Research in the field of operating systems and system software focuses on the design, development, and operation of efficient, system-oriented software. Operating systems are responsible for the efficient management of available resources (e.g., CPU time, memory) in computer systems and ensure the secure execution of system activities (e.g., process scheduling).
Challenges
Rapid technological advances in hardware and software are bringing operating systems into sharper focus. The hardware of today’s computing systems offers a wide range of different settings for improving performance (e.g., Turbo Boost) and saving energy (e.g., numerous deep sleep modes). These individual settings require a holistic view of the system, which only the operating system has. For future computer systems, operating systems will therefore play an increasingly important and central role in exploiting the potential for improved efficiency of further developments in hardware (e.g., new hardware architectures such as RISC-V) and software (e.g., new programming languages such as RUST or concepts such as container software).
Focus
Our research mainly focuses on the parallel and energy-efficient execution of processes using available computing cores.
Energy-conscious systems: Research into concepts for establishing energy-conscious system software. Heterogeneous systems of different classes are being investigated: from embedded systems to systems in the field of high-performance computing.
The careful use of available energy resources for the execution of pending work units (e.g., processes, program threads) plays a decisive role in the responsible use of system resources: Non-functional system properties (e.g., efficiency, operating time) can only be achieved through the optimal and smooth coordination of software and hardware components. The close integration of operating system components with the application level on the one hand and the targeted use of hardware mechanisms to reduce power consumption during operating time on the other are the basic prerequisites for establishing energy awareness at the system level.
Projects in the field of energy-aware systems include research on energy-aware programming, energy-aware scheduling, and the design and operation of energy-aware operating system components. They are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), for example through the SFB/Transregio “Invasive Computing” (InvasIC).
Projects and People
Research in the field of operating systems and system software conducted by Prof. Timo Hönig’s team is supported by international research collaborations:
- Energy-efficient high-performance computing in collaboration with Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA (Prof. Devesh Tiwari)
- Power and Energy-aware Computing on Heterogeneous Systems (PEACHES), Dagstuhl Seminar in collaboration with the University of Bristol (UK, Prof. Kerstin Eder), the University of Pittsburgh (USA, Prof. Daniel Mosse), and IBM Research (Australia, Dr. Julian de Hoog)
- Cross-layer coupling of network and operating system components in collaboration with Saarland University (Prof. Thorsten Herfet)
- Unified runtime support for energy measurements on heterogeneous systems in collaboration with the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) at the University of Potsdam (Prof. Andreas Polze)
- Operating system-supported runtime measurements and monitoring in collaboration with Nokia Networks (Ralf Schlenk)