Enabling Operating System Portability with Virtual I/O Devices

This paper investigates the portability of custom embedded Real-Time Operating System images. The limitations of these images, including vendor-locking, are addressed through the use of VirtIO. We create a series of experiments demonstrating the compatibility of VirtIO with different processors, peripherals, OS vendors, image environments, and processor updates in line with the Department of Defense’s open standards such as MOSA. The experiments reveal that VirtIO-enabled systems can easily migrate between processors and Operating Systems without the need for new drivers, eliminating vendor-locking and increasing system adaptability.