Joint Opportunities for Real-Time Linux and Real-Time Systems Research

Based on lessons learned in developing and maintaining LITMUS, arguments in favor of an intensified collaboration between the academic and the open-source real-time communities are presented, and several ways in which ongoing efforts in these two communities may benefit each other are outlined. Some (unfortunately) commonlyencountered sources of friction and mutual misconceptions, which result from differing backgrounds and objectives in these two communities, are exposed, with the goal of finding common ground. Further, a “wish list” is presented of possible additions and changes to PREEMPT-RT that would enhance Linux’s viability as the “platform of choice” for real-time-systems research. These improvements are substantiated by examining EDF-HSB, a candidate algorithm for earliest-deadline-first (EDF) scheduling support in Linux that integrates hard and soft real-time guarantees as well as best-effort scheduling with bandwidth reservations.