Hypervisor Technology now supports Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP on Intel Multi-Core...

Hypervisor Technology now supports Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP on Intel Multi-Core Execution Platforms

RAVENSBURG, Germany--(Business Wire)--
Real-Time Systems GmbH announced the availability of the latest
version of its Real-Time Hypervisor software. Available immediately,
this software product, which was demonstrated for the first time last
week at the RadiSys Technology Day in Germany, enables the
simultaneous running of multiple operating systems on multi-core
processors, and also supports Microsoft Windows XP!

Moore's Law states that the number of transistors on an integrated
computer chip doubles approximately every two years while all other
measures of performance increase correspondingly. Although true in the
past, it is known that physical and economical factors would one day
set a limit to the promise of constantly increasing CPU performance
while maintaining customary price levels. For that reason, and in
order to maintain the upward trend, the semiconductor industry has
turned to multi-core CPU designs, which have permitted Moore's Law to
continue to be valid. While the potential for exploiting the power of
multiple CPU cores has not yet been completely realized, manufacturers
of standard operating systems are pressing on with development
programs that will one day allow their operating systems to take
greater advantage of such platforms.

The situation for embedded system designs is different, however.
To take advantage of multi-core CPU's, more and more real-time
software manufacturers have been forced to develop individual, i.e.,
custom, solutions. A few years ago, having recognized with foresight
the problems inherent in custom solutions, Real-Time Systems GmbH
developed a software product to make it possible for embedded
application engineers to run standard operating systems, both
real-time and conventional, on Intel multi-core platforms.

Conventional virtualization solutions ('hypervisors') are
generally implemented by interposing an additional software layer
between an operating system and the CPU core that it uses.
Unfortunately, this kind of solution often influences the
deterministic behavior of the real-time system.

In contrast to that, the RTS Real-time Hypervisor makes it
possible to run -- simultaneously, independently and robustly -- a
number of standard (homogeneous or heterogeneous) operating systems on
a single x-86 multi-core execution platform. Moreover, RTS software
technology does not in the least interfere with any of the supported
operating systems' timing behavior.

By means of the RTS Hypervisor's configuration file, users
exclusively assign each operating system to (at least) one CPU core;
in a comparable fashion, they assign other system resources, such as
PCI devices or memory regions, to specific operating systems. To
secure and protect real-time system behavior, the RTS Hypervisor gives
each real-time operating system direct control of its own assigned
peripheral devices. And because such devices are neither virtualized
nor simulated, standard off-the-shelf device drivers can be used. To
provide additional flexibility, a user may specify the booting
sequence of the various operating systems; even in a fully-running
system, any individual operating system can be re-booted, if desired.
Despite the strict separation of the operating system environments,
provision for inter-system communication has been made by means of
Shared Memory and a Virtual Network.

By enabling the support of Microsoft Windows XP in the RTH
Hypervisor environment, RTS has opened up an entirely new world of
possibilities for innovative embedded systems. There are countless
time-critical applications that would profit by simultaneously running
both the real-time software and Windows-based man-machine interfaces
on the same PC. Industrial Automation is just one of many disciplines
for which this technology would be interesting. Finally, it is
important to note that by using a single host platform for both
real-time and conventional processing, overall system costs and
complexity can be dramatically reduced. Currently, the RTS Hypervisor
supports Windows XP, Windows CE and Linux, as well as VxWorks, PharLab
ETS and Microware (R) OS-9. Support for additional operating systems
is in progress. RTS Hypervisor, ver. 1.5, is available now. Version
2.0 is scheduled to be released in the fall.

About Real-Time Systems GmbH:

Real-Time Systems GmbH is a leading provider of real-time
virtualization and operating system technology, engineering services
and products for embedded and real-time systems. With an extensive
knowledge of quality software design, Real-Time Systems GmbH provides
a competitive advantage to their customers. Their in-house teams of
specialists collaborate with customers at any stage of the project
development cycle, helping them develop platform software (BSP),
device drivers, and applications.

Real-Time Systems GmbH is privately held and maintains its
corporate headquarters in Ravensburg, Germany with partners in Europe,
USA and Asia.

For more information, please visit: www.real-time-systems.com.

Real-Time Systems GmbH is a registered trademark of Real-Time
Systems GmbH. All other product and company names herein may be
trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contact:
Real-Time Systems GmbH
Gerd Lammers, +49 (0) 751 359 558 - 0
Gartenstrasse 33
D-88212 Ravensburg
Germany
Gerd.Lammers@real-time-systems.com
or
US Press Contact:
HighPointe Communications for Real-Time Systems
Wendy Truax, 503-351-0103
wendy@hipcom.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008