<p>A new proposal introduces support for a multikernel architecture in the Linux operating system, allowing multiple independent kernel instances to operate simultaneously on one machine, each dedicated to specific CPU cores. This development leverages the existing kexec infrastructure to facilitate inter-kernel communication using an Inter-Processor Interrupt (IPI) framework. The multikernel approach aims to enhance fault isolation, improve security through kernel-level separation, and achieve better resource utilization compared to traditional virtualization solutions.</p>
<p>The implementation includes a seven-patch series that introduces various enhancements, such as improvements to the kexec subsystem, x86-specific CPU bootstrap mechanisms, and a generic IPI communication framework. Additionally, a proc interface is provided for monitoring the various kernel instances in operation. One of the notable advantages of this architecture is the potential to apply kernel updates without needing a system reboot, as users can switch between different kernel instances. Furthermore, use cases for this architecture include the possibility of running specialized real-time kernels alongside general-purpose ones within the same machine, thus optimizing workload distribution without the heavier resource demands of VMs.</p>


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A new proposal introduces multikernel architecture support for Linux, enabling multiple independent kernel instances to run simultaneously on dedicated CPU cores. The implementation uses kexec infrastructure and IPI communication, offering benefits like fault isolation, enhanced security, better resource utilization, and the ability to update kernels without rebooting. This approach allows running specialized real-time kernels alongside general-purpose ones on the same machine.

Introducing Multi-Kernel Architecture Support in the Linux Kernel