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--- en:docs:os2:architecture [2014/06/06 17:45] – [Multiple Virtual Machines (MVM) server] valerius
+++ en:docs:os2:architecture [2018/08/17 13:47] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 LX executable format is unlikely to be used on other architectures, because it is tied to the Intel one. So,
-most possibly, the ELF format will be used. It is cross-platform, extensible and simple. It supports both a 32-bit and a 64-bit variant.  IBM Microkernel used ELF too. And more, IBM used an extended ELF format with special binary sections semantics. It supported inline resources, imports and exports, for example. So, it was possible to use UNIX-style shared objects, as well as OS/2-style DLL's.
+most possibly, the ELF format will be used. It is cross-platform, extensible and simple. It supports both a 32-bit and a 64-bit variant.  IBM Microkernel used ELF too. And more, IBM used an extended ELF format with special binary sections semantics. It supported inline resources, imports and exports, for example. So, it was possible to use UNIX-style shared objects, as well as OS/2-style DLL's, both in ELF format.
 So, the userland must be compatible with OS/2 (Intel). This includes some support of 16-bit applications. Although
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 The term "MVM" goes from OS/2 (PowerPC). It replaces the term "MVDM" (Multiple Virtual **DOS** Machines). The PowerPC platform could not so easily emulate the Intel processor real mode, so it required more emulation. Though, we must say that it worked just fine, fast, and theoretically may be used not for DOS only. (IBM had plans to provide a binary compatibility with OS/2 (Intel), on the base of the same component which was used to run DOS Apps).
-=== MVM server ===
+Read more on [[en:docs:general:mvm|MVM personality]]
-The MVM server is a central server of the MVM personality -- the infrastructure for running multiple virtual machines on top of L4 microkernel. It is almost separate from OS/2 personality, but can be controlled by OS/2 programs via DosOpenVDD/DosCloseVDD/DosRequestVDD API's.
+==== Other OS's personalities ====
-So, the MVM server exposes some interfaces to other OS personalities to be controlled by them. Also, it starts VM's, which are executed in the context of a VM monitor, running a guest OS (DOS, for example). The VM environment is defined by VDD's ((Virtual Device Drivers)) loaded. The MVM server loads VDD's, which are a kind of plugins. Also, it exports some helper API's for VDD's via MVDM.DLL.
+The microkernel is a 'core' of the system implementing the very minimal set of mechanisms and abstractions. It has no policies in it, only pure mechanisms. The OS's are implemented on top. There can be multiple separate OS'es running on top of a common microkernel. In general, the OS's can have only microkernel as a common part.
-=== Virtual Device Drivers (VDD's) ===
+But it is not a clever idea to create each OS from scratch. So, some higher level abstractions needed to be created on top of the microkernel, and then the OS'es need to be based on them. These higher level abstractions are the set of servers and libs, called the Personality Neutral Services (or Neutral Personality). If compare with WinNT design, it is simiar to 'Native' NT API, which is a base for Win32 and other subsystems
-A VDD is like a plugin for MVM Server, and it can communicate with outside programs via request API (DosRequestVDD for OS/2 programs). On the other side, from the VM point of view, the VDD emulates some BIOS services/Option ROM's, a hardware devices of guest platform. It installs interrupt handlers, catches I/O ports or MMIO registers accesses from inside the guest OS. A VDD implements its services based on VDD helpers API, served by the MVM server.
+See [[en:docs:general:index|osFree Whitepaper]] for general system design, and proposed personalities.
-Originally, the MV(D)M were used to emulate a 8086 machine with BIOS and DOS/Win 3.1. But now it is a trend for many OS'es to have the kernel virtual machines, like kvm in Linux or VirtualPC in WinNT. Our MVM personality is our solution of the same kind, but it not so monolithic like qemu/kvm -- it decomposed to several parts, in best IBM solutions design traditions. The VDD's are like plugins for MVM server, allowing to extend the MVM environment. They're loadable modules (DLL's).
+=== "The one Ring to Bind Them all" (OS/2 as an integration platform for different types of applications) ===
-Also, as we're told previously, to share the screen with OS/2 apps and apps of other personalities, IBM created the solution of "Seamless WinOS/2". This is the possibility for Win 3.1 programs to share the same screen with OS/2 PM ones.
+OS/2 personality is proposed to be a dominant personality. It governs all Personalities and Virtual Machines via the WPS objects. It has API's to communicate other VM's and Personalities. And the Desktop is an OS/2 desktop, using the GRADD Video driver. This Desktop is shared between all 'native' and 'alien' apps.
