Research Interests:

I have broad research interests in computer systems, including operating systems, security, storage/file systems, networking, and distributed systems. I am particularly interested in developing new ways of structuring computer systems to address technology changes and enable new applications. My group has many ongoing projects in such areas as device-embedded functionality, storage/file system design, and computer infrastructure security.

Device-Embedded Security. We are exploring a new approach to computer security in which each individual device erects its own security perimeter and defends its own critical resources. Together with conventional border defenses (e.g., firewalls and OS kernels), such self-securing devices could provide a flexible infrastructure for dynamic prevention, detection, diagnosis, isolation, and repair of successful breaches in borders and device security perimeters.

Parallel Data Lab (PDL). As Director of the Parallel Data Lab, I lead a number of storage-related projects in areas such as storage system architecture, storage security, file systems, disk characterization, and server implementation. As one example, we are exploring how new storage technologies like MEMS-based storage could best be incorporated into computer systems. As another, we are exploring the use of detailed disk knowledge in the design of file systems.