SBIR Phase I: Reduced Instruction Set Computer-V (RISC-V) Unikernels

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力侧重于在美国开发更安全的计算机基础设施，特别是针对建筑自动化系统、电力系统等。目前的大部分基础设施运行在较旧的计算机体系结构上，硬件存在一些无法通过升级软件来修复的漏洞。该项目旨在使Ventors能够更快地发现并修复硬件漏洞，而不受知识产权所有者的限制。该项目将允许未经修改的Linux二进制文件作为单内核在精简指令集Computer-V(RISC-V)架构的精简指令集上运行。RISC-V架构是一种开放的ISA(指令集架构)，允许在不断扩展的边缘和物联网(IoT)空间进行快速创新和广泛采用。能够将应用程序作为单内核部署到RISC-V，而不是普通的Linux来宾操作系统，为生态系统带来了强大的安全性、性能和部署优势。此小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第1阶段项目直接解决当前EDGE和物联网项目的性能、安全和部署问题。目前基于EDGE的系统使用的是几十年前的操作系统，很难升级，并且是全球网络攻击的目标。为了能够安全地部署需要边缘计算的高级技术，例如机器学习应用程序，必须解决底层操作系统的安全问题。UniKernels是单进程系统，可以在相同的虚拟机上运行程序，同时极大地减少了受攻击面。通过将单内核技术应用于RISC-V架构，可以更快、更安全地部署先进技术。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project focuses on the development of a more secure computer infrastructure in the US, particularly for building automation systems, power systems, etc. Much of the current infrastructure runs on older computer architectures and the hardware suffers from a number of vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed by upgrading the software. This project seeks to allow ventors to find and fix hardware vulnerabilities more quickly and without constraints from intellectual property holders. The project will allow un-modified Linux binaries to run as unikernels on the reduced instruction set of reduced instruction set computer-V (RISC-V) architecture. The RISC-V architecture is an open ISA (instruction set architecture) and allows for rapid innovation and broad adoption in the expanding edge and IoT (internet of things) space. Being able to deploy applications to RISC-V as unikernels versus ordinary Linux guests brings strong security, performance, and deployment benefits to the ecosystem.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project directly addresses performance, security, and deployment problems current edge and IoT projects. Current edge-based systems use operating systems that are multi-decades old, are hard to upgrade, and are targeted in cyberattacks worldwide. To enable advanced technology that requires edge compute such as machine learning applications to be safely deployed, the security concerns of the underlying operating system must be addressed. Unikernels are single process systems that can run programs on the same virtual machines with a heavily reduced attack surface. By applying unikernel technology to the RISC-V architecture, advanced technology can be more quickly deployed in a safer manner.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.