 DragonFly 's kernel is a hybrid , containing features of both monolithic and microkernels , such as the message passing capability of microkernels enabling larger portions of the OS to benefit from protected memory , as well as retaining the speed of monolithic kernels for certain critical tasks . The messaging subsystem being developed is similar to those found in microkernels such as Mach , though it is less complex by design . DragonFly 's messaging subsystem has the ability to act in either a synchronous or asynchronous fashion , and attempts to use this capability to achieve the best performance possible in any given situation . 
