Virtual networking and routing in partitioned embedded systems

Abstract

In the field of critical embedded systems, the use of hypervisors such as XtratuM Next Generation (XNG) allows for the concurrent execution of multiple environments, known as partitions, guaranteeing strict spatial and temporal segregation. These partitions require standard communication channels to interact with each other and with external networks securely, without compromising system safety. This paper presents a robust and lightweight networking architecture for partitioned systems. By utilizing Virtual Network Interfaces (vNICs) mapped over shared memory in conjunction with the lwIP (Lightweight IP) TCP/IP stack, an architecture capable of generating a virtual network between partitions is established. Additionally, the adoption of standard protocols like TCP/IP aligns the system with industry standards, eliminating the need to rewrite communication mechanisms when interfacing with complex operating systems such as Linux. Finally, the architecture demonstrates its capability to establish seamless communication between bare-metal applications and guest operating system environments within the same embedded system.