Network stack cloning / virtualization patches

[Jordan K Hubbard]

Wow, this is VERY impressive!   I wish all FreeBSD "research project" 
work of this nature was as complete, functional or compatible with 
existing applications as yours appears to be.  Have you thought about 
extending this to the point to where each independent instance truly is 
a functionally independent kernel instance, similar to some of the 
"virtual Linux"  work done by/for IBM so that you can run n "linuxes" 
on a single 3090 processor?

- Jordan

On Sunday, May 25, 2003, at 04:04 PM, Marko Zec wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> at http://www.tel.fer.hr/zec/vimage/ you can find a set of patches
> against 4.8-RELEASE kernel that provide support for network stack
> cloning. The patched kernel allows multiple fully independent network
> stack instances to simultaneously coexist within a single OS kernel,
> providing a foundation for supporting diverse new applications,
> including:
>
> - Enhanced virtual hosting (think of jails with its own private set of
> network interfaces, IP addresses, routing tables, ipfw and dummynet
> instance etc.);
> - High-performance real-time network simulation / emulation;
> - Fully isolated overlay VPN provisioning (using IP tunnels), including
> the possibility of creating nested VPNs.
>
> The network stacks are embedded in new resource container entities
> named "virtual images". Each process and network stack instance within
> the system has to be associated with a virtual image, which in effect
> becomes a light or pseudo virtual machine entity. Additional goodies
> include the possibility to control some other resources besides the
> network stack, most notably the independent CPU load and usage
> accounting, as well as feedback-driven proportional share scheduling
> among virtual images. For more details, check the above URL.
> Note that the patch was designed to allow all existing applications and
> utilities to run unmodified on the patched kernel, so no recompiling of
> the userland is necessary.
> Hope you'll find use for the new framework :-)
> Cheers,
>
> Marko
>
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--
Jordan K. Hubbard
Engineering Manager, BSD technology group
Apple Computer