Operating Systems: Concurrent and Distributed Software Design

25.7. Summary

This chapter has highlighted the key APIs and implementation techniques that have allowed classical UNIX to develop from a uniprocessor background into a flexible multiprocessor operating system. We have seen how the kernel can be restructured into a modular design, supporting increased concurrency and the dynamic introduction of new facilities. We have seen how the scheduler can operate in a multiprocessor environment and the new IPC abstractions that have been introduced for efficient communication between concurrent tasks on a single machine, or with some transparency between tasks running on separate computers.

The abstractions introduced in Chapter 24 still underpin the modern design: resources are generally named within the ...