RHODOS — A Microkernel based Distributed Operating System : An Overview of the 1993

The current direction of computer systems is increasingly moving away from centralised system and moving towards distributed sets of workstations and personal computers connected by a network, known as distributed systems. This has led to the development of specialised operating systems to take full advantage of the resource sharing potential that a distributed system provides. The specialised operating systems being developed for these situations are known as Distributed Operating Systems. Research into this area is still at the primary stage with little firm evidence indicating what components of Distributed Operating systems are more important than others. RHODOS is a microkernel based distributed operating system that has been designed and detailed from the study of a number of existing Distributed Operating Systems. The primary object of RHODOS is to enable the study and testing of all components that combine to form a distributed operating system and not just a limited few. This paper introduces the architecture of RHODOS, highlighting the benefits envisaged by our design and the extra research areas we consider important that are not being investigated by other builders of distributed operating systems.