Android Virtual Machine

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 Outline

Virtual Machine

Java Virtual Machine

Dalvik Virtual Machine

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Concept

A virtual machine (VM) is a software emulation of a
real machine so that

another operating system can run in the simulated machine

more than one different operating systems can run at the same
time

Fundamental idea: abstract the real hardware into
different execution environments


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 VM Components

Three components of a virtual machine

Host: underlying hardware system

Virtual machine manager (VMM): creates and runs different
virtual machines

Guest: the emulated operating system on the host system

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 VM Components (2)

Guest

VMM

Host

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System/Process VM

Two major kinds of virtual machines based on their
emulation degree of real machines

System virtual machine: it provides a complete system
platform to support a complete operating system

Process virtual machine: it runs a single program and supports
a single process

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 System VM

It usually emulates a platform to run programs where
the real hardware is not available to use (for example,
running Mac OS on a windows computer)

Multiple OSes can co-exist on the same physical
hardware and are strongly isolated from each other

Popular virtual machine manager products: Xen,
VMware Workstation, Sun Virtualbox

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 Process VM

It is created when the process is started and destroyed
when the process exits. Its purpose is to provide a
platform-independent programming environment so
that a program can execute in a same way on any
platform

For example, Java bytecode can run on any platform
where there is a Java Virtual Machine and the code
does not need to be recompiled.
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Java Virtual Machine

Java Virtual machine (JVM) is the virtual machine
that can execute Java bytecode. It is the execution
part of the Java platform

It helps Java to achieve its goal “write once, run
anywhere” by hiding the differences between different
operating systems

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Java Bytecode

Java bytecode is the instruction set for Java virtual
machine

Each bytecode consists of two parts

One or two bytes that represent the instruction

Zero or more bytes for parameters

Java compiler compiles Java code into Java bytecode.
The Java programmer does not need to be aware of or
understand Java bytecode
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 JVM Workflow (1)

Java source code is compiled into Java bytecode
which is stored within .class files

Each class in Java source code will be compiled into
one .class file.

The .class files are read and interpreted by JVM

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 JVM Workflow(2)
A.java Java Compiler A.class
Compile source code

Java Virtual Machine

Class Loader

API
va Bytecode Interpreter
J a

B.class
Host system
(Windows, Linux, etc)
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 JVM Components (1)

Class loader

Loads .class file into memory

Verifies bytecode instructions

Allocates memory for the program

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 JVM Components (2)

Runtime data area

Method area: it stores class and method codes

Heap: it is the place where Java objects are created

Java stacks: they are places where Java methods are executed

Program counter (PC) registers: they store memory addresses of
the instructions which to be executed

Native method stacks: they are places where native methods (e.g.
C programs) are executed. Native method is a function which is
written in another language other than Java
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 JVM Components (3)

Native method interface: it is a program that connects
native method libraries with JVM for executing native
methods

Native method library

Execution engine: it contains the interpreter which
converts Java bytecode into machine code


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 JVM Architecture

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Java Runtime Environment

We usually install the
Java Runtime
Environment (JRE)
on our computers to
use the Java platform

JRE consists of the
JVM and Java APIs

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 Android Virtual Macihne

Dalvik virtual machine (DVM) is the process virtual
machine in Google’s Android operating system. It
executes applications written for Android.

It is open-source software which was originally
written by Dan Bornstein, who named it after the
fishing village of Dalvik in Iceland

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Why DVM not JVM

When Google selected Java as the language for
developing Android applications, it chose DVM
instead of JVM for several reasons:

Though JVM is free, it was under GPL license, which is not
good for Android as most the Android is under Apache license

JVM was designed for desktops and it is too heavy for
embedded devices

DVM takes less memory, runs and loads faster compared to
JVM
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 Android Architecture

Virtual
Machine

C/C++

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 Dalvik Bytecode

Dalvik bytecode is the instruction set for Dalvik
virtual machine

Android programs are firstly compiled into Java
bytecode which is in .class files. A tool called dx then
converts Java bytecode into Dalvik bytecode

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Dalvik Bytecode VS Java Bytecode

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Zygote (1)

Zygote is another concept used by Android to speedup
VM performance

Every Android application runs in its own instance of
the VM, so VM instances should be able to start
quickly when a new application is launched

Zygote enables code sharing across different VM
instances and provide fast startup time for new VM
instances
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Zygote (2)

Zygote is a VM process which starts at system boot time.
When Zygote starts, it initializes a VM instance and preloads
core library classes which are good candidates for sharing
across processes

Zygote will sit and wait for socket requests from other
processes who need new VM instances

Cold starting VM takes a long time. Once a request occurs,
Zygote will fork a new VM instance from itself and the startup
time will be minimized
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Java Source Code to Android App
Java
Compiler Java Bytecode

Java Source
.class file
.class file
Code .class file
.class file
(.java files) .class file

dx tool

Dalvik Bytecode
Resource files
.dex file

Package Builder

Android App
.apk file

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 Android application Launch Procedure

Many things happen in the background when a user clicks on
an icon and launch a new application

The click event gets routed to activity manager.

The activity manager sends parameters to Zygote process over the
socket connection and creates a new process

Zygote forks itself and returns the new process ID

The activity manager attaches the new process to the application and the
application’s classes will be loaded into the process’s memory

The application is launched

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