Re: Update a running kernel - suggestion

Olivier Galibert (galibert@pobox.com)
Fri, 14 Aug 1998 21:52:53 +0200


On Fri, Aug 14, 1998 at 09:42:14PM +0200, Jesper Juhl wrote:
> I have been thinking, that it would be a very nice thing to be able to
> "unload" the running kernel, and replace it with a new version without
> requiering a reboot.

There's even an "easier" method:
- build a two-nodes or more box with a fast network in between
- code a DSM on top of it
- abstract all devices (including networks, graphics[1], sound,
filesystems).
- make the code able to add and remove dynamically nodes

The upgrading the kernel is nothing but:
- migrate all processes/threads to node 2
- detach node 1
- reboot node 1
- attach node 1
- migrate all processes/threads to node 1
- detach node 2
- reboot node 2
- attach node 2
- let schedulers flatten the load after a while

Of course do all of that while chatting with friends on IRC under X.

This is not immediate, but all the needed technologies are already out
there. I think linux 3.0 will be able to do that.

OG.

[1] GGI or equivalent required here.

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