VOS Patents on Virtualizing OSs?

Erik Poupaert writes "I've been following VMWare and plex86 (used to be freemware) for a while now, because I think that virtualization may be a solution to quite a number of problems. It basically allows you to run several operating systems concurrently. IBM uses this approach too, to run a large number of Linux instances on their mainframes. While you can leave the task of managing devices and device drivers to the host operating system, guest operating systems can supply you with the ideosyncracies of their particular versions to run the applications that expect them. Since VMWare is not free, as in free speech, I thought that plex86 would become the lead open-source project in the field. Now there seems to be a new player, that I never heard of before, called VOS, who claims the whole field to themselves, and have filed patents to obtain a monopoly on the entire discpline. Have they got any chance in succeeding? Or do you think that the patent office would not grant such patent?"

Comments

Did you look at the whitepapers?

[Ralph]

Their product won't be anything like VMware or plex86, they are building a BIOS-Enhancement.

From their Homepage:

Version 1: Flash Vos? virtualizes the disk device only. Thus, a single disk device can be partitioned into multiple virtual disks, with a separate OS installed in each virtual disk. Each installed OS is oblivious to the others, and Flash Vos? Super O/S resides in the BIOS, above the OS level. Only one OS at a time can actually run on the computer. To switch OS's, the user must exit the currently running OS, change the active partition of the disk using Flash Vos? Super O/S, and reboot the new OS. This method of switching OS's may be termed a "cold swap".

This looks like a BIOS-Bootmanager, it just activates the partition the OS you're interested in resides on, then let's you boot from that partition. Magic indeed.

Version 2: Flash Vos? Super O/S can checkpoint the active state of the current OS, allowing a rapid changeover ("hot swap") to another OS without halting and rebooting. The active state of the current OS is saved on disk, and the new OS is resumed in the exact state in which it was last saved.

Aah, a BIOS based bootmanager with APM - The state of your work is saved to disk, then you reboot.

Version 3: Flash Vos? Super O/S virtualizes the main memory and I/O resources, allowing multiple OS images and applications to reside in separate portions of the main memory. This means that the user can instantly switch to another active OS, via Flash Vos? Super O/S.

Okay, that looks like a VMware done in hardware. Each OS is given a slice of the available RAM in which it can reside and run. You can switch between different Virtual-Machines. Okay, ther is no emulation layer in here, as all OSes are running on the actual hardware. When switching OSes, the OS you're switching from has to release all Hardware - that seems to be interesting. But that is "Phase III", so I wouldn't hold my breath.

Version 4: Flash Vos? Super O/S fully virtualizes, multiplexes, and schedules all physical resources, allowing concurrent execution of multiple OS's and their applications, including communication and shared storage between OS's.

Can't wait for that one - does anyone need a nice bridge? I own one I could sell :)

Ralph

Interesting contest idea

[nagora]

The story's a wind-up but it gave me an idea.

How about someone starts a competition to come up with something the USPO wouldn't allow. The funnier the better. If the word got out to the mainstream media as a filler item, it might even make a useful point to the masses and their masters on The Hill.

"In other news, a Computer Firm is offering $10,000 of hardware to anyone who can come up with an idea that the Patent Office would not pass. A spokesperson said `It's going to be tough but there must be SOMETHING they won't pass'"

Of course, we'd have to have a prize worth noting, so it would need some rich sponsor with an interest in the topic (Hello, RedHat; VA Linux?).

Rational debate isn't working with the PO, so maybe it's time to make fun of them in public.

TWW