CNS Core:Small:Revisiting Process Isolation with Compound Processes

现代计算机软件通常由一起执行的程序组组成。这可能像web服务器和数据库一样简单，也可能像数千台虚拟机一样复杂，每个虚拟机运行数十个程序，所有这些都朝着同一个目标一起工作。这类相关程序组通常由单个用户启动，他甚至可能将它们视为单个单元或“堆栈”。今天，这种为单个用户实现单个目标的通用软件堆栈模型并没有反映在软件实际执行的方式中。相反，通过一种称为进程隔离的机制，堆栈的每一层都小心翼翼地防范其他层的入侵。更重要的是，许多现代堆栈由虚拟机组（vm）组成，其中在vm之间施加了额外的保护层，通常导致高开销和低效率。这个项目引入了一个新的概念，一个更好地反映现代软件现实的“复合过程”。复合进程可以在单个信任域中托管多个“来宾”程序，从而消除单个软件堆栈组件之间昂贵且经常冗余的保护措施，从而获得可观的性能优势。该项目将沿着三个主要方向进行：(a)基本复合进程加载器和支持库，允许用户在单个复合进程中作为线程运行任意组合的程序（来宾），(b)运行时支持单个来宾共享单个线程，允许进一步提高效率，以及(c)在单个复合进程中自动运行整个虚拟机的所有进程作为来宾。通过提高常用软件栈的执行效率，该项目旨在减少设备需求并提高运行现代世界的软件的能源效率。除了直接的研究影响外，项目的经验将丰富计算机系统课程，并为UIC，少数民族（MSI），亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民（AANAPISI）和西班牙裔（HSI）服务机构的本科生提供研究机会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Modern computer software commonly consists of groups of programs executing together. This may be as simple as a web server and a database, or as complex as thousands of virtual machines, each running dozens of programs, all working together toward the same goal. Such groups of related programs are often started by a single user, who may even think of them as a single unit or "stack". Today, this common model of a stack of software, working toward a single goal on behalf of a single user is not reflected in the way the software actually executes. Instead, each individual layer of the stack is painstakingly guarded against incursion by other layers, through a mechanism called process isolation. What is more, many modern stacks consist of groups of virtual machines (VMs), where an additional layer of safeguards is imposed between VMs, often resulting in high overheads and low efficiency. This project introduces a new concept, a "compound process" which better reflects the realities of modern software. A compound process may host several "guest" programs in a single trust domain, eliminating expensive and often redundant safeguards between components of a single software stack, to yield substantial performance benefits. The project will proceed along three main thrusts: (a) a basic compound process loader and support libraries, allowing the user to run arbitrary combinations of programs (guests) as threads in a single compound process, (b) runtime supports for individual guests sharing a single thread, allowing further efficiency improvements, and (c) automatically running all of the processes of an entire a virtual machine as guests within a single compound process. By improving the efficiency of execution of popularly used software stacks, this project aims to reduce the equipment needs and increase the energy efficiency of the software that runs the modern world. Beyond direct research impact, experience from the project will both enrich the computer systems curriculum and provide research opportunities to both undergraduates students at UIC, a Minority (MSI), Asian American and Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) and Hispanic (HSI) Serving Institution.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.