Simultaneous OS session on one system

[NeghVar]

This is just out of curiosity, but I was wondering if a single system can nativly run two different OSs at the same time? I've heard that some of the more expensive Tyan and Super Micro motherboards can limit an OSs access to using certain memory slots, a single CPU on a multi-cpu socket board, certain peripheral slots and other hardware features on a motherboard. Could another OS session utilize the unused hardware?

 

[CEpeep]

Why not just virtualize? The overhead is minimal and the enhanced security from having access to the hardware limited by the hypervisor is a very real benefit.

 

[NeghVar]

I know about virtualization and PCI passthrough, but I'm just curious as to whether or not the method I mentioned can be done

 

[Dogs]

I know about virtualization and PCI passthrough, but I'm just curious as to whether or not the method I mentioned can be done

Certainly not 'out of box' it can't.

 

[CEpeep]

I know about virtualization and PCI passthrough, but I'm just curious as to whether or not the method I mentioned can be done

What method? Even if the hardware supported something like this, you'd still need to run operating systems that had support for it. There's no magical way to make two completely different operating systems share the same hardware without some sort of software making that possible. You seem to be asking for a hardware-based hypervisor instead of a bare-metal software hypervisor, something that does not exist for x86, as far as I know.

You can achieve what you are asking by using virtualization. If that doesn't work or isn't what you need, perhaps you should explain what goals you are trying to accomplish with this setup so alternate solutions can be offered.

 

[jwcalla]

The only things I've heard of on Linux are where there is a certain overlap of functionality and then you can do a chroot. E.g., the people with Chromebooks can put Ubuntu on there and run ChromeOS and Ubuntu simultaneously.

 

[NeghVar]

What method? Even if the hardware supported something like this, you'd still need to run operating systems that had support for it. There's no magical way to make two completely different operating systems share the same hardware without some sort of software making that possible. You seem to be asking for a hardware-based hypervisor instead of a bare-metal software hypervisor, something that does not exist for x86, as far as I know.

You can achieve what you are asking by using virtualization. If that doesn't work or isn't what you need, perhaps you should explain what goals you are trying to accomplish with this setup so alternate solutions can be offered.

I have no need. I have no goals. I have nothing to accomplish. As I stated in my first post, this is simply out of curiosity.

 

[MysticRyuujin]

This is just out of curiosity, but I was wondering if a single system can nativly run two different OSs at the same time? I've heard that some of the more expensive Tyan and Super Micro motherboards can limit an OSs access to using certain memory slots, a single CPU on a multi-cpu socket board, certain peripheral slots and other hardware features on a motherboard. Could another OS session utilize the unused hardware?

So the systems you're hearing about / referring to are, I assume, actually blade servers. They share a common backbone but they are essentially fully independent systems that only share power and perhaps a few other interfaces. I think it used to give you a lot better rack / server / power density but I'm not so sure that's true anymore what with 1U Quad Socket servers being available.

I could be wrong, maybe you don't mean blade servers but something totally different that I've never heard of lol the concept you're referring to is essentially impossible. There are some things that cannot be shared and it would require an OS just to control access to those resources...which is basically a hypervisor lol

 

[D-EJ915]

No x86 boxes support hardware partitioning like that, only itanium, power, etc.