TOPPRES/FMP Kernel

Multiprocessor systems are recently making advancements into the embedded systems field. The requirements of embedded systems differ from system to system. Some systems require real-timeliness, others emphasize throughput, and some require both properties at the same time. The existing RTOS for embedded multiprocessor systems satisfies a demand of either. We designed and implemented it to satisfy both demands as the TOPPERS/FMP kernel. In order to support a load balancing algorithm fitted for each system without losing real-time property, the TOPPERS/FMP kernel provides the capability to make a task migrate from the current processor to another on-demand by the application using a system call rather than by automatic load balancing of the RTOS kernel. The paper highlights the design and implementation of the task migration functionality. We have confirmed that the task migration functionality enables programs at the application level to realize several kinds of load balancing algorithms.