DornerWorks

Reduce the Complexity of Developing High Assurance Systems with VM Composer On AMD Silicon

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Matthew Russell

It can be challenging to build a secure system from the ground up. High-assurance system integrators now have a solution that can save significant time and resources, while implementing mathematically-proven security.

Security complexity, simplified

DornerWorks Virtual Machine (VM) Composer is a configuration tool that makes it easy to develop and deploy virtualized high-assurance systems using a drag-and-drop interface, without a single line of code.

Modern software systems like those built for mission-critical applications demand ease of use, portability and modularity, and the seL4® microkernel is an ideal technology to meet this demand while enabling robust security due to its formal verification. seL4’s virtual machine manager (VMM) functionality can be used to host virtual machines (VM) supporting AMP, SMP, or a mix of both, on a multi-core processor, enabling richer software architectures using different operating systems.

The VM Composer helps developers build and deploy high-assurance systems on the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.
The VM Composer helps developers build and deploy high-assurance systems on the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.

However, it can be challenging to build a system hosting VMs from scratch with the tools that are currently available. A number of complex tools and related development expertise are required to configure and build an seL4-based CAmkES-ARM-VM solution with Linux VMs on the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.

DornerWorks VM Composer eliminates the seL4 learning curve and enables developers to integrate these benefits into embedded systems in ground vehicles, aircraft, or other environments where SWaP and costs must be minimized.

Own your innovation with open source seL4

The seL4 microkernel and DornerWorks VM Composer modeling tool enable system security, ease of use, portability, and modularity through:

  • Software modeling and configuration tool with drag and drop interface
  • Multiple Virtual Machine configuration tracking
  • Identification of components specific to target
  • Configuration of seL4 and CAmkES
  • Consistency between software components and configuration files

DornerWorks VM Composer enables organizations to benefit from the high assurance of seL4’s formal proof without the complexity of seL4 development and enables developers to integrate these benefits into mission critical products where SWaP and costs must be minimized. VM Composer delivers streamlined access to the benefits of the seL4 microkernel, enabling rapid reconfiguration of platforms to operational requirements.

NASA and multiple defense OEMs are currently utilizing DornerWorks VM Composer to leverage seL4’s robust layers of security, backed by a mathematical proof. DornerWorks engineers are world leaders in seL4 development working to expand the seL4 ecosystem with seL4 Foundation and Trusted Computing Center of Excellence.

Multiple aerospace and defense OEMs are currently evaluating the VM Composer for use by their product development teams.

DornerWorks VM Composer offers ease of use and freedom from vendor lock that DoD organizations are eager to adopt. Combined with the robust layers of security seL4 enables, as backed up by a mathematical proof, the VM Composer is truly unique in its capability set.

DornerWorks engineers secure platforms from the ground up

DornerWorks VM Composer enables developers to integrate the benefits of seL4 into embedded systems in ground vehicles, aircraft, or other environments where SWaP and costs must be minimized.
DornerWorks VM Composer enables developers to integrate the benefits of seL4 into embedded systems in ground vehicles, aircraft, or other environments where SWaP and costs must be minimized.

DornerWorks engineers have become leaders in seL4 development, having worked, for the last several years, to expand the seL4 ecosystem with the team who originally developed the microkernel, as well as organizations in the seL4 Foundation, of which DornerWorks is an inaugural member, and the Trusted Computing Center of Excellence (TCCoE), of which DornerWorks is a member.

Find more information on the VM Composer at https://www.dornerworks.com/vm-composer.

Matthew Russell
by Matthew Russell