Abstract

This thesis introduces a new computer system, programming model and operating system called BOSS, Bart’s Operating System Structure. The structure consists of two layers. The first layer holds the dependency driven machine and on top of this layer, an extension is built. The dependency driven machine defines how the different resources of a computer system may communicate with each other. The extension defines what the resources can communicate to each other.
The dependency driven machine, DDM, models three different aspects of a computer system: communication, storage and processing. Communication is done via channels that connect pieces of memory to each other. Sockets are used to process memory. Ports are used to distinguish pieces of memory. Channels, ports and sockets combined form the dependency flow networks, DFN, which are all processed on the dependency driven machine.
All processes together with their memory have to be mapped onto the resources of the computer system. The construction of the DDM and DFNs makes this task much easier than in existing systems. Scheduling algorithms specially designed and optimized for a specific resource may be used. The resource itself can use conventional optimization techniques like pipelining, cache memory and RISC for maximum processing speed.
The heart of BOSS is the LinkLoader. This resource has the ability to transform dependency data, DD, into a dependency flow network. This process is called link loading a DD. For the LinkLoader to do this, it needs detailed information about other resources and a standardized way of communicating with them. This BOSS extension on every resource together with the LinkLoader and several processes form the basis of a programming language, which is an intrinsic part of BOSS.
To show that BOSS works, a simulation of the dependency driven machine, the LinkLoader and several resources with their processes, is implemented. This simulation is implemented in C++ of DJGPP for DOS. A DD that models a perceptron is created for the simulation to show that the BOSS language can be used as an attractive alternative to existing languages. The designing of the DD showed many advantages of BOSS over existing systems.
The advantages of BOSS over existing systems include its inherent parallel nature, guaranteed autonomy of every process and the explicit mentioning of all dependencies between processes. These advantages make dependency flow networks faster in executing, more reliable, faster to develop, easier to test and debug than any conventional system.