At its Developer Conference, Chinese tech giant Huawei has launched HarmonyOS – a new microkernel-based, distributed operating system, which will be used smart watches, smart screens, in-vehicle systems, and smart speakers.
Harmony OS is based on the distributed architecture and distributed virtual bus technology offering a shared communications platform, distributed data management and distributed task scheduling. With Harmony OS, app developers won't have to deal with the underlying technology for distributed apps, allowing them to focus on their own individual service logic. Developing distributed apps will be easier than ever before. Apps built on Harmony OS can run on different devices while delivering a collaborative experience across all scenarios.
Harmony OS is designed to address underperformance challenges with a ‘Deterministic Latency Engine’ and a high-performance ‘Inter Process Communication (IPC).’ The Deterministic Latency Engine sets task execution priorities and time limits for scheduling in advance. Resources will be utilised for higher priorities first, reducing the response latency of apps by 25.7 per cent.
The microkernel can make IPC performance up to five times more efficient than existing systems. This microkernel is designed to simplify kernel functions, implement as many system services as possible in user mode outside the kernel, and add mutual security protection. The microkernel itself provides only the most basic services like thread scheduling and IPC.
Powered by a multi-device IDE, multi-language unified compilation, and a distributed architecture kit, Harmony OS can automatically adapt to different screen layout controls and interactions, and support both drag-and-drop control and preview-oriented visual programming. This allows developers to more efficiently build apps that run on multiple devices. With a multi-device IDE, developers can code their apps once and deploy them across multiple devices, creating a tightly integrated ecosystem across all user devices.
Harmony OS 1.0 will be first adopted in Huawei’s smart screen products, which are due to launch later this year. Over the next three years, Harmony OS will be optimised and gradually adopted across a broader range of smart devices, including wearables, Huawei Vision, and head units for your car.
