The Systems Software Research Group is breaking new ground in research on Operating Systems; Mobile Computing Group Management, Reputation, Tagging, and Games; Security and Cell Phones, Root Kits, Hypervisors, SCADA Systems; Software Defined Radio; Location Awareness; and 3-D Immersive Technology. 

Using the Choices Operating System, we have incorporated the C++ exception handling model to manage operating system traps and interrupts providing a clean and simple model of programming error handling in operating systems.  We are building object-oriented parallel system libraries to use with multiprocessor systems and integrating it with this exception handling model.   We are examining various microkernel/server organizations to support fault-tolerance and availability. Choices runs on the ARM and X86 architectures.

Our cell phone and operating system research is examining the applicability of hypervisors and trusted monitors to cell phone software.  Funded by Motorola, we have completed a port of the L4 microkernel to the TrustZone of the ARM 11/76 processor and are examining the role of hardware implemented security monitors in securing cell phone software stacks for DRM, communications, and Linux-based environments.

Our group has several security thrusts: SCADA Guardian, Security Assessment of Airplane Software Distribution Systems, Cloaker: Hardware-assisted Malware, and MemCrawler. The SCADA Guardian combines Work Flows with Common Information Models to derive security requirements for the Power Grid. The Airplane Software Distribution system considers next generation aircraft that are networked and download their software updates. Cloaker is a Root Kit for Cell Phones. The MemCrawler research investigates recovery of information from computer memory. The Software Radio project is researching security for software radios and how to use to better use heterogeneous processing to support the software radio algorithms.  In security education, we have helped build a curriculum in Information Assurance and integrate computer security concerns across campus, see U of I CAEIAE,   CIAE.

The goal of the Matrix project is to design and implement a reference architecture for context-aware collaborative middleware and frameworks for applications in a mobile device, pervasive computing environment.  This project is funded by Samsung. With the Monet group and funded by the National Science Foundation, we are researching exciting new 3-D immersive technology and how it can be used to support collaborative environments. Research in pervasive computer systems builds on prior work like the Gaia project to examine RFID, tagging, and mobile pervasive systems.

Recent systems software research graduates include Suvda Myagmar, and Chetan Shiva Shankar.  Overall, the group has graduated 41 Ph.D.s.

SRG also hosts the State of Illinois IEPA RMMS Web site.

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