Introducing Microsoft's Gazelle: A Web Browser as a Multi-Principal OS
Late last week, Microsoft Research released an interesting paper [PDF] about a Web browser it calls Gazelle that's constructed in such a way to act like an operating system with the browser kernel exclusively protecting resources and sharing across Web sites.
The idea behind Gazelle is to create a browser that is more secure for the now typical dynamic pages we find on the Web. According to Microsoft, Gazelle is different as no existing browsers, including new architectures, have a multi-principal operating system constructed in such a way that provides the browser-based OS exclusive control to manage the protection of all system resources.
"Gazelle's security model is centered around protecting principals from one another by separating their respective resources into hardware-isolated protection domains. Any sharing between two different principals must be explicit using cross-principal communication (or IPC) mediated by Browser Kernel."
The research team claims it has successfully browsed 19 of the 20 most popular sites as reported by Alexa with its prototype, but admits the performance of the prototype was only "acceptable." The paper also includes an in-depth comparison of Gazelle's architecture and security with Google Chrome, OP and IE8.
But before you go and read it, make sure you realize that it was written by the research team and in no way states it will be developed by the IE team; there is however a glimmer of hope for those who think it would be a good idea, and it can be found in the conclusion when the team points out that 'the implementation and evaluation of our IE-based prototype shows promise of a practical multiprincipal OS-based browser in the real world."
Still, it's an interesting read for those who are interested in the technology.
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sounds promising. I hope will works better than Chrome and faster than FF. Otherwise Chrome fails because of lacks of plugins/add-ons.
With the disappointing status of IE8, it's good to see that the research team is looking into longer term solutions to security issues... I still maintain they should fork mozilla, donate millions to the foundation, and be done with having their own browser.
"Gazelle's security model is centered around protecting principals from one another by separating their respective resources into hardware-isolated protection domains. Any sharing between two different principals must be explicit using cross-principal communication (or IPC)http://www.csscody.com mediated by Browser Kernel."
great tips
thanks
Why they just dont build a windows more secure?? linux dont need this :)
for more details
www.divinesaints.com
Anyone else thought that the side note about the "19 of the 20 most popular sites as reported by Alexa" (!!!) was funny? ;-)
I noticed that they completely ignored Opera. That makes perfect sense, because you want to ignore the browser that's most secure, shortest time-to-patch, and least number of SEVERE threats. And since it's features get copied by add-ons & other browsers after months or years, I can see why it would go mentioned.
Also, since Opera's super-fast on the real web, not just AJAX-heavy sites that only test on 2-3 browsers, you should always try to ignore it and hope no one notices, since it's fast AND secure (especially after Opera announced a new JS engine that's testing at 5-50x faster when run with native code).
Sure, makes sense.
Browser with self-contained OS?
Virtually like ....
VirtualBox (or like) under Xp (Win32/64) with Linux (Debian, Fedora ...) running FireFox and with no sensative harddrive shares.
More useful infact. And **freely available now!
IE6, one window, one page, one thing to kill when it crashes.
IE7, one window, multiple tabs, one thing to kill when it crashes
IE8, one window, multiple tabs, more things to kill when it crashes
Gazelle, one window, multiple tabs, manslaughter when it crashes
Microsoft has turned butchery into a fine art, making it worse everytime, and all the more enjoyable.
I only wonder one thing : is Microsoft only trying to find more imaginative excuses to not follow standards and come up with their own scripting and rendering engines ? I think they are truly getting amazing at this !
Guillaume
thank you very much
regards
IKB BANK KRIZE
von raivo Pommer
Bei der angeschlagenen Mittelstandsbank IKB sollen womöglich Fehler ehemaliger Manager unter den Teppich gekehrt werden. Das befürchtet jedenfalls die Deutsche Schutzvereinigung für Wertpapierbesitz (DSW), weil der neue IKB-Großaktionär Lone Star eine Sonderprüfung kurz vor deren Ende abbrechen und deren Veröffentlichung verhindern will.
Auf Antrag des US-Investors soll eine außerordentliche Hauptversammlung am 25. März den mit der Sonderprüfung beauftragten Wirtschaftsprüfer Harald Ring abberufen. Die DSW kündigte am Mittwoch an, den Prüfer von einem Gericht neu einsetzen lassen zu wollen.
