NAJAARSCONFERENTIE 1999
(Lezing)


The Linux Scalability Project

CITI, University of Michigan
Peter Honeyman

<honey@citi.umich.edu>

 

Deze lezing zal in het Engels worden verzorgd!
This presentation will be in English!

ABSTRACT

The Linux Scalability Project addresses scalability issues that arise in high-end Linux systems by adapting Linux for use in enterprise-scale networking environments.

We focus on kernel algorithms and data structures that scale poorly when presented with thousands or tens of thousands of simultaneous service requests. We recently uncovered a "thundering herd" problem in the accept() system call. A few dozen lines of code modified this behavior to awaken only one, instead of all, waiting threads. We found that this small change improves macro-benchmark performance by over 50%.

Other examples include improving poll() performance, adding read-ahead support for sendfile() and mmap'd files, and fixing kernel SMP lock contention. The project is also implementing an open source, reference implementation of NFSv4, a highly scalable evolution of the popular distributed file system.

Building relationships between academia, industry, and open source communities is a primary goal of our effort. While our research-oriented approach is sometimes at odds with the "bazaar" style of software development prevalent in the Linux community, we have found a way to build reputation among Linux kernel developers and the growing Linux commercial sector. Project sponsors include the University of Michigan, the Sun Netscape Alliance, Intel, and Sun Microsystems.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Peter Honeyman is Director of the Center for Information Technology Integration, Research Scientist in the Information Technology Division, and Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Honeyman has been instrumental in several software projects, including Honey DanBer UUCP, PathAlias, MacNFS, and Disconnected AFS. His research focus is on middleware, with an emphasis on security, distributed file systems, and mobile computing. He is the author of dozens of journal and conference papers and serves regularly on conference organizing committees. Honeyman is Secretary of the USENIX Association, Co-Vice Chair of IFIP TC 8.8, and a member of AAAS and EFF.


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Last update: 08-09-99