"OS Circular": A Framework of Internet boot with virtual machine

von Kuniyasu Suzaki (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), Toshiki YAGI (AIST)

Mittwoch, 30.05.2007, Saal 3: Berlin, 17:00-18:00 Uhr

We are developing "OS Circular" which boots any OSes with a virtual bootloader and OS images.

The virtual bootloader is customized KNOPPIX which includes "Xen". KNOPPIX prepares drivers on anonymous PC and Xen offers full virtualization using Intel VT and AMD-V. The full virtualized environment works as a common bootloader for anonymous OSes.

The OS images are obtained with stackable virtual disk "Trusted HTTP-FUSE CLOOP". It re-constructs a virtual disk with block files on HTTP Servers. The block files are made form a block device split by certain size (default is 256KB). A name of block file is SHA1 of its contents and block files are mapped to a virtual disk with "index" file of SHA1 file names. Block files are measured their integrity when they are re-mapped to virtual disk. Block files are cached on a local storage and they make possible disconnect network. The features enable us to distribute OS images on anonymous Web Hosting Severs, Mirror Servers, and Proxies in the world.

OS circular offers easy-to-try environment for users and easy-to-distribute environment of customized OS for developers. Current OS Circular uses Xenoppix with Xen 3.0.4 and boot Debian/Etch and FreeBSD. The OSes are updated periodically and keep the security of applications.

Über den Autor Kuniyasu Suzaki:

Graduated form Tokyo University of Agriculture and Tchnology.
Current work is a Senior Researcher of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan).

He maintains Xenoppix (Xen+KNOPPIX) and KNOPPIX Japanese
edition. He is interested in Linux Emulator and virtual machine. So
he customized KNOPPIX for UserMode-Linux, coLinux, QEMU, QEMU/KVM
and VirtualBox.

He is also interested in Internet boot and trusted boot with TPM
chip. He developed trusted network block device "Trusted HTTP-FUSE
CLOOP" and integrated it to Xenoppix.

Über den Autor Toshiki YAGI: