Towards ISMs for OPSs

Abstract

Information structure models (ISMs) [Weg70] have been applied successfully to the study of programming languages both in their definitions [LW69, Wlk68,70,Wgb70] and in proofs of correctness and equivalence of various implementation strategies [Luc69,JH70,JL71,McG71,Bry72]. This paper examines briefly the possibility using ISMs to define operating systems (OPSs). We give a definition of the notion of ISM and indicate how to use them. Then we describe methods by which the process notion has been defined in the past in the hope that this will give some idea of the applicability of the ISM approach to the definition of OPSs.