Project Launch: MikroRZ – Microkernels for Secure Data Centers


A new research project, MikroRZ, has been launched to improve security and scalability in modern data centers. The Dresden-based company Kernkonzept GmbH and the Barkhausen Institut contribute their expertise in microkernel-based system software to this effort.
Data centers host many digital services on shared hardware. To keep user data reliably separated, operating systems must enforce strong isolation. Microkernel-based systems offer this by design, but so far they lack the scalability needed for use in modern data centers - especially when it comes to shared storage.
MikroRZ addresses this gap. Together with the project partner Kernkonzept GmbH BI’s research group Composable Operating Systems is developing a new storage layer for the L4Re microkernel system that can meet the demands of large-scale environments while preserving its strong isolation guarantees.