NOVA Microhypervisor
The NOVA OS Virtualization Architecture is a research project aimed at constructing a secure virtualization environment with a small trusted computing base. NOVA consists of a microhypervisor and a deprivileged multi-server user-mode environment running on top of it.
Supported Hardware Platforms
- NOVA runs on multi-core 64-bit x86 and ARMv8 machines that support ACPI.
- It also runs under QEMU (including VM support), and as a microkernel in a virtual machine on top of itself.
- On x86, a platform with Intel VT-x or AMD-V is required for running guest operating systems in VMs.
Download
The source code of the NOVA microhypervisor is available as a git repository at https://github.com/udosteinberg/NOVA.
NOVA is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
Deployments
- NOVA is the foundation for the BlueRock Trusted Runtime, which combines a formally verified secure trusted computing base with VM introspection and policy enforcement.
- The Genode Operating System Framework, a highly dynamic user-level environment, uses the NOVA microhypervisor as the default kernel for the Sculpt general-purpose OS.
- The Hedron Hypervisor is a derivative of the NOVA microhypervisor.
- The NOVA User-Level Environment (NUL) includes the virtual-machine monitor, a partition manager, and host device drivers.
- The NOVA Runtime Environment (NRE) is being developed as a potential successor of NUL.
Presentations
- U. Steinberg
Minimize your TCB using a Microkernel-Based System
Charter of Trust 2024 - U. Steinberg
Using the NOVA Microhypervisor for Trusted Computing at Scale
FOSDEM 2024 - U. Steinberg
NOVA Microhypervisor: Measured Launch
TU Dresden 2023 - U. Steinberg
NOVA Microhypervisor: Feature Update
FOSDEM 2023 - U. Steinberg
NOVA Microhypervisor on ARMv8-A
FOSDEM 2020 - U. Steinberg
The NOVA Microhypervisor
FOSDEM 2013
Publications
- U. Steinberg, B. Kauer
NOVA: A Microhypervisor-Based Secure Virtualization Architecture
Eurosys 2010 - U. Steinberg, B. Kauer
Towards a Scalable Multiprocessor User-Level Environment
IIDS 2010 - U. Steinberg, A. Böttcher, B. Kauer
Timeslice Donation in Component-Based Systems
OSPERT 2010
Posters
- U. Steinberg, B. Kauer
NOVA: Virtualization with a Small Trusted Computing Base
OSDI 2008 Poster Session - B. Kauer, U. Steinberg, J. Stecklina
Rapid I/O: Improving the Efficiency of I/O Virtualization
Eurosys 2010 Poster Session
Theses
- M. Partheymüller
Adding SMP Support to a User-Level VMM
Diploma Thesis - J. Galowicz
Live Migration of Virtual Machines between Heterogeneous Host Systems
Master Thesis