Stacking them up: a Comparison of Virtual Machines

A popular trend in current software technology is to gain program portability by compiling programs to an inte form based on an abstract machine definition. Such approaches date back at least to the 1970s, but have achieved new impetus based on the current popularity of the programming language Java. Implementations of language Java compile programs to bytecodes understood by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). More recently Microsoft have released preliminary details of their ".NET" platform, based on an abstract machine superficially similar to the JVM. In each case program execution is normally mediated by a just in time compiler (JIT), although in principle interpretative execution is also possible. Although these two competing technologies share some common aims the objectives of the virtual machine designs are significantly different. In particular, the ease with which embedded systems might use small-footprint versions of these virtual machines depends on detailed propert...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2001
• Where: APCSAC
• Authors: K. John Gough
• Keywords: Abstract Machine, APCSAC 2001, Computer Architecture, Machine Definitions, Virtual Machines