a-kernel Project

OS code is notoriously complex, with many systems having millions of lines of code containing subtle and intricate interactions. The inability for programmers to effectively reason about parts of the system, develop components independently, and even configure customized systems at build time are well known ramifications of the deep structural flaws in OS code. The goal of the a-kernel project is to determine if aspect-oriented programming can be used to improve OS modularity, and thereby reduce complexity and fragility associated with system implementation.

People

Current

• Yvonne Coady
• Gregor Kiczales

Alumni

• Ida Chan

Recent Publications

Yvonne Coady, Gregor Kiczales, Mike Feeley and Greg Smolyn. "Using AspectC to Improve the Modularity of Path-Specific Customization in Operating System Code", FSE 2001.

Yvonne Coady, Gregor Kiczales, Mike Feeley, Norm Hutchinson, and Joon Suan Ong. "Structuring System Aspects", ASOC Workshop at ICSE 2001.

Yvonne Coady, Gregor Kiczales, Mike Feeley, Norm Hutchinson and Joon Suan Ong. "Structuring Operating System Aspects", Communications of the ACM, October 2001.

Yvonne Coady, Alex Brodsky, Dima Brodsky, Jody Pomkoski, Stephan Gudmundson, Joon Suan Ong and Gregor Kiczales. "Can AOP Support Extensibility in Client-Server Architectures?", AOP Workshop at ECOOP 2001.

Yvonne Coady, Gregor Kiczales, Michael Feeley, Norman Hutchinson, Joon Suan Ong and Stephan Gudmundson. "Exploring an Aspect-Oriented Approach to OS Code", ECOOP 2001

Alex Brodsky, Dima Brodsky, Ida Chan, Yvonne Coady, Stephan Gudmundson, Jody Pomkoski, Joon Suan Ong. "Coping with Evolution: Aspects vs Aspirin?", ASOC Workshop at OOPSLA 2001