CAREER: Rebuilding the Virtual Memory Abstraction Across Hardware and Operating Systems

虚拟内存是现代计算系统的基础抽象，它支持内存资源的虚拟化、可编程性和隔离。然而，现有的虚拟存储器机制尚未被设计用于具有充足的存储器容量、过多的异构硬件资源以及能够绕过当前隔离机制的微架构攻击的当前数据中心计算时代。为了解决这些效率低下的问题，该项目将从头开始重建虚拟内存。拟议的研究议程将实现硬件资源的高利用率，并大大提高软件和硬件系统的安全性，从而实现高效、可持续和安全的网络中心。该项目包括一项与拟议研究议程相结合的综合教育计划。这包括本科和研究生课程，研究机会和推广活动。 该研究项目解决了设计和构建可扩展，异构和安全的柔韧虚拟内存抽象的基础研究挑战。该技术方法基于虚拟内存抽象，它将使：（i）用于TB级存储器系统的可缩放地址转换，（ii）跨堆栈的异构硬件感知虚拟存储器支持，以及（iii）强大且可配置的安全性，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Virtual memory is a cornerstone abstraction of modern computing systems that enables virtualization, programmability, and isolation of memory resources. However, existing virtual memory mechanisms have not been designed for the current era of datacenter computing with ample memory capacity, a plethora of heterogeneous hardware resources, and microarchitectural attacks that are able to bypass current isolation mechanisms. To address these inefficiencies this project will rebuild virtual memory from the ground up. The proposed research agenda will enable high utilization of hardware resources and greatly improve the security of software and hardware systems leading to efficient, sustainable, and secure datacenters. The project includes a comprehensive education plan that is integrated with the proposed research agenda. This includes undergraduate and graduate course offerings, research opportunities, and outreach activities. The research project tackles fundamental research challenges in designing and building a pliable virtual memory abstraction that is scalable, heterogeneous, and secure. The technical approach is based on a virtual memory abstraction that will enable: (i) scalable address translation for terabyte-scale memory systems, (ii) heterogeneous hardware-aware virtual memory support across the stack, and (iii) strong and configurable security for multi-tenant environments in the presence of microarchitectural vulnerabilities.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.