation: Ali Raza, Parul Sohal, James Cadden, Jonathan Appavoo, Ulrich Drepper, Richard Jones, Orran Krieger, Renato Mancuso, Larry Woodman Unikernels: The Next Stage of Linux’s Dominance.
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): Unikernels: The Next Stage of Linux’s Dominance
Wikidata (metadata): Q63444268
Download: https://www.cs.bu.edu/~jappavoo/Resources/Papers/unikernel-hotos19.pdf
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Summary

Says current unikernels follow one of two approaches: built from scratch often for a single language target, or an existing kernel codebase is stripped of functionality deemed unnecessary for the unikernel. Former requires new applications, latter requires maintaining fork of large kernel project. Requirements for author's Unikernel Linux (UKL):

  1. Most applications and user libraries should be able tobe integrated into a unikernel without modification
  2. Avoid any ring transition overheads
  3. Allow cross-layer optimization
  4. The changes in Linux source code should be minimalso that they can be accepted upstream and the unikerenel can be an integral part of Linux going forward

Describe initial implementation which requires minimal changes to Linux and glibc and shows promising results. Describe challenges and path forward.

Theoretical and Practical Relevance

Video summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWUgBsEXiU