KernelSchicht

KernelSchicht is a modular kernel layer in operating system design that acts as an intermediary between hardware devices and higher-level software. It is designed to provide a stable, extensible interface for device drivers and system services, while isolating them from user-space applications. The concept emphasizes separation of concerns and clean abstraction of hardware resources.

In typical implementations, KernelSchicht resides in kernel space and exposes core services such as memory management, process scheduling, inter-process communication, synchronization primitives, and I/O abstractions to upper layers. It coordinates hardware interrupts, handles context switching, and provides a unified API for drivers. The architecture supports plug-in drivers and service modules that can be loaded, replaced, or updated at runtime without recompiling the kernel.

Key features include modularity, strong isolation between components to improve stability and security, policy/mechanism separation, and support for virtualization and containment features. It may employ a microkernel-like message-passing model for inter-module communication while retaining a high-performance path for common operations in a monolithic kernel design.

Use of KernelSchicht is common in research OS designs, educational environments, embedded real-time systems, and scenarios requiring strict hardware abstraction and fault containment. It enables experimentation with driver isolation, fine-grained scheduling, and dynamic system reconfiguration.

Although KernelSchicht is a conceptual framework in this article, several real-world systems implement similar layering principles, with varying degrees of modularity and driver isolation. It serves as a reference point for discussions on kernel architecture and the trade-offs between monolithic and microkernel designs.