Two-level operating system architecture

1. A computer system, which comprises:

a CPU;

a local physical memory system directly coupled to the CPU; and

a core operating system stored in the local physical memory system and executable in the CPU via the direct coupling;

the local physical memory system being defined by and entirely contained within a a system space having a number of memory locations;

the core operating system arranged to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space to partition the local physical memory system contained therein; and

a partition operating system and a partition user application in each partition;

each partition operating system providing resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each protection domain includes a protection view to set resource availability among and between protection domains.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the protection view is set to limit resource availability for at least one protection domain to the at least one protection domain.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the partition operating system of each partition is a real time operating system.

5. The computer system of claim 1 further including a communication system for passing messages between the partitions.

6. A computer system, which comprises

a CPU;

a local physical memory system directly coupled to the CPU; and

a core operating system stored in the local physical memory system and executable in the CPU via the direct coupling;

the local physical memory system being defined by and entirely contained within a a system space having a number of memory locations;

the core operating system arranged to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space to partition the local physical memory system contained therein; and

a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition, whereby the partition operating system, partition user application pairs of the partitions are spatially partitioned from each other;

each partition operating system of each pair providing resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition;

the core operating system time multiplexing the partitions such that the partition operating system, partition user application pairs are temporally partitioned from each other.

7. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a CPU;

directly coupling a local physical memory system to the CPU;

implementing a core operating system in the local memory for execution on the CPU;

arranging the local physical memory system to be defined by and entirely contained within a system space having a number of memory locations;

operating the core operating system to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space and the local physical memory contained therein; and

implementing a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition, whereby the partition operating system, partition user application pairs of the partitions are spatially partitioned from each other;

operating each partition operating system of each pair to provide resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition.

8. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a CPU;

directly coupling a local physical memory system to the CPU;

implementing a core operating system in the local memory for execution on the CPU;

arranging the local physical memory system to be defined by and entirely contained within a system space having a number of memory locations;

operating the core operating system to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space and the local physical memory contained therein; and

implementing a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition, whereby the partition operating system, partition user application pairs of the partitions are spatially partitioned from each other;

operating each partition operating system of each pair to provide resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition; and

operating the core operating system to time multiplex the partitions such that the partition operating system, partition user application pairs are temporally partitioned from each other.

9. A computer system, which comprises

a CPU;

a local physical memory system directly coupled to the CPU; and

a core operating system stored in the local physical memory system and executable in the CPU via the direct coupling;

the local physical memory system being defined by and entirely contained within a a system space having a number of memory locations;

the core operating system arranged to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space to partition the local physical memory system contained therein; and

a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition, whereby the partition operating system, partition user application pairs of the partitions are spatially partitioned from each other;

each partition operating system of each pair providing resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition;

the core operating system scheduling the partitions such that the partition operating system, partition user application pairs are temporally partitioned from each other.

10. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a CPU;

directly coupling a local physical memory system to the CPU;

implementing a core operating system in the local memory for execution on the CPU;

arranging the local physical memory system to be defined by and entirely contained within a system space having a number of memory locations;

operating the core operating system to create a number of protection domains to partition the system space and the local physical memory contained therein; and

implementing a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition, whereby the partition operating system, partition user application pairs of the partitions are spatially partitioned from each other;

operating each partition operating system of each pair to provide resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition; and

operating the core operating system to schedule the partitions such that the partition operating system, partition user application pairs are temporally partitioned from each other.

11. A computer system, which comprises:

a CPU;

a local physical memory system directly coupled to the CPU; and

a core operating system stored in the local physical memory system and executable in the CPU via the direct coupling;

the local physical memory system being defined by and entirely contained within a a system space having a number of memory locations;

the core operating system arranged to partition the system space into a plurality of partitions to partition the local physical memory system contained therein; and

a partition operating system and a partition user application in each partition; each partition operating system providing resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition.

12. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a CPU;

directly coupling a local physical memory system to the CPU;

implementing a core operating system in the local memory for execution on the CPU;

arranging the local physical memory system to be defined by and entirely contained within a system space having a number of memory locations;

operating the core operating system to partition the system space into a plurality of partitions and the local physical memory contained therein; and

implementing a partition operating system and a partition user application pair in each partition;

operating each partition operating system of each pair to provide resource allocation services to the respective partition user application within the partition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each partition is implemented as a protection domain.