Object-Oriented Transaction Processing in the KeyKOS Microkernel

Three major technological directions in computer technology are transaction processing, object orientation, and microkernel operating systems. The KeyKOS operating system and the KeyTXF transaction processing system combine all three of these technologies. The design of KeyKOS directly provides operating system level objects on a microkernel base. In order to maintain the integrity of these objects, KeyKOS takes periodic checkpoints of the entire system. In addition, KeyKOS provides facilities for transaction processing which achieve very high transaction rates. Object oriented technology facilitates construction and reuse of transaction applications. This paper describes how these ideas are combined in the KeyKOS system.