Wie entstand die Schieflage der Bank
Die IKB-Aktionäre hatten die ehemaligen Vorstände und Aufseher der Bank im März 2008 nicht entlastet und den Sonderprüfer eingesetzt. Ring klärt seither, wie die Schieflage der Bank entstand, die den Steuerzahler zehn Milliarden Euro kostete. Er prüft, ob Manager und Aufsichtsräte Pflichten verletzt haben und in welchem Umfang sie haften müssen.
Damals war die Staatsbank KfW noch größter IKB-Anteilseigner. Die Sonderprüfung lag deshalb auch im Interesse der Bundesregierung, deren Vertreter in den Aufsichtsgremien von IKB und KfW saßen und die für ihr Versagen öffentlich kritisiert wurden. Im Sommer verkaufte die KfW die IKB an den US-Investor, der seither knapp 90 Prozent hält.
Dividendenkatastrofe
von Raivo Pommer-raimo1@hot.ee
Viele große deutsche Konzerne werden ihre Aktionäre auch in diesem Jahr noch einmal mit einer hohen Ausschüttung für ihre Treue belohnen, obwohl sich ihre Geschäftslage in den vergangenen Monaten rasch verschlechtert hat und die Aussichten für 2009 höchst unsicher sind. Nach Schätzung der Landesbank Baden-Württemberg wird die gesamte Dividendensumme aller Konzerne aus dem Deutschen Aktienindex (Dax-30) in diesem Jahr nur um 16,5 Prozent auf knapp 23,38 Milliarden Euro sinken. Für 2007 hatten die Dax-Konzerne die Rekordsumme von 28,1 Milliarden Euro ausgeschüttet.
Die Aufforderung des Bundesfinanzministers Peer Steinbrück, angesichts der Wirtschaftskrise auf Dividenden vollständig zu verzichten, wird in vielen Unternehmen und an den Finanzmärkten abgelehnt. Das sei der blanke Populismus im Wahljahr, erklärte Ulrich Hocker, der Hauptgeschäftsführer der Aktionärsschutzgemeinschaft DSW. An den zum Teil noch sehr guten Geschäftsergebnissen des Jahres 2008 sollten die Anteilseigner auch angemessen beteiligt werden, forderte er.
This is an interesting idea for a web browser. You could possibly lauch software through the browser which normally could not run on the current operating system. I.e. Maybe a unix based subsystem...
Anything is better than standards ignorant IE8. They should just pull the plug.
sure, everyone needs Microsoft products were more secure.But the idea of research show us the way browsers will go.
Secure browsers Oo from Micro$oft...WoW...its a big joke isnt? :D
Microsoft-envy is really funny. Love reading theanti-MS zealots ramble on...
"Microsoft-envy is really funny. Love reading theanti-MS zealots ramble on..."
haha we are zealots for pointing out flaws in a mainstream product?
I dont have Microsoft envy when all around me Vista boxes and so on are slow and virus laden.. my linux box is nice and smooth all the time.
Microsoft Gazelle will be full of bugs, the patches will be in the form of an upgrade and the entire process will cost you money.
Google Chrome OS much likelier to be bug free, patches are patches and free and cost you NOTHING.
Opera. Already leaps and bounds ahead and costs NOTHING.
Hmmm.
I think it's about time Microsoft got left behind where it should have been AGES ago.
Very intuitive system. However, it may yet be a little confusing. I will keep visiting this blog very often. After this I will read all your posts thankful.
There's alot of stuff that gets partially developed out of MS Research AFTER other companies (and people in general) start discussing similar ideas.
The idea of a Browser as an OS has been around for a long time. MS never bothered with this until the noise surrounding ChromeOS heated up.
If Google has any success with this, they may have something to counter with. If Google fails, MS will continue to sit on it's big fat... Office Products doing nothing to improve the state of technology.
At the very least (and the reason why it won't be released), they will use this research to patent something and keep anyone else from really implementing anything similar.
This is Microsoft's M.O., it is their legacy... it will be the death of them.
RIP... you will not be missed.
is GAZELLE be the next WINDOWS?