Date: 31st Aug 2010

Updated VxWorks MILS platform with high assurance network stack and Linux Guest OS

Wind River has released an updated version of its VxWorks MILS Platform, featuring an optional high assurance network stack and support for Wind River Linux as a guest operating system (OS). VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1 is designed for high security ensuring customers have a protected platform for developing high assurance applications.

The following are key features of VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1:
--Enables MILS-based secure networking, which is a critical component for cross domain solutions (CDS) and multilevel secure (MLS) connected devices.
--Wind River Linux guest OS support, enabling customers to benefit from the open source ecosystem and utilize their existing Linux applications in MILS-based secure systems.
--Support for Wind River's SBC8548E evaluation board, a customizable 6U board, which enables low-cost development on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) PowerPC-based hardware platform.
--The latest release of the Eclipse-based Wind River Workbench development suite of tools that provides developers insight into all layers of software running on VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1 and includes support for simultaneous VxWorks and Wind River Linux guest OS debugging and analysis.
--High performance and scalability from a two-level scheduling architecture with Type 1 hypervisor-based embedded virtualization.
--High Assurance Environment designed for Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 6+ user components including applications, middleware, and drivers
--Support for partner software technologies including Ada, DDS and Java.
--Optional JTAG debugging support via Wind River on-chip debugging solution.

"VxWorks MILS Platform is the foundation of information assurance (IA) systems for consolidation of applications when multiple security domains are required," said Marc Brown, vice president of marketing and strategy for VxWorks products at Wind River. "Leveraging VxWorks MILS to combine multiple systems into one platform can lead to significant cost savings and reduction in size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements. Wind River is committed to the safety and security needs of the aerospace and defense markets by evolving our VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1 to include increased functionality and additional safety-critical components with a high assurance of protection from threats."

"Wind River and Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing have collaborated to offer VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1 on Curtiss-Wright's VPX6-185 and VPX3-127 boards, which will enable our VxWorks customers to create secure applications while providing the option to integrate a Linux-based operating system," said Lynn Bamford, vice president and general manager of Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing. "We believe Wind River has a unique place in the market with this new offering, demonstrating Wind River's continued investment in high assurance security architectures."

"With our long-standing relationship with Wind River, we are pleased to be a part of the new VxWorks MILS Platform 2.1 introduction, offering the solution on our VPXtreme3 SBC310, VPXtreme6 SBC610, and PowerXtreme PPC9A boards," said Andy West, global product manager of SBC Software at GE Intelligent Platforms Embedded Systems. "With the addition of the high assurance network stack, Wind River is providing an off-the-shelf solution for connected devices requiring separation of data and applications from multiple domains, which allows our customers to develop precise applications in a secure environment."

Wind River says that the VxWorks MILS Platform has been accepted by the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and is officially listed as "In Evaluation" for EAL6+ and High Robustness. An EAL6+, High Robustness-certified operating system is designed to be "a highly robust foundation for system services and applications in mission-critical systems," according to the U.S. Government Protection Profile for Separation Kernels in Environments Requiring High Robustness.

Availability: September 2010