CSR--EHS: Next-Generation Real-Time Device Driver Architecture: Integrating Schedulability Theory with Driver Implementation Practices

设备驱动程序是通常由硬件供应商和第三方独立开发的操作系统组件，通常假定驱动程序是操作系统中唯一的时间关键型组件。设备驱动程序以完全内核权限执行，可以绕过系统的调度机制来满足自己的要求。这反过来会干扰其他应用程序和设备驱动程序的执行和计时。该项目旨在提高对嵌入式实时应用程序的设备驱动程序支持的最新水平。该方法涉及通过可执行基于模型的可调度性测试的范例来适配操作系统内的设备驱动程序执行的调度。该研究研究了现有设备驱动程序的代表性示例，以确定它们如何适合用于可调度性分析的已被广泛理解的正式模型。它探讨了如何改进驱动程序、操作系统的设备驱动程序调度机制和正式模型，以实现更可预测的实时应用程序性能。研究活动包括形式化分析、新体系结构功能的原型实现和性能测试，旨在解决当前操作系统中的设备驱动程序对实时分析提出的问题。除了通过常规会议和出版物传播结果，以及培训研究生和本科生外，该项目还寻求通过传播实时内核代码和基准程序来推进实时计算实践。

Device drivers are operating system components that are typically developed independently by hardware vendors and third parties, often under the assumption that the driver is the only time-critical component in the operating system. Device drivers execute with full kernel privileges and can circumvent the system's scheduling mechanisms to meet their own requirements. This, in turn, interferes with the execution and timing of other applications and device drivers.This project seeks to improve the state-of-the-art in device driver support for embedded real-time applications. The approach involves fitting the scheduling of device driver execution within the operating system via paradigms for which model-based schedulability testing can be performed. The research studies representative examples of existing device drivers to determine how they fit well-understood formal models for schedulability analysis. It explores how the drivers, the operating system's device driver scheduling mechanisms, and formal models can be improved to achieve more predictable performance for real-time applications. The research activities include formal analysis, prototype implementation of new architectural features, and performance testing.This research strives to address problems that the device drivers in current operating systems pose for real-time analysis. Besides disseminating results through conventional meetings and publications, and training graduate and undergraduate students, this project seeks to advance real-time computing practice through the dissemination of real-time kernel code and benchmark programs.