Virtual Square

It is common to call “virtual world” the set of abstractions given to humans by computers and networks. When the computers and the networks are emulated by programs, i.e. are virtual machines and virtual networks, there is one more layer of virtuality: a kind of virtual squared world. Virtual square (V²) is the project to study how to exploit the possibilities given by multi layered virtuality. V² integrates the existing technologies in system emulation with a new overlay network that is able to integrate virtual machines, real computers and processes. The virtual networking infrastructure, the educational virtual machine uMPS and the user level network virtual machine Ale4NET are original contributions made by this project. All the code developed for Virtual Square as well as all the code of the other virtual machines presented here have been released as Open Source or Free Software.