Turbo Virtual Machine

What you'll learn

• How Turbo's lightweight virtualization works
• Key features of the Turbo VM engine
• Application layering and conflict resolution

Overview

Turbo's innovative virtualization technology takes a unique approach to running applications. Unlike traditional solutions that require a complete copy of the host operating system, Turbo:

• Emulates only the essential features needed to run applications
• Maintains native-level performance characteristics
• Requires no changes to system infrastructure

The Turbo VM Engine

At the heart of Turbo's application virtualization technology is the Turbo Virtual Machine (VM) engine. This lightweight system:

• Occupies only a few megabytes of storage
• Introduces minimal performance overhead
• Implements core operating system APIs:
  • File system
  • Registry
  • Process management
  • Threading subsystems

The VM engine operates entirely in user-mode space, enabling applications to run without:

• Driver installations
• Administrative privileges
• System modifications

How It Works

Virtualized applications interact with virtualized components rather than directly with the host operating system:

• Virtual file system
• Virtual registry
• Isolated process environment

All requests are handled within this contained environment, though they can be:

• Redirected to different locations
• Configured to override default behavior
• Modified based on specific needs

Forward Compatibility

Turbo virtualization ensures applications remain compatible as operating systems evolve:

• Translation Layer:

  • Handles OS version differences
  • Provides consistent runtime environment
  • Maintains application stability

• Continuous Updates:

  • Testing against Windows Insider Track builds
  • Regular VM updates published to Turbo.net
  • Optional testing by publishers before release

• Managed Updates:

  • Validation with each Windows Semi-Annual Channel
  • Automatic VM updates via Turbo.net cloud
  • Administrator control over update deployment

Application Layering

The Turbo VM engine enables running multiple virtualized applications through sophisticated layering:

• Modular Design:

  • Stack multiple application components
  • Reuse common elements across projects
  • Optimize resource usage

• Layer Management:

  • Each image creates a distinct layer
  • Layers can be combined flexibly
  • Resources are shared efficiently

Note: The terms "layer" and "image" are used interchangeably, as each layer is created from an image.

Common Scenarios

Component Integration

• Support for Turbo Studio components
• Management of dependencies
• Custom configuration stacks

Handling Layer Conflicts

While layers typically define unique resources, conflicts can occur. Resolution follows these rules:

1. Isolation Mode Conflicts:

   • First layer's settings take precedence
   • Order of layers determines final configuration

2. Example Scenario: When combining git and nodejs images with conflicting settings for c:\git:

   # Results in full isolation for c:\git
   > turbo run git,nodejs
   
   # Results in merge isolation for c:\git
   > turbo run nodejs,git