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Re: Building domains as a lesser user (was Re: [Xen-devel] boot loaders

To: Anthony Liguori <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Building domains as a lesser user (was Re: [Xen-devel] boot loaders for domain != 0)
From: Jacob Gorm Hansen <jacobg@xxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 19:56:29 -0800
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Anthony Liguori wrote:
Jacob Gorm Hansen wrote:

Anthony Liguori wrote:

If we trust Linux to enforce security, we do not need Xen at all ;-)

The current architecture of Xen requires that we trust whatever is running in Domain-0. The problems being cited wouldn't be a problem if you could create domains from unpriviledged Domains because you could have creator Domains who could be created from a trusted source and used as a buffer against attack.

If you start having domains that can create other domains, IPC, shared memory between domains, all that, you have essentially turned Xen into a microkernel, and you start having all sorts of funny issues like access control, domain ownership, QoS crosstalk and whatnot. And in ten years from now someone will have to invent a new VMM layer to put below Xen only to get another fresh start. I am sure the original UNIX also seemed elegant at first, in the days when it didn't have 250+ different syscalls...

Jacob


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