Implement Xen PV network device driver

[Jakub Jermář]

Implement a native HelenOS driver for Xen PV network device.

Details

Xen provides ​paravirtualized (PV) network devices to fully-virtualized domains (HVM) in order to enable fast and efficient network communications without the overhead of emulating a real network device.

The new driver should be realized as a standalone service which plugs itself into the HelenOS networking stack and implements the network interface card interface in the Xen PV network device specific way.

What Gains and Benefits will this bring?

HelenOS might need a Xen PV network device driver if we want to run it in a Xen-based hosting (e.g. Amazon E2C) and serve some web content (e.g. microkernel.info) to the public from it.

Difficulty

medium to high

Required skills

A successful applicant will have good skills of programming in the C language and the ability to learn and use HelenOS specific I/O functions. A successful applicant should have a fair understanding of the workings of the networking stack and the NICF too.

Documentation

• ​PV on HVM Linux PV drivers on HVM
• ​GPL PV drivers for Windows
• HelenOS NICF documentation

Possible mentors

HelenOS Core Team, Jakub Jermar