Xref: utzoo comp.unix.wizards:12086 comp.unix.questions:10037
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!ncar!gatech!rutgers!att!alberta!anthony
From: anthony@alberta.UUCP (Anthony Mutiso)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.unix.questions
Subject: Implement a Remote Fork facility
Keywords: Fork, Process, migration, remote, a.out, core
Message-ID: <1777@pembina.UUCP>
Date: 2 Nov 88 04:31:03 GMT
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Lines: 33


I have a feeling that someone out there has tried to
implement a _remote fork_ system call.  This is
necessary for process migration etc.

MY PROBLEM: How does one copy a active process 
execution image, and restart it else where
jumping to same location the parent process is at.

REQUIREMENTS: Open file descriptors and the offset that
where in the parent process are available in the so called
child (Parent child relationship slightly altered).
All variables hold the same values as they did in the parent
just prior to the _remote fork_ call.
The child continues it's existence from the point the parent
forked at.
== all the above are the results we have all come to love
== in the fork(2) system call.

I have looked at all sorts of things with very poor results.
Copying the parents file descriptor table, but where does that
leave me, at best I will end up with inode numbers that are
rather difficult to map back to file pathnames.
Generating a core of the running process (stopped of course),
and finding a way to transform the core(5) to a.out(5) format
with the program entry point somewhere else. (How does one do
that).

I need ideas, clues, insight, and general all-round help.
Please if anyone has looked at this issue please fill me in (mail).

Thanks for any hints

Anthony Mutiso            anthony@alberta.uucp
                      or  {watmath, ubc-vision}!alberta!anthony