Awesome Unikernels

Secure, lightweight and high performance approach to application delivery

Contents

• Introduction
• Projects
  • Linux Binary Compatible
  • Language oriented
  • Generic
  • Unikernel-like
• Tools

Introduction

• Unikernel and Immutable Infrastructures - Introductory white paper maintained by CETIC engineers.

Projects

Linux Binary Compatible

• OSv - Modular unikernel able to execute unmodified Linux binaries, developed in C++.
• Nanos - Linux binary compatible unikernel focused on security.
• HermiTux - Research project from Virginia Tech, demonstrating advanced optimizations.

Language oriented

• HaLVM - Port of Glasgow Haskell compiler producing Xen optimized unikernels.
• LING - Erlang/Elixir unikernel development toolkit targeting Xen.
• MirageOS - OCaml unikernel development library.
• runtime.js - KVM oriented unikernel for running JavaScript applications via the V8 engine.
• IncludeOS - Feature rich unikernel development library for C++.
• Toro Kernel - Lazarus/FreePascal toolkit for unikernel development.
• Ultibo Core - Lazarus/FreePascal unikernel targeting Raspberry Pi as the runtime environment.
• rekernel - Minimal setup for developing unikernels in ReasonML.
• Union - POSIX compliant unikernel written in Rust.
• binaryno - Rust unikernel running on bare ARM CortexM hardware.

Generic

• ClickOS - Efficient network function virtualization platform, optimized for Xen and developed by NEC.
• Clive - Research project from Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid), developed in Go.
• Mini-OS - Reference kernel distributed with Xen.
• Rump Kernels - Development platform reusing NetBSD components for producing efficient unikernels.
• Firecracker - AWS's VM isolation engine, using in products such as Lambda and Fargate.
• Unikraft - Collection of building blocks for unikernel development.
• BareMetal - Self described as an exokernel, it can be used as the starting point for unikernel development.
• HermitCore - A C-based, lightweight unikernel project from Aachen University.
• unicycle - Unikernel application framework developed in C.
• EbbRT - Boston University unikernel research project.
• Nautilus - Aerokernel from Sandia National Laboratories, supporting bare metal x86_64 and Xeon Phi.
• JML - Proof of concept for a minimal web server unikernel implementing its own language.
• UNICORE - Common code base and toolkit for deployment of applications to secure and reliable execution environments.

Unikernel-like

• Drawbridge - Research prototype platform from Microsoft.
• Graphene - Library OS optimized for Intel SGX.

Tools

• OPS - Orchestration tool for building and deploying Nanos based images.
• Capstan - Orchestration tool for packaging and running OSv based images.
• UniK - Unikernel compiler supporting a Firecracker, rump kernels, OSv, IncludeOS and MirageOS.
• Solo5 - Middle-ware interfacing unikernels with the host systems.
• Albatross - MigrageOS unikernel orchestration, via Solo5.

Contribute

Contributions welcome! Read the contribution guidelines first.