Intel has made a breakthrough in the Linux kernel’s performance by introducing a single line of code, leading to an astonishing 4,000 percent performance increase. This improvement stems from the will-it-scale.per_process_ops function, discovered by an Intel kernel testing bot. The change was implemented in commit efa7df3e3bb5, which focuses on enhancing memory management and mapping techniques utilizing Transparent Hugepages (THPs) and Page Middle Directory (PMD).
While this impressive statistic is rooted in synthetic test scenarios, it is important to note that real-world applications may not experience such remarkable gains. However, it highlights the potential of Linux’s performance capabilities.
Despite the upside, the change revealed some drawbacks, particularly affecting specific workloads such as the cactusBSSN benchmark, which saw performance regressions of up to 600 percent. These regressions are attributed to access patterns influenced by the translation lookaside buffer (TLB) or cache aliasing stemming from the alignment of individual memory areas.
To address these regressions while maintaining the benefits of the alignment, Vlastimil Babka from SUSE suggested a modification: instead of requiring the size of the mapping to be at least PMD size, it should be a multiple of PMD size. This adjustment would help avoid potential alignment issues and allow odd-sized mappings to merge more naturally.
For further details, you can read more on the Kernel mailing list and in Vlastimil Babka’s post.
ColoCrossing excels in providing enterprise Colocation Services, Dedicated Servers, VPS, and a variety of Managed Solutions, operating from 8 data center locations nationwide. We cater to the diverse needs of businesses of any size, offering tailored solutions for your unique requirements. With our unwavering commitment to reliability, security, and performance, we ensure a seamless hosting experience.
For Inquiries or to receive a personalized quote, please reach out to us through our contact form here or email us at sales@colocrossing.com.
