Adaptive object management for a reconfigurable microkernel

Generic mechanisms and policies provided by the existing operating system kernels cannot satisfy requirements of the current and future applications especially in mobile system environments. An operating system kernel needs to be adaptable, customizable, and extensible to cope with the changes of a computation environment and requirements from applications. This paper introduces a DKM (Dynamic Kernel Module) as a mechanism and the DKM server as a service to reconfigure RT-Mach. A DKM is an extension of a LKM (Loadable Kernel Module), which is provided by UNIX kernels to extend their functionality dynamically. The DKM server manages their load and detachment. It must be programmable not to lose the flexibility of their management but to be reconfigurable to cope with a variety of applications and systems.