OP2: Process vs. VM
Provide a concise and well argued answer to each of the following two questions: Is a virtual machine a process? Is a process a virtual machine?
For the definition of a "virtual machine", please use the definition found in the Popek & Goldberg paper (Section 1). For the definition of a "process", use the standard execution context created by a Unix OS on an x86 machine.
A good OP should:
- Take a clear position on each of the two questions
- Make a solid, technical argument to support each position
- Be clearly written and devoid of redundancy
You can use a maximum of 500 words for the body of your writeup. OPs require in-depth consideration of the assigned materials, along with good technical writing. Spellcheck. Your submission must be in PDF and consist of one single-spaced A4 page, including all figures, tables, and references. References should have complete citations at the bottom of the OP, which in turn should be hyperlinked to online versions of the cited materials, whenever possible. The OP should be a single column and use Times Roman (or equivalent serif) font with 10-point type or greater. The title and references do not count toward the 500-word limit. Submit your OP through Moodle by the indicated due date and time. The submission’s title must be of the form “OPn: Title”, where n is the single-digit number of the OP, e.g., “OP2: Process vs. VM” for this week’s OP. Do not write your name anywhere on the OP, to enable blind grading!
You are not allowed to discuss the topic of the OP with anyone else until after the submission deadline. The OP must be 100% your own work.