Enhancing Hurd’s Distributed Shared Memory for Cross-Node Process Management

This research proposal explores the implementation of a distributed shared memory system within the Hurd operating system architecture, aiming to enable inter-node process management while adhering to full POSIX semantics. The current limitations of Hurd, particularly its single-node memory allocation and process localization, are addressed through the development of a robust network messaging protocol and a new shared memory management strategy. The proposal outlines mechanisms for cross-node forks, process migration, and improved synchronization techniques, ensuring efficient memory usage across distributed nodes. Key enhancements to the Mach kernel, such as enabling memory managers to attach to unmanaged pages and refining authentication protocols, are discussed to facilitate secure and reliable multi-node operations. Future work will focus on optimizing memory allocation, integrating with existing file systems, and enhancing communication protocols to support a fully operational SSI (Scalable Shared Infrastructure) cluster environment. The outlined improvements aim to position Hurd as a viable platform for distributed computing, paving the way for advanced applications in multi-node resource management and process synchronization.