1.媒體來源:
TechCrunch
2.完整新聞標題:
Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service
(微軟為了新的物聯網平台打造了屬於自己的客製Linux核心）
3.完整新聞內文:
At a small press event in San Francisco,
Microsoft today announced the launch of a secure end-to-end IoT product
that focuses on microcontroller-based devices —
the kind of devices that use tiny and relatively low-powered microcontrollers
for basic control or connectivity features.
Typically, these kinds of devices,
which could be anything from a toy to a household gadget or an industrial application,
don’t often get updated and hence, security often suffers.
今天在舊金山一個小小的新聞活動中
微軟宣佈將發表一個以微控制器為主、
著重於安全性的終端物聯網產品
這些相對低功耗的微處理器主要的公用為提供基礎的網路服務
大致來說，這種產品的存在從玩具、家電、到工業用途都有可能
他們通常很少獲得軟體更新、也因此常常安全性堪慮
At the core of Azure Sphere is a new class of certified MCUs.
As Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith stressed in today’s
announcement, Microsoft will license these new Azure Sphere chips for free,
in hopes to jump-start the Azure Sphere ecosystem.
Azure Sphere的最核心部份，是一種新時代、受認證保障的微控制器
軟總裁與法務長 Brad Smith一再於今日的發表會中強調：
微軟會以免費的方式授權Azure Sphere晶片，目的是為了快速拓展它的生態系
Because it’s hard to secure a device you can’t update or get telemetry from,
it’s no surprise that these devices will feature built-in connectivity.
And with that connectivity, these devices can also connect to
the Azure Sphere Security Service in the cloud.
若沒有辦法升級或設法遠端遙控的話，根本沒辦法好好保護這類的裝置
所以Azure Sphere會有內建的連線能力使其連上位於雲端的安全服務
Now, you probably assume that these devices will run Windows, but you’re wrong.
For the first time ever, Microsoft is launching a custom Linux kernel and
distribution: the Azure Sphere OS.
It’s an update to the kind of real-time operating systems that today’s MCUs often use.
說到現在，你大概會覺得這些裝置上面跑的是Windows吧？
但你錯了，微軟準備發表他們客製化的Linux發行版與系統核心：
Azure Sphere OS
它將會是比現行微控制器上面跑的實時作業系統們更進化的存在
Why use Linux? “With Azure Sphere, Microsoft is addressing an entirely new class
of IoT devices, the MCU,” Rob Lefferts, Microsoft’s partner director for Windows enterprise
and security told me at the event.”
“Windows IoT runs on microprocessor units (MPUs) which have at least 100x the power of the MCU.
The Microsoft-secured Linux kernel used in the Azure Sphere IoT OS is shared under an OSS license
so that silicon partners can rapidly enable new silicon innovations.
And those partners are also very comfortable with taking an open-source releases
and integrating that with their products.”
為什麼要用Linux呢？
在這次的活動中，微軟的 企業與安全合作總監 Rob Lefferts如此對我說道：
「Microsoft將以Azure Sphere作為敲門磚，去面向這間公司物聯網的全新領域：微控制器。
而以往物聯網版本Windows運行的微處理器，運算能力至少都是微控制器的一百倍。
Azure Sphere物聯網系統所用的、由微軟安全強化過的Linux核心將會以開放原始碼的授權協議釋出。
這樣合作的半導體廠商將能發展新的創新。
而這些廠商也對於將開源程式整合進他們的產品感到安心與舒適。」
To get the process started, MediaTek is producing the first set of these new MCUs.
These are low-powered, single-core ARM-A7 systems that run at 500MHz and include WiFi connectivity
as well as a number of other I/O options.
讓一切步上軌道的是，
聯發科技將會製造這樣的第一批微控制器——
低功耗、單核心時脈500MHz的ARM-A7，並包含WiFi的連網能力與豐富的輸出入週邊選擇。
As far as the open ecosystem goes, Smith also stressed that the devices can be used with services
that run on any other cloud, no matter whether that’s AWS or the Alibaba Cloud.
Smith也再三強調：
只要開源生態系能運作良好，這些裝置將能運行於任何的雲平台上，
無論那是亞馬遜還是阿里巴巴的雲服務。
Interestingly, Amazon’s AWS unit announced a somewhat similar project at its re:Invent
conference last year. It’s probably no surprise that these large cloud providers are interested
in MCUs, given that while the devices themselves are not bound to any cloud,
the only way to get the full value out of them is in combination with cloud services,
whether that’s for authenticating new devices,
updating operating systems or managing the software that runs on them.
有趣的是，亞馬遜的AWS部門去年也在他們的re:Invent活動中發表了相似的計畫
其實這些大型雲端服務的公司會對微控制器有興趣也不是很令人詫異的事情
畢竟要讓那些散落在各地的裝置發揮價值
不外乎就是要讓它們連上網路，不管是為了進行認證、升級系統、還是管理上面跑的軟體
4.完整新聞連結 (或短網址):
https://tinyurl.com/y9gjwf26
5.備註:
文中提到的發哥的新聞稿在這邊：
https://tinyurl.com/yctxtec3
其實IThome也有一篇在講這件事情的新聞：
https://www.ithome.com.tw/news/122492
但是還是想直接拿外電來談
其實我是很不喜歡原文區別Microprocessor跟Microcontroller Unit的方式
MCU是個很廣的名詞
管你MIPS、ARM，還是PIC、ATmel
在我眼裡看起來本質上都一樣
運算能力看用途當然不盡相同
但剖開來還不都是processor，有instruction set、有memory操作
話說回來我是很好奇到底Microsoft的Linux kernel patch打了什麼
希望不要到時候diff一下
發現跟mainline只差個不到5000 LoC之類的，那我應該會覺得很想笑