UNIX Articles : Monolithic Kernel and Microkernel

Definition of Monolithic Kernel and Microkernel (syn1988@sdf.lonestar.org)

• Monolithic Kernel : each kernel layer is integrated into the whole kernel program and runs in kernel mode on behalf of the current process.
• Microkernel : demand a very small set of functions from the kernel, generally including a few synchronization primitives, a simple scheduler, and an interprocess communication mechanism.