ARCADE: A Platform for Heterogeneous Distributed Operating Systems

A new approach to the design of distributed and multiprocessor operating systems is presented. This approach, called ARCADE, addresses the problems inherent in an interconnection of heterogeneous computers. It also allows efficient operation of uniprocessors and shared-memory multiprocessors. ARCADE specifies the conceptual structure and functional behavior of a platform which supports cooperating tasks. Operating systems and other distributed processes can then be built as collections of such tasks. A prototype implementation of this platform has shown it to be an effective basis for distributed computing. This paper introduces ARCADE and summarizes its design and potential applications. 1. Goals of the ARCADE Project The primary goal of the ARCADE project is to provide a software platform on which distributed applications, including operating systems, can be built. An important decision in the design phase of this project was to view applications as collections of independent, coope..