Block storage virtualization with commodity secure digital cards

Smartphones, tablets and other mobile platforms typically accommodate bulk data storage with low-cost, FAT-formatted Secure Digital cards. When one uses a mobile device to run a full-system virtual machine (VM), there can be a mismatch between 1) the VM’s I/O mixture, security and reliability requirements and 2) the properties of the storage media available for VM block storage and checkpoint images. To resolve this mismatch, this paper presents a new VM disk image format called the Logging Block Store (LBS). After motivating the need for a new format, LBS is described in detail with experimental results demonstrating its efficacy. As a result of this work, recommendations are made for future optimizations throughout the stack that may simplify and improve the performance of storage virtualization systems on mobile platforms. Categories and Subject Descriptors D.4.2 [Operating Systems]: Storage Management General Terms Design, Performance, Reliability, Security Keywords Virtualizat...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2012
• Where: VEE
• Authors: Harvey Tuch, Cyprien Laplace, Kenneth C. Barr, Bi Wu
• Keywords: Logging Block, Mobile Platforms, Reliability Requirements, VEE 2012, Virtualization