Intensional view of General Single Processor Operating Systems

TL;DR

This paper advocates for an intensional, formal model-based perspective of operating systems to improve understanding, architecture design, and formal analysis, moving beyond the traditional ostensive view.

Contribution

It introduces a formal, model-based framework for single processor OS structure using principles akin to function level programming, enhancing OS formalization.

Findings

Proposes an intensional view of OS based on formal models

Develops a framework of algorithms for OS structure

Discusses advantages, limitations, and future directions

Abstract

Operating systems are currently viewed ostensively. As a result they mean different things to different people. The ostensive character makes it is hard to understand OSes formally. An intensional view can enable better formal work, and also offer constructive support for some important problems, e.g. OS architecture. This work argues for an intensional view of operating systems. It proposes to overcome the current ostensive view by defining an OS based on formal models of computation, and also introduces some principles. Together these are used to develop a framework of algorithms of single processor OS structure using an approach similar to function level programming. In this abridged paper we illustrate the essential approach, discuss some advantages and limitations and point out some future possibilities.