Embedded systems often have multiple components with sufficient complexity to require independent development teams. The use of layers system. Vital to the Wind River Linux platforms and the Wind River Linux build system is the use of layers for embedded system development. Layers reduce integration efforts by allowing developers to maintain excellent isolation between components. Layers make it easy to locate and review all the changes you (or others) have made and also share changes, saving developers time and effort.

While traditional Linux build systems may support small projects with few developers, more complex or larger projects with multiple development teams may run into conflicts and problems with this inferior and antiquated method of performing a build. Wind River understands this common scenario may create complications and bugs. This unique Wind River Linux cross-build system allows developers to organize, store, and manage different parts of the development system and thus more easily understand what parts (layers) of the build may be responsible for performance issues, bugs, or defects.