The newest HarmonyOS was launched in Dongguan, China during the HUAWEI Developer Conference 2019. The session aims to send the bigger message across–that unlike other operating systems, the Harmony OS gives users better and endless possibilities.
The functions of HarmonyOS are way beyond all of the current use of those available operating systems”, claims Lu.
Like how Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, said during the HDC 2019, “We’re entering a day and age where people expect a holistic intelligent experience across all devices and scenarios. We needed an OS that supports all scenarios, that can be used across a broad range of devices and platforms, and that can meet consumer demand for low latency and strong security.”
HUAWEI responds to the need for seamless connectivity way back when no one else has thought of working on it and a decade after comes the HarmonyOS.
Why Release HarmonyOS Now?
Huawei highlighted several reasons why this is the perfect time for the new OS. First, the rapid development of technologies such as 5G and AI has spurred the boom in IoT. Second, Huawei has made it clear that an all-scenario, intelligent life strategy will be its core strategy in the next 5 to 10 years. Third, there is no single OS today that can match the requirements for the 5G era.
- Seamless: First-ever device OS with distributed architecture, delivering a seamless experience across devices
By adopting distributed architecture and distributed virtual bus technology, HarmonyOS offers a shared communications platform, distributed data management, distributed task scheduling, and virtual peripherals. With HarmonyOS, app developers won’t have to deal with the underlying technology for distributed apps, allowing them to focus on their own individual service logic.
2. Smooth: Deterministic Latency Engine and high-performance IPC
HarmonyOS will address underperformance challenges with a Deterministic Latency Engine and high-performance Inter-Process Communication (IPC). The Deterministic Latency Engine sets task execution priorities and time limits for scheduling in advance.
3. Secure: Microkernel architecture that reshapes security and trustworthiness from the ground up
HarmonyOS uses a brand-new microkernel design that features enhanced security and low latency. The microkernel itself provides only the most basic services like thread scheduling and IPC. HarmonyOS’s microkernel design uses formal verification methods to reshape security and trustworthiness from the ground up in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). Formal verification methods are an effective mathematical approach to validate system correctness from the source, while traditional verification methods, such as functional verification and attack simulation, are confined to limited scenarios.
4. Unified: Multi-device IDE allows apps to be developed once and deployed across multiple devices
Powered by a multi-device IDE, multi-language unified compilation, and a distributed architecture kit, HarmonyOS can automatically adapt to different screen layout controls and interactions, and support both drag-and-drop control and preview-oriented visual programming. With a multi-device IDE, developers can code their apps once and deploy them across multiple devices, creating a tightly integrated ecosystem across all user devices.
The HUAWEI ARK Compiler is the first static compiler that can perform on par with Android’s virtual machine, enabling developers to compile a broad range of advanced languages into machine code in a single, unified environment.