-=== Virtual Machine Monitor ===
+I heard that IBM registered a trade mark "The Integration Platform (TM)", and it is a general concept and ideology under OS/2 design.
-=== The DOS emulation kernel (doskrnl) ===
+It advertised as "DOS better than DOS" and "Windows better than Windows", and it's true. The continuation of this idea was the Workplace OS, which was never finished, because a voluntary desision of IBM management. It is failed also because no other companies were willing to port their OS'es to IBM's microkernel. But we care much only about OS/2 personality as a base and our OS. The other personalities could be reused as results or other projects, like L4linux or ReactOS, and Opensource will help us with it.
-=== Instruction Set Translator (IST) ===
+ ==== The current OS/2 personality prototype ====
-=== VM86 on Intel, and Hardware-assisted virtualization ===
+The osFree Demo setup was demonstrated in 2011, Aug, 22, on the Chaos Constructions'2011 Computer Art festival, in St'Petersbourg. See [[ru:articles:cc-2011|A speech of Oxyd on CC'2011]], a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxE6Jy3SQ04|clip]] on youtube (in russian).
-=== Microkernels as Hypervisors ===
+The current demo CD can be downloaded from our [[en:download|download area]]
-==== Other OS's personalities ====
+Here is described our demo setup: [[en:docs:os2:status|osFree demo]].
-=== "The one Ring to Bind Them all" (OS/2 as an integration platform for different types of applications) ===
-==== The current OS/2 personality prototype ====
 ==== osFree PM ====
@@ Line 86: / Line 82: @@
 The osFree PM is an osFree version of FreePM, which was began by Evgeny Kotsuba, and then abandoned. After that, we did some changes to it, and called it "osFree PM", to avoid name collision in case Evgeny will continue his initial version.
-  * [[http://wiki.laser.ru/os8/index.php/FreePM|Docs about FreePM, by Evgeny]], now inaccessible
+  * [[http://web.archive.org/web/20071214042403/http://wiki.laser.ru/os8/index.php/FreePM|Docs about FreePM, by Evgeny]], WebArchive version
   * [[http://frepm.sourceforge.net|FreePM on SourceForge]] Forum and code repository
-  * [[en:docs:pm:index|Documentation]] on PM implementation based on FreePM
+  * [[en:docs:os2:pm:index|Documentation]] on PM implementation based on FreePM
-  * [[en:docs:freepm:index|Some parts]] of FreePM docs written by Evgeny.
+  * [[en:docs:os2:freepm:index|Some parts]] of FreePM docs written by Evgeny.
-=== Graphical Program Interface (GPI) ===
+~~DISCUSSION~~
-The GPI ((Graphical Program Interface)) is the graphical engine of Presentation Manager. It is  based on PM GRE ((Graphics Runtime Engine)). The GPI/GRE is the counterparts of Windows GDI. The GPI/GRE pair is designed as an enhanced version of Windows Graphics Engine. Contrary to Windows, they are decomposed to two layers. The GPI is the high-level layer.
-The Windows programs API's operate directly on DC ((Device Context)). OS/2 PM is redesigned, so Programs operate on PS ((Presentation Space)), not the DC. The DC is something related to the instance of graphics device (the video screen, a window or printer).
-The PS is a higher level abstraction. It can be treated as a canvas in other graphics libraries. It maintain such things as current background/foreground color, a palette, a brush shape, a current font etc. Also, the PS can be associated/deassociated to/from the DC, or migrate from one DC to another. This gives a flexibility to graphics API.
-The GPI functions have the "Gpi" prefix and reside in PMGPI.DLL. They are buillt on top of GRE functions.
-=== Graphics Runtime Environment (OS/2 PM GRE) and Presentation Drivers ===
-The GRE is a low-level graphics API which operates DC's. It handles all kinds of graphics deviices like video cards and printers.
-The GPI contains an array of pointers called the Dispatch Table. This table stores pointers to the most lowlevel GRE functrions.
-The graphics device drivers are called also "presentation drivers". The presentation drivers get an instance of Dispatch Table, and hook in GRE by installing their own functions pointers in the Dispatch Table, and preserving the old ones.
-=== The GRADD model ===
-=== Video Protected Mode Interface (PMI) ===
-==== VIO/KBD/MOU (Console API) ====
-=== VIO and BVH's (Base Video Handlers) ===
-==== Framebuffer Interface ====
-=== Virtual Framebuffer over GRADD driver ===
-=== BVH and PM GRE on top of a Framebuffer interface ===
-==== The current osFree PM prototype ====
-~~DISCUSSION~~