A Multi-OS Cross-Layer Study of Bloating in User Programs, Kernel and Managed Execution Environments
Anh Quach, Rukayat Ayomide Erinfolami, David Demicco, Aravind Prakash · 2017
We present a study of bloating across the software stack. We study user-level programs, OS kernels and Java virtual machine. We employ: (1) static measurements to detect limits to debloating, and (2) dynamic measurements to detect how much of the code available to a program is utilized under typical payloads. We incorporate an ultra-light weight tracing procedure in a whole-system emulator to measure the bloat in kernel. We measure the amount of kernel code that executes during the boot process and during the execution of popular system calls. Our findings show that bloating is pervasive and severe. A significant fraction of code across the software stack is never executed and provides scope for debloating.