Multi-Layer Real-Time Support for JVM-based Smart Phone Systems

Abstract

Employing the Java virtual machine (JVM) architecture provides smart phone systems stability and security by sandboxing third-party applications and controlling their behavior. However, the JVM layer hinders applications from notifying the operating system scheduler about their timeliness requirements; therefore, applications sometimes fail to respond on time. In order to improve the responsiveness of smart phone applications, this paper proposes two schemes. First, for existing applications that cannot be rebuilt, we modify the kernel scheduler to value task priorities over fairness. Second, we propose cross-layer real-time support APIs to deliver applications' priorities to the kernel scheduler, which will help developers to add real-time scheduling support to their applications. Our prototype demonstrates that the suggested schemes dramatically improve response times and throughputs of prioritized applications.

Keywords

• real-time schedulers
• scheduling algorithm
• smart phones
• Java
• virtual machines