MimicStudio: One-stop development framework for dynamic heterogeneous redundancy architecture

Fault-tolerant systems are crucial for ensuring the reliability and availability of mission-critical applications in modern computing environments. The dynamic heterogeneous redundancy (DHR) architecture is a key component in constructing fault-tolerant systems, particularly in areas such as national security, power networks, and banking private networks. DHR is transforming the cyberspace security industry chain by accommodating a broader range of applications and increasingly capturing the market. However, the development of applications for DHR architecture encounters challenges due to the complexities of handling heterogeneity, managing dynamism, and maintaining usability. To address these issues, we introduce MimicStudio, a comprehensive development framework with a standardized workflow. To our knowledge, MimicStudio is the first effective solution for DHR software development. We present a detailed implementation of MimicStudio with a heterogeneous microcontroller unit project, encompassing three CPUs with different instruction set architectures. The paper evaluates MimicStudio's support for essential features, including zero-copy synchronization, parallelized build, multi-core collaborative debugging, and dynamic adjustment of the software system's structure. Our results show that MimicStudio provides a flexible and efficient solution for supporting the dynamic, heterogeneous, and redundant features of fault-tolerant systems.