Re: A possible idea for Linux: Save running programs to disk

["lokum spand" <lokumsspand@hotmail.com>]

> From: Michael Concannon <mike@concannon.net>
> To: Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org>
> CC: lokum spand <lokumsspand@hotmail.com>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Re: A possible idea for Linux: Save running programs to disk
> Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 18:21:37 -0400
>
> Arjan van de Ven wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 2005-10-01 at 13:30 -0800, lokum spand wrote:
> >
> >
> > > I allow myself to suggest the following, although not sure if I post in
> > > the right group:
> > >
> > > Suppose Linux could save the total state of a program to disk, for
> > > instance, imagine a program like mozilla with many open windows. I give
> > > it a SIGNAL-SAVETODISK and the process memory image is dropped to a
> > > file. I can then turn off the computer and later continue using the
> > > program where I left it, by loading it back into memory.
> > >
> > > Would that be possible? At least a program can be given a ctrl-z and is
> > there is a LOT of state though.. the moment you add networking in the
> > picture the amount of state just isn't funny anymore. Your X example is
> > a good one as well...
> There are a few cluster/parallel computing libraries out there that are 
> starting to allow "process migration"...
> One would assume that "saving it to a disk" is simply a degenerate case of 
> migrating the process...
> Presuming they have process migration working (and it seemed close a while 
> ago when I last looked), saving to a file might already be supported...  
> I'd google "process migration" and you are likely to find a lot of 
> discussion on this topic...
> /mike
>
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In fact moving processes from one machine to another would be a brilliant 
feature at my work, since we run fairly large and time-consuming simulations 
on electronic circuits. If the kernel could natively support bouncing jobs 
back and forth, that would really be something. Since we simulate with 
proprietary software, I suppose we can't rely on the simulator being 
rewritten to support such special libraries.
Does any other Unix variant have process bouncing already?

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