Other primitive microkernel objects

• Node range object

  Controls a fixed set of nodes. An order on a node range object key will provide a node key to any of the nodes it controls. The node range object will also efficiently destroy all keys to a specified node that it controls. Page range objects do the same for pages.

• Number keys

  Designate numbers and are convenient for keeping a few bytes of data in a slot. Invoking a number key yields its number. The null key is merely the number key that designates zero. The number key creator creates any particular number key. Number keys are described as designating numbers for the formal convenience of saying that every key designates an object. In fact the number (data) is in the key.

• Wait objects

  Will return a message at some future specified time. That time is an internal state of the wait object. There are just a few primitive wait objects; one of them is multiplexed by domain code to produce a large number of non-primitive wait objects.

• Device allocation object

  Produces and rescinds device keys that designate and control a particular I/O device. The microkernel does its own I/O to the disks that it owns which hold pages and nodes. I/O to other devices is done by the kernel in response to calls to device keys that designate the device.

• Keybits

  An object that provides the bits that are characteristic of a provided key. Keybits returns the same bits for the same key and different bits for different keys. The sole current use of Keybits is to provide for a sorted list of keys.

• Peek

  A very powerful object that displays the real storage of the system. Peek is closely held by domains used for system debugging.

• Domain tool

  An object that will produce a domain service key to a node given a node key to that node. Given a gate key or domain service key designating a node and a key that matches the brand of that domain, the domain tool will return a node key to that node. The brand of a domain is found in its brand slot. A node key to the domain root is required to install the brand. Presumably only the creator of the domain has the brand. This is the primitive KeyKOS rights amplification mechanism.

• Discrim

  Compares two keys for equality.

• Returner

  An object that merely returns any message sent to it.

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