Offers streamlined code for embedded usage.
NEWSBYTE: The Linux Foundation has unveiled plans for a new open source project to provide streamlined embedded hypervisors for IoT devices.
Called Acrn, the project has been assisted by Intel, which contributed code and engineering. The main thrust of the project is to create small, flexible virtual machines.
ACRN comprises two main components: the hypervisor and its device model, complete with I/O mediators. The Linux-based hypervisor can run many ‘guest’ operating systems at the same time.
The Foundation said that developers would benefit from ACRN’s small, real-time footprint, which is flexible enough to accommodate different use cases and takes into account safety-critical workloads.
It added that consolidating a diverse set of IoT workloads with mixed criticality on a single platform would help reduce development and deployment costs, enabling a more streamlined system architecture.
“ACRN will have a Linux-based service OS and the ability to simultaneously run multiple types of guest operating systems, providing a powerful solution for workload consolidation,” said Imad Sousou, corporate VP and general manager of Intel’s Open Source Technology Center.
“This new project delivers a flexible, lightweight hypervisor, designed to take real-time and safety-critical concerns into consideration and drive meaningful innovation for the IoT space.”
Safety-critical systems
Angelo Corsaro, CTO of edge computing specialist Adlink Technology, said that the lack of open source virtualisation solutions for embedded, real-time, safety-critical systems has greatly hindered consolidation, along with the most interesting forms of fog computing.
“The release of ACRN as a Linux Foundation project by Intel will be a game changer, as it brings the agility and manageability of virtualised environments into embedded and real-time systems. This will be a key enabler toward making the Industrial Internet of Things happen for real,” he said.
Internet of Business says
It’s good news that ACRN will incorporate input from the open source, embedded, and IoT developer communities. Meanwhile, the Linux Foundation has said it will encourage collaboration and code contributions to the project – yet more evidence that the IoT is all about collaboration, at every stage of connected technology and data programmes.
More details can be found here.
IoTBuild is coming to San Francisco, CA on March 27 & 28, 2018 – Sign up to learn all you need to know about building an IoT ecosystem.