Product category:
Embedded Software and Operating Systems
News Release from: Green Hills Software | Subject: Integrity PC
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 December 2004
High-reliability OS hosts legacy
applications
Integrity PC is an extension to the Integrity operating system that enables the incorporation of legacy applications and traditional operating systems into high-security high-reliability applications.
New from Green Hills Software, Integrity PC is an extension to the company's Integrity operating system that enables the incorporation of legacy applications and traditional operating systems, such as Linux, into high-security and high-reliability applications Boeing is using Integrity PC to take advantage of existing Linux-based software
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 4 Jul 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Secure RTOS puts Windows in a padded cell
Green Hills Software has added several extensions to its Integrity PC Padded Cell secure virtualisation technology.
Operating system takes advantage of new processor
Integrity PC works with Intel vPro processor technology to perform a secure boot in which the PC hardware, BIOS, and Integrity kernel are measured.
With Integrity PC, Boeing engineers did not have to port their Linux code to a secure operating system and they can easily incorporate updates to the Linux-based code.
Integrity PC integrates the Integrity operating system with Green Hills Software's new Padded Cell secure virtualisation technology.
The Padded Cell technology implements a "virtual computer" in a user-mode application running on top of the Integrity operating system.
Further reading
IDE and compiler optimised for latest PowerPC
The latest version of the Green Hills MULTI 2000 integrated development environment is aimed at Motorola's new MPC7450 PowerPC microprocessor.
Green Hills has the lot for Cirrus Crystal
The latest IDE, RTOS and embedded internet connectivity products from Green Hills Software are for the Cirrus Logic Crystal CS89712 32bit RISC commmunications processor.
Easier real-time high-availability embedding
Green Hills Software has integrated its MULTI 2000 integrated development environment and fault-tolerant Integrity RTOS with Rational Software's visual development environment.
Multiple Padded Cell applications can run concurrently on a single physical computer, each hosting its own guest operating system.
An impenetrable wall around each virtual computer ensures that errant, insecure or malicious code can never compromise the security or reliability of the rest of the system - either inadvertently or via a hostile attack.
"Like a padded cell, Integrity PC prevents Linux, non-memory-protected operating systems such as Wind River's legacy VxWorks, and other insecure and unreliable software from harming the rest of a system while also limiting the harm it can do to itself", explained Dan O'Dowd, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Hills Software.
"For years, the Integrity operating system has led the market for security-critical and safety-critical applications, including leading-edge avionics and defence applications".
"Now, with Integrity PC, users of enterprise operating systems can upgrade to a secure foundation without having to re-implement their existing applications".
"Legacy operating systems and applications can safely co-exist with totally reliable and security-critical applications running natively under the Integrity operating system".
Key features and security threats addressed by Integrity PC include: guest operating systems and their applications run as "user mode" Integrity applications, which means that they cannot alter the hardware's configuration.
This prohibits them from circumventing the protections imposed by the Integrity operating system.
Hardware memory protection prevents software running within a virtual computer from reading or writing memory not explicitly allocated to it.
Even if a virtualised application were contaminated by a buffer overrun exploit, hacker, virus, worm or Trojan horse, it would not be able to corrupt, disrupt or spy on any other part of the system.
Moreover, a hacker cannot leverage a break-in of software running in one virtual computer to gain access to the rest of the system.
All input and output (I/O) operations can be monitored, including network communications.
This allows aberrant activity, such as that generated by spyware and hackers, to be detected and filtered.
Because the monitoring function is performed by a native Integrity application, it cannot be subverted or disabled by software running under a guest operating system.
Guaranteed resource availability provides each virtual computer and native Integrity application with the processor bandwidth and memory required for successful execution.
No software can exhaust the resources needed by another application or by the Integrity operating system-thwarting any denial-of-service attack.
Completely deterministic, real-time performance is provided by the Integrity operating system, enabling the co-existence of real-time and general-purpose applications.
Green Hills Software's Integrate tool allows users to graphically configure and visualise a system's security, such as the allocation of resources to an application, the devices that an application can access, and which applications can communicate with each other.
Integrity PC supports the simultaneous use of multiple system interfaces, for maximum developer and user flexibility.
The use of one or more guest operating systems provides binary compatibility with existing applications - no recompilation is needed.
Multiple instances of the same or different operating systems can run concurrently in different virtual computers, allowing programs to be compartmentalised for increased security.
Posix interfaces provide source code portability with Unix and Linux applications together with the reliability and security benefits of the Integrity operating system.
The Integrity operating system is the first and only operating system to be certified under the "Posix: Certified by IEEE and The Open Group" programme to the 1003.1-2003 System Interfaces Product Standard and is listed on the certification register.
Integrity interfaces offer full access to the operating system's underlying security and real-time performance capabilities.
Integrity PC running on PowerPC processors with support for Linux as a guest operating system is available today. Request a free brochure from Green Hills Software ...
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