Implementing an SMB2 Server in the Vortex Operating System

Abstract

With the advent of computer networks, the ability for sharing and accessing files across the network between multiple workstations and remote servers was sought after. In the nineteen eighties, prominent networked file systems were developed and reached widespread adoption among enterprise businesses and institutions. A few of these, notably Networked File System (NFS) and Server Message Block (SMB), survived the transition into the Internet era and the successors of these protocols remain the default network file systems on contemporary operating systems today.

Clouds are comprised of thousands of computers, hosted in centralized data center facilities. These computers run modified versions of contemporary operating systems, with a monolithic, micro or hybrid kernel. Contemporary operating systems lack fine-grained control over resource allocation. The Omni-kernel architecture is a novel operating system architecture designed for pervasive monitoring and scheduling of system resources. Vortex is an experimental implementation of the Omni-kernel architecture. The Vortex operating system lack utilities to expose its native file system over the network.

This thesis describes the introduction of a minimal Server Message Block version 2 (SMB2) server to the Vortex operating system. We achieve interoperability with contemporary client(s) and document acceptable throughput performance.