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It's said the ARM Cortex-A15 processor extensions plug in to the OKL4 Microvisor, providing a fast path for operations critical to hosting guest OSes, especially those available only as binaries. Running on the Cortex-A15 processor, OKL4 will act as the foundation for mobile systems software, performing resource management (memory, devices, energy and global scheduling) and facilitating secure communication and resource sharing among guest OSes.
By enabling one mobile device to run multiple OSes, virtualization delivers solutions ranging from security, to improved utilization of multicore SoCs, to mobile-to-enterprise communications to BYOD ("Bring Your Own Device"), says OK Labs. It's also claimed handset manufacturers will be able to consolidate mobile chip sets and other resources, holding down bills-of-material costs and ushering in an era of "mass-market" smartphones.
Earlier this year, OK Labs and Citrix partnered to unveil what they term the Nirvana Phone, a virtualization-driven reference architecture involving a smartphone with a video-out port. As pictured above, the device would permit displaying virtualized desktops on an external monitor, plus Bluetooth and USB drivers for keyboards and mice.
In the video embedded below, a user plugs a phone into a monitor's video connection to bring up a virtualized Citrix desktop. The phone can then be used as a mouse pad and can connect via Bluetooth and/or USB with available mice or keyboards. It's said that because the Citrix session is locked away in a OKL4 hypervisor cell, users can continue to use their phones for other purposes, including phone calls.
Eric Schorn, vice president of marketing for ARM's processor division, stated, "Virtualization is a key feature of the Cortex-A15 processor, so the work with OK Labs and its OKL4 Microvisor will enable the Cortex-A15 processor to serve real-world requirements for mobile virtualization. As the Cortex-A15 processor makes its way from simulation to silicon, our licensees and their OEM customers will benefit from the security and system management intelligence conferred by OKL4 on Cortex-A15 processor-based designs and the software that runs on them."
Steve Subar, president and CEO of OK Labs, stated, "ARM and OK Labs work closely together to serve the global ecosystem of OEMs, chip set suppliers and operators with technology leadership for device security and resource management. Our long-term investment in accompanying the ARM road map has brought substantial returns and will yield new opportunities as the Cortex-A15 processor and OKL4 go to market together, powering the next billion always-connected and power-efficient devices."
Further information
OK Labs' OKL4 Microvisor already supports a range of ARM silicon including chip sets from Qualcomm, ST-Electronics, Texas Instruments, and others. Further information may be found on the company's website, here.
Nathan Eddy is a writer for our sister publication eWEEK.
